Arcade Stick reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 308 Reddit reviews across 22 subreddits and 67 posts to rank the best Arcade Stick brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/fightsticks, r/StreetFighter, r/shmups, r/Tekken, r/Kappa. Top-rated brands include Mayflash (4.0/5), Qanba (4.4/5), Hori (4.1/5).
Stats
Reviews308
Subreddits22
Posts67
Brands47
Products68
308 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Mayflash
4.0
(65)
"Mayflash F500 or 8bitdo if you’re on a budget."
"Mayflash F700. I'm in love with the thing, solid, works with almost anything."
"My first stick was a Mayflash F500."
"Mayflash F700 Elite, IMO. Great platform support, excellent input lag over USB."
"I have mayflash f500 elite and it its wonderful."
"I have the F500 flat and I love it."
"No, go for a Mayflash instead. Works perfectly and is easily moddable."
"Mayflash f500 is solid. Easy to change and upgrade down the line too."
"This is the perfect arcade stick for someone starting out."
"I absolutely love mine. It's so easy to mod too, I can't recommend this stick enough."
#2
Qanba
4.4
(53)
"Qanba obsidian 2, qanba dragon, AFS. These will all feel more sturdy than the titan."
"Qanba obsidian probably a good choice, or if you go slightly custom Allfightsticks and Jasens Customs have really sturdy builds."
"I am in my 4th week with the Qanba Obsidian 2 and don’t regret it one bit."
"I’ve seen a lot of people recommend Qanba Obsidian 2, Hori Alpha Fightstick."
"I use a qanba titan and it's one of the best gaming purchases I've made."
"Get a Qanba Obsidian. The first one. The OG."
"I love my Qanba Obsidian and Hori Fighting Edge."
"Qanba Obsidian or Pearl if you can find them."
"If money isnt an issue, the qanba obsidian seems to be the go to stick."
"Qanba Obsidian is my favorite"
#3
Hori
4.1
(54)
"I really like this stick, it's super easy to mod."
"The RAP V is my favourite and most used controller for playing shooters and its not even close."
"Hori Alpha is the best dollar-for-value I think, especially if you're looking for native PS5 compatibility."
"Hori alpha 100%."
"It’s baller, loving it so far."
"Best? Any popular 2nd hand stick, hori rap etc Fitted with a brook retro board, custom rj45 to saturn cable and sanwa/seimitsu parts for your genre you're playing the most."
"Is probably the best (or the $$$ dual version) but Hori SS is likely the better value."
"Hori Alpha is a great stick and is set up to allow art swaps with minimal hassle."
"If you want a really good one either get the razer one or a high end hori arcade stick"
"Hori fighting edge is so good! It's a bit pricier and a big stick but super comfortable and feels great to play"
#4
8Bitdo
4.2
(39)
"You probably want to go for a stick that has been licensed by Microsoft, like the 8bitdo arcade stick for Xbox."
"Personally, i got myself 8BitDo's arcade stick for a couple of reasons: It's rather affordable."
"The best value for your money right now might be the 8bitdo arcade stick."
"I like my 8bitdo Arcade Stick. It feels reassuringly sturdy and heavy too."
"It has Sanwa parts. I have the same one with Seimitsu parts for XBOX360 and it's my favorite stick."
"The 8bitdo Arcade Stick IS compatible with both Sanwa and Seimitsu sticks and buttons."
"8bitdo everything."
"I use the 8bitdo stick for my Mister. Also an mayflash arcade stick f700 elite. The 8bitdo is great and I have never experienced any problems with it."
"My 8bitdo Arcade Stick with a Seimitsu LS-56 mod is my favorite regardless of what system I'm playing on."
"8BitDo Arcade Stick"
#5
Razer
4.5
(22)
"Razer panthera ( original, not evo ) if you don’t mind the second hand market, best stick around imo."
"I cannot say enough good things about it"
"I love my Kitsune so much. It's well worth the pricetag."
"I use my kitsune on my switch. Works great."
"Razer kitsune. No contest."
