A good stick for gamers that are looking for a serious, tournament-level fighting stick but don’t want to spend a fortune. Its high-quality parts, premium features and full Playstation/PC compatibility makes this a great and affordable choice.
SpecsUpdate
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Pros
Pro Precise and durable joystick and buttons
HORI uses in-house manufactured joystick and buttons for their controllers. In this case, the very precise and durable original HORI Hayabusa Joystick and HORI Kuro Buttons are the ones that are used.
Pro Ergonomic, comfortable layout
The solid and responsive buttons are arranged in a Taito Vewlix-style configuration. This layout is used on most fighting sticks and is quite comfortable for gaming. The space between the stick and the buttons is wide enough to be ergonomic for most users hand size.
Pro Has metal parts, which are durable and resistant
The metal parts of the controller feel solid and can withstand abuse well.
Pro Customizable Option button
The Option button, located near the main buttons, can be reassigned or disabled using the Assign button.
Pro Light and portable
Weighing 2.2 kg, this stick feels quite light compared to other alternatives, which makes it more portable than some of its competitors.
Pro PC/PS3/PS4 compatibility
As a stick that's officially licensed, it is PS3 and PS4 compatible. There's even a touchpad on the back of the controller for PS4 functionality. It’s also PC compatible, using an Xinput standard.
Pro Joystick can be used both as a D-pad or as an analog stick
The joystick toggle lets you set the joystick to act as a D-pad or one of the analog sticks.
Pro Buttons can be replaced
The standard buttons can be replaced for Sanwa buttons, if that's preferred. However, this process requires applying some force, so you’ll have to take extra caution.
Pro Additional side buttons for improved gaming experience
HORI has included a lot of additional buttons on the right side of the controller, such as L3, R3, turbo switch or joystick trigger (to change joystick behaviour).
Pro Color-coded wiring
The wiring is conveniently color-coded.
Pro Turbo button can be set to 3 different levels
The Turbo button can be set to 5, 12, or 20 attacks per second.
Cons
Con Modifying this stick voids the warranty
Users should keep in mind that making modifications on this stick will void its warranty.
Con Working on the inside hardware can be a bit of a hassle
Unlike other fighting sticks, which have buttons or latches, the 4 Kai requires a screwdriver to remove its backplate screws and access its internal components. Even though internal components can be swapped with ease, it feels like they are a bit crammed inside.
Con Replacing the artwork is likely to break the protective cover
The 4 Kai's artwork can be changed, but there is a high risk that the plexiglass will break while doing so. Therefore, be prepared for the need to get a spare.
Con USB cable is not detachable and it's not breakaway
The 4 Kai's 3 meter USB cable is not detachable. It's also not a breakaway cable, so there is a risk of pulling out the console if someone trips over the cable.
Con Slightly unstable
This stick's light 2.2 kg weight tends to make it slightly unstable. As an attempt to mitigate this effect, the bottom surface has two rubbery patches to prevent the controller from sliding around.
Con Not very suitable for big hands
The Kai 4's wrists area may be too small for gamers with big hands.
Con Noisy lever
The 4 Kai's lever is somewhat noisy, especially when compared to its Sanwa counterpart.
Con Plastic parts feel cheap
The 4 Kai's plastic parts feel a bit cheap. An example of this is the compartment door for the USB cable, which comes off easily.
Con Button stifness may take some getting used to
Some people find that the HORI buttons are excessively stiffer than those found on other fighting sticks, so it may take some getting used to their feel.