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What are the best fighting sticks for Tekken?

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4 Options Considered

4 Options ConsideredPriceWeightCable
HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai
2.2kg9.8ft / 3m (non detachable)
Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+
5 pounds 3m
Razer Panthera
7.4 pounds 13ft
Qanba Q4 RAF
9.5 pounds 2.8m
See Full List

HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai

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Francisco
Top Pro

Turbo button can be set to 3 different levels

•••
The Turbo button can be set to 5, 12, or 20 attacks per second.
Francisco
Top 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).
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top Pro

Has metal parts, which are durable and resistant

•••
The metal parts of the controller feel solid and can withstand abuse well.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top Pro

Customizable Option button

•••
The Option button, located near the main buttons, can be reassigned or disabled using the Assign button.
Francisco
Top Pro

Color-coded wiring

•••
The wiring is conveniently color-coded.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top Con

Not very suitable for big hands

•••
The Kai 4's wrists area may be too small for gamers with big hands.
Francisco
Top Con

Noisy lever

•••
The 4 Kai's lever is somewhat noisy, especially when compared to its Sanwa counterpart.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top 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.
Francisco
Top Con

Modifying this stick voids the warranty

•••
Users should keep in mind that making modifications on this stick will void its warranty.
Francisco
Top 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.
See 18 more Pros & ConsSee 18 more Pros & Cons

Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+

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Francisco
Top Pro

Joystick can be used as a d-pad or as an analog stick

•••
The joystick can be set to act as a d-pad, or as the left/right analog stick.
Francisco
Top Pro

Modding-friendly

•••
This controller is easy to mod. You can open the case with a push of a button without using a screwdriver. The buttons are easy to swap and the wiring is color-coded.
Francisco
Top Pro

Responsive, durable components

•••
Mad Catz didn’t compromise in terms of this controller’s build quality. It uses Sanwa parts that are well-known for their excellent sensitivity, response and durability. The case itself is built to withstand heavy and intensive use.
Francisco
Top Pro

Detachable USB cable

•••
This sticks's included 10 ft long USB cable is detachable, but also has a lock to prevent it from being detached by accident.
Francisco
Top Pro

Artwork is easy to replace

•••
The artwork is easy to replace, with no need to remove the buttons.
Francisco
Top Pro

Full PS4 and PS3 compatibility

•••
The TE2+ is one of the few controllers that supports complete functionality on Playstation consoles. A button lets you switch between PS3 and PS4 modes. There is a touchpad for the PS4 screen menus and separate L3 and R3 buttons on the analog sticks.
Francisco
Top Con

PC compatibility is limited

•••
Although it is possible to use this with a PC, a third party software needs to be used, and this doesn't offer the best experience.
See 5 more ProsSee 5 more Pros

Razer Panthera

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Qanba Q4 RAF

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Francisco
Top Pro

Impressive build quality

•••
This controller feels solid and durable, as it's not excessively light and uses high quality plastic.
Francisco
Top Pro

Joystick can be used as a d-pad or as an analog stick

•••
There is a switch that sets the joystick behavior to one of two modes: d-pad or analog stick.
Francisco
Top Pro

Helps you avoid accidentally hitting pause

•••
Even though there is no lock trigger for the start button, you can use an included cap to replace the start button, avoiding accidentally hitting pause.
Francisco
Top Pro

Good lower surface grip

•••
The bottom of the controller is covered with velvet, for extra grip.
Francisco
Top Pro

Reliable, durable components

•••
The Q4 RAF uses Sanwa internal parts, well-known for their precision and durability.
Francisco
Top Pro

Handy compartment for cable storage

•••
The Q4 RAF has a built in compartment for cable storage.
Francisco
Top Pro

Multi-platform support

•••
This stick supports both the PS3 and the Xbox 360, so you do not need to have separate controllers for each console in case you own both. It also has PC support.
Francisco
Top Pro

Supports direct headphone connection

•••
You can connect headphones directly to the controller, a feature uncommon on fighting sticks.
Francisco
Top Pro

Built-in handle for easy carrying

•••
There is a handle built into the top of the casing, so you can carry the controller like a briefcase.
Francisco
Top Con

USB cable is not detachable

•••
The USB cable is not detachable.
Francisco
Top Con

Difficult to replace the artwork

•••
The artwork is not easy to replace, as the original one is bound to the plexiglass cover. You will need to buy a new plexiglass and remove the old one to do this mod.
Francisco
Top Con

Not easy to access the inside components

•••
While it is possible to modify this controller, it takes some patience, as you need to remove a lot of screws to access its inside.
See 10 more Pros & ConsSee 10 more Pros & Cons

44 Community Recommendations

Onze
MomoIshida
Francisco
Mleri
Chipester
Aubrey
Ryan
BethLM
MicaCeci
Georgia
Callixtus
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