"If you want a really good one either get the razer one or a high end hori arcade stick"
"My top 3 picks gotta be qanba obsidian, razer panthera, or a hitbox. All around 200$"
"Razer Panthera, and Qanba Obisidian are great entry sticks."
"Qanba Obsidian
Razer Panthera (not evo if you want to customize it)
Hori fighting edge
These are the main 3. All are great."
"I love my Razer Panthera."
#6
Nacon
4.3
(8)
"High quality build and very easy to mod. It's my favorite retail stick next to the Victrix PRO FS."
"I have the first one and can recommend"
"I recently got a nacon daija for PS5 and I'm really happy with it."
"Nacon daija, hori alpha if you’re want something more high quality."
"Nacon are great in terms of quality price ratio but if you want a really good one either get the razer one or a high end hori arcade stick"
"I bought the Daija Arcade stick because it is on Sale for 135 € on the official nacon homepage."
"The nacon daija is a pretty good one and also very customizable"
"Nacon Daija if you're in Europe and want a flip-top (much better after a firmware update)"
#7
Sanwa
4.8
(6)
"Just get anything with real arcade parts. Facebook can be nice for this. I bought a sealed all Sanwa stick (mvc3) for $80."
"Sanwa OBSF-30 Buttons."
"Sanwa JLF stick mechanism with square gate."
"The closest feel to a real arcade stick would be one using real arcade parts."
"Sanwa parts is a great place to start and is generally the go-to for starters."
"As you search, look for the name “Sanwa“ - generally considered one of the best makers of."
#8
Victrix
4.2
(6)
"I have recently obtained a Victrix Pro FS. Now if money is no object (or you can find a good deal), this is the stick I would recommend hands down."
"I have a Victrix and the build quality is top."
"Victrix Pro FS 12."
"Victrix, even if they are pricey. Hori is good if you're on a budget."
"A bit expensive, but I like the material and the weight of the stick."
"The Victrix Pro FS has a really nice design and cool features, but hurts my fingers to play."
#9
Hitbox
4.8
(5)
"I have a hitbox and ill never look back."
"My top 3 picks gotta be qanba obsidian, razer panthera, or a hitbox. All around 200$"
"I recently built my first hitbox, and it made a pretty big improvement in my input."
"I've been using a hitbox for multiple fighters since 2015 and will never go back."
"Personally I think the hitbox/mixbox is going to replace the stick in time."
#10
Haute42
4.4
(5)
"Its the only box ive used and never felt the ened for anything else and its alot cheaper than alternatives"
"Haute42 have the best budget leverless controllers with premium feel."
"Haute42 T16 if you want leverless, Mayflash F300 if you want a lever."
"Check out the haute42 M series. Aluminum, buttons are ok and you can get a brook wingman fgc adapter to use it on the ps5."
"A good cheap-ish leverless you could try is the Haute42 sticks, you can get the t series sticks for like 60$ on when it's discounted."
#11
Hit Box
4.0
(4)
"Some suggested a HITBOX, you can also advice me what is best budget."
"Hit box > controller > stick"
"I would recommend using a hitbox. Arcade sticks are not ideal for NRS games."
"I would suggest a hit box over standard arcade stick."
#12
Obsidian
4.5
(2)
"Used obsidian with a 309MJ = chefs kiss 🤌🏼"
"If you don't want to go custom the Obsidian always looks really nice."
#13
Istmall
4.0
(2)
"Check istmall website, they make excellent arcade sticks."
"I'd also recommend anything by ISTmall, since they use Sanwa parts on their stock sticks."
#14
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha
4.0
(2)
"The Hori Models are beginner sticks."
"If that's your budget, the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha."
#15
Madcatz
4.0
(2)
"IF you only plan on PC play you should get a Xbox 360 stick or Mad Catz TES+ are around 100 on ebay."
"Keep an eye out for deals on Madcatz sticks since their fightstick division is dead. TES+ recently went for $80 on Newegg."
#16
Venom
3.5
(2)
"The venom really isn't a bad stick at all, and would absolutely work for your first stick."
"Both the Venom and Mayflash F500 are good starter choices"
#17
8bitdo
5.0
(1)
"For arcade games / shmups there is the 8bitdo m30 which is cheap and one of the best controllers I have ever held in hand for 2D games."
