Best playstation 3 game joysticks according to redditors

Lets not forget about the Tournament Edition arcade sticks which are arguably the best stock sticks you can buy for a console, which are also produced by Mad Catz. They're sturdy, built with Sanwa parts (same as the Japanese Street Fighter 4 cabinets), and the dual mod a lot of serious fighting game players want - which allows it to work on both 360 and PS3 - is a cinch to install in the 360 TEs.

Yeah, the one in Chinatown is probably the one I'm thinking about. I'm a SF maniac.. I have a HORI fighting stick and modded it with Sanwa buttons. Love it.

The MadCatz Fight Stick Pro goes for $100, is moddable, works on PS3 and PC, and even has a few perks (Start/Select buttons on the back, controller blocker to avoid unwanted pauses in tournaments, and a compartment for storing the cable). Definitely a good starting point for most fighters. If you want something even cheaper, I've been playing with a Hori Fighting Stick Mini 3 that goes for about $50. Being "mini", it's smaller than the average, however be warned that it's not easily moddable, and that it weighs rather little so it may slip with intense gameplay.

http://www.amazon.com/Playstation-Real-Arcade-Fighting-Stick-3/dp/B001GDQRZM

This is a PS3 arcade stick but since it uses USB you can plug it into your computer to use as well. Exceptional quality as well.

Have you tried straight up plugging it in without running the 360 emulator? I have the HRAP original (non-V3, looks like this: http://www.amazon.com/Playstation-Real-Arcade-Fighting-Stick-3/dp/B001GDQRZM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394911973&sr=8-3&keywords=ps3+hrap).

And it works as long as I plug in the stick into USB port before I start up the game. Then I just go into controller settings and switch from kb 1 to kb 2 to stick.

I own the Hori arcade stick. I really like it and it works very well.

I also own a PS3 mad cats TE stick (mine has different art than this, best match I could find), I really like that one too. I use this usb stick to make mine work with my switch

I find that these sticks each have their own pros and cons.

|Hori|MadCatz|
|:-|:-|
|Soft plastic round buttons. Very Good|Hard plastic sawa style buttons. Perfect|
|Very hard clicking, very mechanical feeling stick. I love it. Just slightly better for change/charge moves|Softer smother stick, I also love it.|
|No lock feature, however the home button is all the way on the side so it is hard to press by accident. However I do hit start by mistake sometimes when going for a L1|Has a lock out switch, never accidentally press start or the system menu button again! Love It|
|Light weight and easy to put in your lap. Great|Heaviest stick I have every held. Still good for the lap, but I prefer a table. Also Great, but a little different|
|USB cord stores in controller. Feels Cheap|USB cord stores in controller. Feels Great|
|It's RED!|Lots of artwork options available. Pick a style that suits you!|
|Works on Switch and PC (x-input)! Change between the two with a hidden switch on the arcade stick! Wonderful Feature|Works on PS3 (and ps4 games with legacy support). Works on PC only if you set up a custom controller profile in steam. Works with switch when using the usb stick linked above. Not perfect but it will work|
|$150 New and feels like a $150 in your hands|$300-400 new and feels like $300-400 in your hands; but you won't get yours new. I don't think they are made anymore. Hunt for one on amazon or ebay, condition may very. I linked to a OEM/stock one that was going for 280 when in stock.|

I use the MadCatz on my pc as my main steam controller. I use the Hori on my switch. The adapter is used for when a friend comes over. I would never take the MadCatz stick to a competition. It only takes one drunk dudebro spilling a beer to ruin my irreplaceable controller.

If I were you, I would pick the Hori controller for simplicity and price. However if you want to try the MadCatz I found this for about 85-100, it may pair well with the use this usb stick for a very good $120-130 price tag. However the $85 sticks are stated to be in what amazon calls "acceptable condition" and may be missing packaging, manuals, or other pieces.

Are you planning on doing any N64, PlayStation or newer consoles? Those would need 8+2.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mad-Catz-Fighter-FightStick-Tournament/dp/B001M25AY6

I'm assuming you have a TE 1 stick that was released in 2009? (http://www.amazon.com/Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Edition-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6) I used to have this problem until I bought a USB card and attached it to my computer

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008IPXOWU?psc=1 (This card can read USB 1.1 - 3.0)

I think the stick is a USB 1.0, and my computer doesn't read USBs lower than 3.0, and cards like these did the job!

