Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick makes fighting games fun again: review
I’m in love with arcade fighting games again. And it’s been awhile. For the last year or so, I’ve rarely booted up a Street Fighter or an Injustice – partly because we haven’t had a marquee fighter hit in that span, and partly because the genre hadn’t captivated me. But over the past month or so, I’ve dived back into Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat 11, Street Fighter V, and the Marvel vs. Capcom and Tekken franchises anew.
It’s a rediscovery that’s come courtesy of PDP’s VIctrix Pro FS Arcade Stick, which just may be the most well thought-out fight stick I’ve ever used. For years, I’ve played most fighting games the conventional way, with my Xbox or PlayStation controller – and I’ve occasionally dabbled in a more elaborate fight stick.
But it wasn’t until I met the Pro FS, that I was hooked on fight sticks. Victrix thinks of everything, building an ultra-solid unit that seems like it was stripped from a 90s-era arcade. The retail price ($399) is steep, but if you’re chasing fighting game mastery, the experience is worth shelling out for.
At its core, the Pro FS is built for the hardcore fighting gamer, and this means it’s a commercial grade controller experience. The massive unit is meant to take a pounding, and you can slam on the 8 face buttons or attack the joystick with comfort, knowing that you’re using a durable controller. It also includes other critical touches for the hardcore crowd, including a back panel that opens easily for modding. And the wires are thick but organized, making it easy for you to see what you’re doing if you do go down that road.
The unit is also meant to travel, complete with a cloth case. And the joystick is detachable, which will prevent it from being damaged during travel. It’s here that Pro FS has a minor fumble though: It’s actually a bit tough to detach the joystick (and attaching it took me a bit to figure out too), so, ideally, you’ll want to simply leave it attached and not worry about it.
More casual gamers will appreciate all of this, too, and they’ll also appreciate how easily the controller sits in your lap. This is a massive device overall, but it still feels light and comfortable when you’re gaming on the couch, and it doesn’t shift around, no matter how hard you might be button-mashing. The foam pad is comfortable, and the easy slope of the controller lets you play for hours on end.
PDP finishes the product with some of the touches that you’ve always loved from the brand too, including a purple glow that gives it a touch of style if you’re playing in a dark room. The device works with both PlayStation consoles and PC, and on both machines, it’s fluid and responsive.
The library of fighting games already available, from Injustice 2 to MK to Street Fighter and Tekken and a litany of Dragon Ball Z games, means you’ll get plenty of mileage from this controller. And if you’re a fighting game fan, remember that it’s only set to get better next year, with Street Fighter 6 coming, and Tekken 8 announced and on the horizon. And there’s no better way to dominate those games than with this controller.
4 out of 5 stars