#18
Snack Box
5.0
(1)
"The build quality is really good, i’ve been using it for about a year now and had no issues with it"
#19
Seimitsu
5.0
(1)
"I replaced mine with a Seimitsu LS-56-01 (MS plate)."
#20
JLX
5.0
(1)
"JLX with the red oversized actuator is actually my go-to lever at the moment."
#21
Leverless
5.0
(1)
"It's worth it to try out a cheap leverless. I could never get used to playing on stick or pad and made me not want to play fighters but the leverless is a lot more comfortable"
#22
Super Advantage
5.0
(1)
"Super advantage or custom made is the way to go for me"
#23
PS4 Controller
5.0
(1)
"PS4 controller is the best"
#24
Mayflash F101
5.0
(1)
"I use a mayflash f101 which I found on amazon for £45 (probably about $60) and I think it works very very well for the price."
#25
Neo Geo Arcade Stick 2
5.0
(1)
"The Neo Geo one: https://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/threads/169083-Review-Wii-SNK-Neo-Geo-Arcade-Stick-2"
#26
BnB
5.0
(1)
"It's best to go with something custom like BnB/4TW enclosure."
#27
Arcade Shock
4.0
(1)
"Dont buy a new controller, just replace the lever with a korean one and change the buttons."
#28
Tatsunoku vs Capcom
4.0
(1)
"Best one I've seen is the Tatsunoku vs Capcom arcade stick."
#29
Monoprice
4.0
(1)
"Monoprice makes an arcade stick that's surprisingly high quality."
#30
GP2040
4.0
(1)
"You can get a gp2040 board with pass through for PS5."
#31
GP2040 CE
4.0
(1)
"I'm not sure exactly how many systems the GP 2040 CE supports but it does support a PS4 and PS5."
#32
Brook Wingman FGC Converter
4.0
(1)
"You can buy a Brook Wingman FGC converter, which is not cheap but works pretty well and is small."
#33
Brook Wingman
4.0
(1)
"Nice SSJ4 FighterZ art and if you buy a brook wingman you can use it on the ps5."
#34
Mayflash F700
4.0
(1)
"Isn't that upcoming Mayflash F700 going to be Switch/PS..? The first, I believe."
#35
UGB Board
4.0
(1)
"Any stick you get, basically, you could throw a UGB board in there and wire all the buttons and stick to it instead of the sticks original pcb and you'd be set."
#36
HitBox Crossup
4.0
(1)
"I THINK the HitBox Crossup works on the Switch, PC, and the PS4."
#37
Generic Arcade Stick
4.0
(1)
"If you want to play for extended time without damaging your hands a stick is the way to go."
#38
Switch Arcade Stick
4.0
(1)
"The switch one by far. Assuming that you don't really care about the headphone jack thing."
#39
GameSir
4.0
(1)
"I was looking at the GameSir C2 which MadCatz EGO, Dragon Slay, Monoprice Dark Matter are all built on."
#40
Fighting Stick Alpha
4.0
(1)
"I literally just got the Fighting Stick Alpha for Xbox two days ago and am liking it so far."
#41
MadCatz
4.0
(1)
"MadCatz TE-S: Requires plexiglass."
#42
JonyFraze
4.0
(1)
"My best recommendation would be to buy a case from somewhere like JonyFraze's website and by the parts yourself."
#43
Crown
4.0
(1)
"I recommend starting with a Crown 309 lever."
#44
PXN
4.0
(1)
"Mura, maayos, magaan, maliit pero di sobra katulad ng Hori Fight Stick mini."
#45
Fighting Box
4.0
(1)
"Very highly recommend a leverless fightstick (HitBox clones) rather than an arcade stick."
#46
X-Arcade
4.0
(1)
"I'm still rocking an original X-Arcade stick from 2001."
#47
NES Edge Joystick
3.0
(1)
"The nes mini got an arcade stick. It plugs into the Wiimote. NES Edge Joystick The Edge Joystick. Not fully featured but pretty cheap and likely still slightly moddable."
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