Good luck man!

They do make a top of the line fight stick for PS3 and XBox...for 250 bux. Worth. Every. Penny.

Edit: It looks like they jacked up the price on this model since I bought mine for ~150. They are selling the new Tekken model of this same fight stick for 150 as well.

Even if it has a solid build, the price of that thing leaves me dumbfounded, when I've seen other things such as qanba fightsticks which is slightly priced lower, with the pc/ps3 black clip on version sitting at $70, which is the highest I'd probably go. I havent heard of anyone using a fightstick for MK, usually they use it for Street Fighter, King of Fighters, etc etc. I'm getting a white PS3 controller (first dualshock since PS2 days), hopefully I won't be a pad warrior for long lol.

EDIT:

Cheaper Blue Hori Mini

EDIT 2:

God damn this fightstick is sexy, bookmarked

Get the Hori Real Arcade Pro V3 SA or the Madcatz TE sticks.

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Arcade-Pro-V3-Playstation-3/dp/B0041SGD44/ref=pd_sim_vg_3

http://www.amazon.com/Street-Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6/ref=pd_sim_vg_5

You definetly do not need an arcade stick to play fighting games, it's simply a matter of preference, the only reason the stick is preferred by the fighting game players is that they grew up playing in arcades with the stick as the preffered controller. Ever since SF4 came out there has been a new generation of pad players that are doing pretty well :(Wolfkrone, top seed for evo points, Vangief, both of these guys are pad players and placed top 8 SSF4 in EVO). And for Marvel you really dont need a stick at all as execution is extremely easy. So if you aren't commited to paying 100+ USD for a quality stick, might as well play with your pad, as the stick wont make you a better player instantly, and sticks have a learning curve too. Can you mention the games that you want to play and how much money are you willing to shell out for a stick?

I just plug and play, it worked on my PC out of the box. It's a Hori Playstation 3 Real Arcade Pro. 3 Fighting Stick.

I have a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3. It works on my PS3, PC, and Mac. The buttons aren't great and start to get sluggish after a few months, but the stick part is top quality and the entire thing is easily moddable (no solders required, all you need is a phillip's head and a bolt remover); I ended up buying some Sanwa buttons to install a few months after I bought it for about 20 bucks. They are smooth as hell and I haven't had to do any additional work on it for the over a year that I've had it.

Here's what it looks like now.

I recently got a Kingtop it works for all systems. Beginner stick and the buttons are a little stiff but I am planning on modding it with different buttons if possible.

Cool, I'll look into that first before I make a decision. As an alternative, would this Hori stick be a good option as opposed to a pad or controller?

I was thinking of getting that blue PS3 joystick how is it?

I'm gonna go a little bit against the other responses here, and say that I had a good experience with my $40 stick. I got a Hori Fighting Stick Mini 3 when they were $40 about a year and a half ago. I wasn't sure if I would like fighting games, and I didn't want to drop $150 on a stick if I wasn't going to stick with it. The $40 was worth it to have try a stick, knowing if I liked it I would probably upgrade.

The stick is definitely not the same quality or feel as something with Sanwa or Seimitsu parts. That being said, I completely disagree with anyone saying that a pad feels better than a cheap stick. This is personal taste, but just having the layout of a stick felt better than a pad for me. The small form factor was a plus for me, especially the thinness, because I play both PS3 and PC fighters at my desk. It's small enough to leave at the desk without taking up much room. I'm also pretty easy on my stick and don't slam it around like I see some people do when I play.

If you can afford a nicer entry stick, and think you'll like fighters, then definitely go for a better stick. For people who really can't afford spending $100 though, you may be perfectly happy with a cheap stick. I use Sanwa modded sticks and my cheap Hori, nothing in between, so I can't comment on the quality of in between sticks. I do like mine enough where I've had Sanwa parts sitting around for a few months and haven't finished making the custom case I have planned for them.

