
These days, I personally prefer a controller, but I often use my fight stick to play non-fighting games as well, particularly in the shmup genre. Over the years, I've owned several different fight sticks for console and PC, and I know the difference that a good one and a bad one can make. As I grew older, I turned to more obscure fighting games like The Last Blade, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and Capcom Vs. As a teen growing up in the middle of nowhere in the 2000s, there weren't many arcades to visit, so I turned to online and local play in Tekken Tag Tournament and Mortal Kombat 9 to light my competitive fire. The Expert: I'm a longtime gamer that has written about games and tech for nearly a decade for outlets like Polygon, GameSpot, PC Gamer, and more.
Best for Xbox: Hori Fighting Stick Alpha For Xbox. No matter your skill level, there's a fight stick out there that'll work for you. If you’re interested in picking up a fight stick but aren’t sure what you want, we can help you figure out how to get started. It’s very easy to dive in and get lost in the undertow. There are a wide variety of manufacturers in the space offering different layouts and button types, and many sticks work on some game platforms, but not others. Though anyone can use one, it is a specialized piece of gear, so manufacturers and fans cater to the hardcore, sometimes at the expense of those starting out. The world of fight sticks can be obscure and confusing to a fighting game neophyte. Not everyone who loves Street Fighter or Tekken uses a fight stick, a specialty controller with large buttons and a joystick modeled after arcade cabinet controls, but dedicated fighting game heads will usually find their way to at least trying one. Within the wide world of games, however, there are still subcultures with a hobbyist bent, and few are quite as insular and dedicated as the fighting game community.
Over the past 30 years, video games have grown from a toy, to a niche hobby, and finally into mainstream entertainment.