If you walk into any fighting game tournament nowadays, you'll see a wild variety of controllers. Some players are clutching their PlayStation or Xbox controllers like revolvers out of a western, while some are lugging around massive arcade sticks that look like they were ripped straight from a '90s arcade cabinet.
Now, if you're new to fighting games, this diversity might seem both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Apart from racing, fighting games are the only genre in the gaming world that has specialized controllers. But do you need to drop $200 on a fancy stick to compete? Will using a regular controller hold you back? and is the hitbox the "cheat code" or "gap bridger" that some people claim it is?
As someone who played using a controller, an arcade stick, and a Hitbox, I'll let you in on some of the reasons why you should use these controllers on a fighting game to see which type of controller is for you.
The Traditional Arcade Stick
Let's start with the classic. The arcade stick is what most people picture whenever they think of fighting games. It's a piece of fighting game history that represents the arcade era and a time when the only way to play the latest fighting games was to head to your local arcade and feed tokens into a machine. There's something both nostalgic and visceral about flicking an arcade stick and mashing those buttons.
Fast-forward to today, and the potential for customization with arcade sticks is through the roof. You can swap out literally everything from the stick, the buttons, and the switches. This practicality means that when something breaks, you can just replace that specific part instead of buying a brand-new controller.
Is it easier to play fighting games on an arcade stick? The short answer is yes and no. That's because if you've been using a controller your whole life, switching to a stick is like learning how to write with your other hand. Instead of buttons to move your character, you now have to physically move a lever. What it does well, though, is give you a better feeling and control of your character because of how the buttons are laid out. Fighting games just feel more naturally played on an arcade stick in a way they never quite do on a controller.
The Good Ol' Controller
The regular console controller, or as the FGC calls it, a "pad," is probably what you already have and might just be all you need. Modern fighting games have been designed with controllers in mind since at least the late 90s. For some history, Marvel vs Capcom 2's entire button scheme was changed to accommodate the use of controllers, and since then, every fighting game that can be played today can work perfectly fine on a standard PlayStation or Xbox controller.
The best aspect that the pad brings is familiarity and portability. You've probably been using one of these things for as long as you remember. Your muscle memory is already there, and that foundation of comfort shouldn't be underestimated when you're trying to learn the already complex systems of a fighting game. Also, your controller can fit in your pocket. Try doing that with an arcade stick or a hitbox.
Hitbox May Be the Future
At first glance, the Hitbox, or what's technically known as the "leverless controller" looks less like a controller and more like mini-soundboard but it's basically an arcade stick without a "stick". It replaces the traditional joystick lever with four buttons dedicated to movement.
The advantage of the Hitbox is super-precise movement. One of the difficulties faced by newbies in fighting games is the more than occasional hiccup of a hit-and-miss on their inputs, even when they're just doing simple, quarter-circle moves. Since the Hitbox only has buttons, it eliminates a lot of the nuances that come with directing a lever manually and because of that, it also makes fighting games a lot more easier to learn.
Plus, when you couple that with the fact that fighting games are making their mechanics more and more easier for players to learn, it's really not so much a bad idea to start or play with the Hitbox. It's not, of course, going to suddenly split and bridge the gap between a newbie and veteran player, but it does offer an advantage of accessibility into a genre that's otherwise known for a very steep learning curve.
Does the Controller Make the Player
Despite what sales people may tell you, the controller of your choice won't magically make you better at fighting games. If you suck with a pad, you're probably going to be bad even if you use an arcade stick or even a Hitbox.
This is because while some controllers like the Hitbox may present you with an advantage of being the more "easy-to-use" gadget, at best, what it truly offers is comfort rather than a true mechanical advantage. Remember that the controller, no matter what it may be, and no matter how much flair and sizzle there is, in the end, is just a tool. The real secret to getting good at fighting games won't be measured by controllers or how much you're willing to spend, but rather it's the hours that you put in.