I swapped my controller for an arcade stick — and fighting games will never be the same

I’ve been a huge fan of fighting games since I discovered Street Fighter II in a convenience store in the early ‘90s. When that game and other seminal titles like Mortal Kombat and Virtua Fighter came to home consoles, I effectively stopped visiting arcades and acclimated to playing my favorite fighters on controllers. Arcade sticks weren’t as readily available back then, and the few options were too expensive for my family to afford. The mighty Sega Saturn controller was all I needed to beat my friends and neighborhood kids who challenged me.

I fell out of love with fighting games since Street Fighter V’s disastrous launch, but the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection reignited my passion for the genre. For the past four months, I’ve spent most of my free time playing Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and King of Fighters XV, among others. I am fully immersed in the world of fighting games, so much so that I’m considering attending the EVO fighting game tournament in Vegas this year.

I’ve been having a blast playing fighting games but began feeling the limitations of the Hori Fighting Commander Octa and PDP Victrix Pro BFG controllers I use. I searched for other fight pads (as they’re called) but the choices were few and far between. However, there is no shortage of arcade or fight sticks to choose from. Given these factors, I decided to purchase my very first arcade stick — the Mayflash F700 Elite.

Now that I’ve spent a full week learning how to play fighting games on an arcade stick, I want to share my experience with anyone considering making the switch. Though it might seem daunting, I promise you that ditching a controller or fight pad for one of the best fight sticks isn’t as difficult as you’d think. In fact, it might be the best choice you can make. I'll explain why.

The Mayflash F700 Elite

Before going into my experience playing with an arcade stick, I want to give you a brief rundown of the Mayflash F700 Elite.

After watching countless videos about the best arcade sticks for beginners, I settled on Mayflash’s peripheral for several reasons. For starters, it comes with Sanwa parts — which are considered the most high-quality, responsive and durable among arcade stick enthusiasts. The F700 Elite is also customizable, allowing me to change the joystick and buttons should any of those components fail or if I want to upgrade to different parts. I can even slip in custom artwork underneath the acrylic clear panel.

On top of that, this arcade stick is also compatible with just about any device, including PS5/PS4, PC, Android, macOS/iOS/iPadOS and more. It doesn’t work with Xbox Series X/S, but since I don’t own that system, this isn’t a problem.

You can connect via Bluetooth, a 2.4 GHz dongle, or wired. Bluetooth connectivity isn’t an option for PS5/PS4, but I don’t mind using the dongle. If you prefer wired connectivity, you can use the included USB-C to USB-A adapter for devices lacking legacy ports. This adapter is very useful for PS5 Pro owners who would otherwise have to connect the F700 Elite to one of the console’s rear USB-A ports, which would result in a shortened cable.

Other features include a handy compartment for storing the arcade stick’s cable and even a smaller compartment for the USB dongle. There’s also an included 8-way gate for the arcade stick that you can swap out for the 4-way gate inside the controller. The headphone jack and mute button on the front are also useful. The no-frills design, easy-to-store cable, and (relatively) light 7.6-pound weight are other factors I appreciate.

Now, let’s dive into what it’s been like switching from a controller to an arcade stick.

The experience

In addition to videos detailing the best arcade sticks, I also watched videos on how to properly use these peripherals. While there are some common tips, such as not gripping the stick like a ball, limiting your motions to only your wrists and fingers and not using your shoulder and elbow, there isn’t a true consensus on how to hold an arcade stick. Currently, I’m experimenting with various methods to see which feels the most comfortable and gives me the best results when performing complex movements.

I planned to fire up Street Fighter 6, completely suck at it, practice on less demanding games like beat ‘em ups and platformers, and then return to Street Fighter 6 a month later to see how much I had improved. That plan went out the window the instant I executed Ryu’s Hadouken on my first try. Some strains of muscle memory from my arcade days remained, meaning I wouldn’t have to completely start from scratch. I then hit the lab (training mode) hard to truly nail down basic controls in Street Fighter and similar 2D fighting games.

I probably shouldn’t be surprised that I’m about 80% proficient using an arcade stick compared to a controller. Though I’m building new muscle memory and continuing to optimize my grip, my decades' worth of fighting game experience is coming in handy since I don’t have to learn the timing of certain moves — I just have to figure out execution. And in certain cases like King of Fighters XV, I’m having an easier time since that game centers around movements that are easier on an arcade stick than on a D-pad.

The main advantage arcade sticks have over controllers is their button layouts. Instead of four face buttons and four shoulder buttons, arcade sticks (generally) have eight big face buttons. Even controllers with six face buttons (like the ones I’ve purchased for decades) can’t top that. Thanks to this button layout, I can now easily perform two-button moves and no longer have to map two buttons to one. Not having to perform weird hand contortions to press certain buttons is also a plus.

This might sound silly, but one of the reasons I hesitated to purchase a fight stick was because I didn’t know how I should hold it. Should I keep it on my lap or a desk? I thought the latter option would be best, but to my surprise, keeping the peripheral on my lap has proven quite comfortable. Yes, this arcade stick weighs seven pounds, but its even weight distribution makes it feel light on my lap. On top of that, the anti-slip rubber mat covering the arcade stick’s entire bottom keeps the device firmly in place.

I don’t have equipment at home to test battery life, but Mayflash’s promised 20-hour battery life from the 1000mAh rechargeable battery seems about right. I played around three to four hours a night for four nights before the battery indicator went from blue to red, letting me know it was time to recharge. My normal PS5 controller typically lasts about eight hours, so the F700 Elite’s endurance is certainly better.

I’m still not at the point where I can pull off moves instinctively. Everything from arcade stick motions to button presses is a deliberate act. While this is actually helping me execute actions better, it’s also slowing me down. That said, I can still hold my own in online matches. When I lose, it’s because my opponent outplayed me, not because of the controller. With each match, performing moves is slowly becoming second nature. Hopefully, it won’t be long until I’m as proficient (or better) with an arcade stick as with a controller.

A new obsession

The YouTubers who recommended the Mayflash F700 Elite didn’t steer me wrong. I’ve enjoyed learning how to use the arcade stick and feeling my gradual improvement during nightly practice sessions. This is the most fun I’ve had playing video games in a while.

And though I’ve only had this controller for a week, I’m already thinking about upgrading to different Sanwa parts or having an artist friend create artwork I can slip underneath the clear panel. I want to make this arcade stick truly my own! I also want to check out other peripherals like the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha or Nacon Daija. Perhaps I’ll even try leverless controllers like the Hit Box — but that’s a story for another day.

I’m done playing fighting games with fight pads or standard controllers. From now on, I’m an arcade stick player.

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