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What are the best fighting sticks for Tekken?

4

Options
Considered

44

User
Recs.

Sep 21, 2017

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

4 Options Considered

4 Options Considered	Price	Weight	Cable
86 HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai	$149.96	2.2kg	9.8ft / 3m (non detachable)
85 Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+	$368.88	5 pounds	3m
-- Razer Panthera	$199.99	7.4 pounds	13ft
-- Qanba Q4 RAF	$169.99	9.5 pounds	2.8m

HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai

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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. See More

Top Con

Not very suitable for big hands

The Kai 4's wrists area may be too small for gamers with big hands. See More

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). See More

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 More

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. See More

Top Con

Modifying this stick voids the warranty

Users should keep in mind that making modifications on this stick will void its warranty. See More

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. See More

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. See More

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. See More

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. See More

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. See More

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. See More

Top Pro

Customizable Option button

The Option button, located near the main buttons, can be reassigned or disabled using the Assign button. See More

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. See More

Top Pro

Has metal parts, which are durable and resistant

The metal parts of the controller feel solid and can withstand abuse well. See More

Top Con

Noisy lever

The 4 Kai's lever is somewhat noisy, especially when compared to its Sanwa counterpart. See More

Top Pro

Color-coded wiring

The wiring is conveniently color-coded. See More

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. See More

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. See More

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. See More

Specs

Cable:9.8ft / 3m (non detachable)

Buttons:HAYABUSA Buttons

Supported platforms:PS4/PS3/PC

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Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+

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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. See More

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 More

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. See More

Top Pro

Artwork is easy to replace

The artwork is easy to replace, with no need to remove the buttons. See More

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. See More

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. See More

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. See More

Specs

Weight:5 pounds

Buttons:Sanwa Denshi OBSF-30

Supported platforms:PS3/PS4

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Razer Panthera

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Specs

Weight:7.4 pounds

Buttons:Sanwa Denshi OBSF-30

Supported platforms:PS4

See All Specs >

Qanba Q4 RAF

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Top Pro

Impressive build quality

This controller feels solid and durable, as it's not excessively light and uses high quality plastic. See More

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. See More

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. See More

Top Con

USB cable is not detachable

The USB cable is not detachable. See More

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. See More

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 More

Top Pro

Good lower surface grip

The bottom of the controller is covered with velvet, for extra grip. See More

Top Pro

Supports direct headphone connection

You can connect headphones directly to the controller, a feature uncommon on fighting sticks. See More

Top Pro

Reliable, durable components

The Q4 RAF uses Sanwa internal parts, well-known for their precision and durability. See More

Top Pro

Handy compartment for cable storage

The Q4 RAF has a built in compartment for cable storage. See More

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. See More

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. See More

Specs

Weight:9.5 pounds

Buttons:Sanwa OBSF-30 buttons

Supported platforms:Xbox 360 / Playstation 3 / PC

See All Specs >

44 Community Recommendations

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Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+

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HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai

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HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai

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Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+

Recommended 10 months ago

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Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+

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Recommended 10 months ago

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HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai

Recommended 10 months ago

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Recommended 10 months ago

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Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick TE2+

Recommended 10 months ago

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HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai

Recommended 10 months ago

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