Mkay. I, against a few peoples opinions, ordered this stick simply because it was one of the cheapest ones I found. Since I ordered it just prior to the weekend it hasnt fully processed yet. Do you think that, for someone who has an interest in learning/getting better that it would be worth it to instead get the Arcade Fightstick Pro from MadCatz? I just wasnt too sure initially if I wanted to shell out that much for the pad, but now I feel like I might want to if the one Ive ordered wont be as effective.

No, the PS3 one is also on sale for $110. It's also better since it has 2 USB ports for a keyboard and microphone.

http://www.amazon.com/HORI-Soulcalibur-Arcade-Stick-PlayStation-3/dp/B006WVR982/ref=pd_sim_vg_1

Not really man. Sorry. I don't play on PC. I own a Hori from my ps3 days that still works great. Most of my friends use 8arc. If I were to buy a new fight stick today I'd probably get the Obsidian. I have never been a fan of Mad Catz.

I guess they changed parts. This is what I have https://www.amazon.com/HORI-Soulcalibur-Arcade-Stick-playstation-3/dp/B006WVR982 Full Sanwa parts.

Only thing I changed was the restrictor gate. Stick came with square gate, but I prefer octagonal gate. Have had it for like 5 years already and still working perfectly.

I would try out a cheap arcade stick. My SO was very generous and bought me a Qanba Q4. I was having a blast with it, but I wanted her to be able to join in on some of the Mame games I play (TMNT, etc). She isn't much of a hardcore gamer or anything, so she didn't want something very fancy.

I got her this stick when it was going for around $30. The buttons and stick are quite stiff compared to my Qanba, but it still feels great and works well for all games we've tried it with. Here are some other lower cost options you should check out: Mayflash and Hori.

BTW - I'm assuming you are on PC, so I suggested sticks that would work for PC.

Edit: Also, if you end up really liking your stick and getting into it, there is a huge mod community and I've found plenty of tutorials for modding the units I listed on the cheap. That Mayflash one is especially easy to find mod tutorials for.

This is the exact stick I have.

http://www.amazon.com/Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Edition-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348420426&sr=8-1&keywords=madcatz+ps3+te+stick

Hi Redshft,

As a warning, you're going to have to "learn" to use the fightstick. I literally hated it at first. It's so "new" you will suck.

http://www.amazon.com/Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Edition-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1376255474&sr=8-7&keywords=mad+catz+fightstick

That fightstick is hands down the best, and you're going to spend $100 on your stick. Go ahead, just throw down the extra cash and get something that isn't cheap. I promise you, it will be worth it.

Mad Catz TE

https://www.amazon.com/Street-Fighter-FightStick-Tournament-Playstation-3/dp/B001M25AY6

I never had any lag on SFIV btw. That's why I'm positive this is a SFV thing and has nothing to do with the stick itself.

You get what you pay for.

HRAP VX: link

Mad Cats TE. PS3's are in stock, 360's are not. You can also get them from the Mad Catz store online. Link

Finally, if you want both ps3 and 360 capability, you're out of luck for mass-produced sticks. There is the Qanba QRAF, link. They are very nice, and I've seen and played with a couple. I like them.

Finally, there's customs, but those can be upwards of 300 dollars.

Would you be buying it for the ps3 or which console?
Because I would personally recommend the hori real arcade stick
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GDQRZM
its on a deal right now for $99 plus free shipping, real top of the line stick

How does it compare to this Hori

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001GDQRZM

I was a teenager in the late 80's, which is for me the golden era of arcade.


Just a non exhaustive list of arcade games that I played the shit out of: Rygar, Bubble Bobble, Xain'd Sleena, Double Dragon, Wonderboy, Gauntlet, Gunsmoke, Choplifter, Rampage, Golden Axe, Empire City, etc.


And these games were not only about playing them, it was also about watching other people playing them and talking about them.


Then in the 90's, arcade just became mostly about Fighting and Driving games, and I was not into these: getting older, not good at them, and them being more and more expensive to play.
And finally came out console and PC gaming which marked the end of arcade games.


I definitely miss these days, and I am sure this is a concept which can not stand nowadays except for nostalgia for people like me, and maybe for driving games which can be more seen as some sort of driving simulators that you cannot have at home.


But personally, I can sort of revive these days especially thanks to emulators and stuff like this. And I still have a lot of fun. These games definitely don't get old.