The best fight sticks in 2024

This seemingly simple-looking fight stick is a real beast in functionality, design, and heft. Designed in collaboration with Kayane, a premier French esports player, the Daija clearly has its sights set on attracting professional and competition-level gamers.

On the surface, there’s a textured palm rest, swappable sticks, and a button lock feature to prevent accidental presses. The right side houses the auxiliary inputs such as L3, R3, and the PS5’s trackpad, which takes some getting used to, but is well worth it if you want to game at a competitive level.

The Daija is also hugely customizable, with plenty of space within its innards for swapping over button profiles and components. It’s also super responsive, with Sanwa parts replicating that arcade experience. That makes it our

controller

of choice for competition players, even if its weight makes it less than ideal for carrying it around. Additionally, the Daija’s high price might make it a hard sell for entry-level players who want to casually enjoy retro games or fighting games.

Read our Nacon Daija Arcade Stick review.

Though Sanwa parts are the gold standard arcade components, there’s room at the top for another brand. Hori’s Hayabusa stick and buttons are highly regarded even among the most discerning competition players, and that’s a tradition that continues with the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha. Its button profile and layout make it ideal for Xbox use.

The stick is extremely sensitive, but once you get used to it, you’ll be pulling off ultra combos with ease thanks to its short travel, pin-sharp accuracy, and responsiveness. The matte buttons are also hardworking and solid, while the auxiliary buttons are held near the top of the unit, making accidental presses almost impossible.

While the blue color scheme of the PlayStation version is nice enough, we’re a little underwhelmed by the Xbox version’s slightly drab white and gray design. Thankfully, the panel is removable, and you can easily get your hands on replacement custom art, thanks to Hori’s templates.

The Alpha is also one of the easier sticks to customize. Flipping a latch lets you access the stick’s internals, so replacing the buttons and stick is a breeze. With accurate controls and a good balance of portability and heft, it’s a real contender if you’re in the esports space.

There aren’t many fight sticks that offer cross-console compatibility for those who play across both PC and home consoles, but even then, why should you need to buy more than one? Thankfully, Mayflash has your back with its F500 Elite.

It

features

buttons labeled with both PlayStation and Xbox input sets, with its respective Select and Home buttons wisely placed well away from the fray.

Though it’s not the most intimidating stick, there’s something wonderfully analog about the F500’s design, right down to the 80s-style white lettering in the bottom corner. However, we must admit to preferring the sharp red button and black panel design of the standard F500. That said, gamers can also swap out this design with their own custom art by removing the acrylic panel.

Thankfully, unlike its cheaper brother, the F500 Elite features Sanwa arcade components, instantly boosting its build quality and accuracy. The unit is also easily customizable, with removable metal panels allowing access to its internals. The lack of the L3 and R3 buttons is a weird omission, however. Despite this, the controls are responsive, and the unit is nicely balanced.

Let 8Bitdo take you back to a simpler, more pixelated time with its Arcade Stick. We’re big fans of this stick’s retro Famicom-esque design (which will appeal to PC gamers with a soft spot for Nintendo), which blends its familiar red, gray, and black styling for an instantly recognizable look. Robust rubber feet adorn its 2kg body, which is decent, though we’ve seen heavier sticks. The last thing you need is the unit slip-sliding around while you’re mid-combo.

The Arcade Stick is also super versatile in function. Not only does it come with a generously lengthy 3m cable, but you can also use it wirelessly via the Bluetooth connection or 2.4Ghz USB receiver. Buttons are easily reprogrammable, and the platform itself is open for tinkerers to customize at will.

While there are cheaper options out there, the 8Bitdo Arcade Stick is a solid mid-range fight stick. It just misses out on a grand slam home run as this model is only compatible with Nintendo Switch and PC, meaning cross-platform users will need to look elsewhere.

Razer’s entry into the world of dedicated fight and arcade controllers puts a different spin on the all-button approach. Instead of using a stick or lever for direction, the input is via buttons – a bit like using WASD keys on a keyboard.

All-button controllers like the Kitsune have been relatively niche up until recently so most units – such as the Hit Box below – have been bulky and expensive. The Kitsune, though, is a more low-profile design that’s more comfortable for use on a desk. And it’s gorgeous to look at. Plus, It uses keyboard switches underneath its buttons, rather than traditional fight stick switches (such as made by Sanwa). These optical keyboard switches make for a smoother and more responsive feel.

The Kitsune is also the first all-button controller to be officially licensed for PS5 use, so is guaranteed to work with all games and includes a DualSense Touchpad along with Option and Share buttons.

Some slight downsides include the fact that the buttons aren’t RGB-illuminated (when it’s a common feature on keyboards with similar switches) and that it’s quite expensive, especially given that lack of customization and modability it provides. Still, you can remove the top plate and get funky Street Fighter Cammy and Chun Li tops. If you’re after a high-performance, compact fight controller, the Razer Kitsune is hard to beat.

Read our full Razer Kitsune review.

Those resolved to master the alternative playing style of the Hit Box will find a highly rewarding fight stick. The Hit Box lacks the traditional stick, instead opting for four directional buttons partly intertwined on the unit’s surface, differentiated with a deep red or brilliant white. The buttons consist of Sanwa parts for best-in-class components, while the unit itself oozes quality with its slim steel frame and acrylic surface.

For veteran stick users, there’s a fair learning curve to mastering the Hit Box. However, many now swear by them for fighting games, as this unit involves less travel distance in its inputs, minimizing human error and giving you confidence in pulling off chain attacks in the heat of battle.

As a caveat, note that some competitions have outlawed the use of certain button profiles, so ensure you review all guidance if you’re buying one for tournament play. The Hit Box may be hard to master, but it has the potential to change your fighting game prowess for the better.

The Qanba Drone has been around for a good few years — its successor, the Drone 2, is new for 2023, but for its tempting price, we’re sticking with the original for this list. At under $80, it’s an absolute steal.

We’re fans of the Drone’s design, with a yellow honeycomb aesthetic that is both bright and striking. It’s built for portability too, with a weight that still feels solid but not a nuisance to carry around. There’s even a compartment to house the USB cable, meaning it won’t get tangled or worn down while inside a bag. Love it.

The shell does have a plasticky and light feel to it, but again, for the price, we can’t mark it down too harshly for that. However, we will say that the unit’s glossy surface collects fingerprints like nobody’s business, and you’ll be forever wiping away smears to maintain its sheen.

Though the stick feels fairly decent, and the buttons are responsive enough, there’s some looseness to the controls, so we’d recommend investing in some Sanwa parts if players want the best. Thankfully, swapping components out is relatively easy.

The Qanbra Drone is a great budget stick that still holds up pretty well, especially for casual play, but esports competitors might want to look elsewhere.