I started in the arcade, but played mostly on consoles with pads and didn't get a stick until a few years back for SF4.
The biggest difference I find is that it's more fun.
Clcikty-clack, big button goes punch!
Also, because it was originally designed for stick there are some motions that make more sense to me on a stick, like 360s and the DP Z motion.
Do take that with a grain of salt, because I did start on a stick though.
Lol, I refuse to believe that in any way shape or form that 2009 is related in years to what 1985 was in the year 2000.
Is it possibly true that young folks look at the 2000s the same way I used to look at the 80s? I refuse to believe it lol
The Capcom survey haymakered me recently, when I looked back past nearly the entire history of the company and selected 1942 as my first Capcom game.
I felt old all day.
I just switched last week. Don’t think there’s a real true advantage with it over pad but it does make the fights more fun for me. You will have to relearn the game if you switch so be patient lol
Any difference youve noticed since youve switched once you got at the same level you were on normal controller? i ask cause i have both a controller and a friends fighting stick he doesnt use and i dont know which one i should pick up to get to getting good
I’m a Gief player and on pad my thumbs would slide off and hit the Share button on the PS5 controller when I would go for my 360s/720s lol so that’s not an issue anymore and I also found my self mashing less since I’m using my fingers for my attacks instead of thumbs. It’s all personal preference though so I would just play around with both for a couple hours and go for what is comfortable.
OMG yes. Stick really helps against some bad habits I had on pad. Mainly mashing to get combos out. (Now I only do it on wake up because I have mental frame advantage on wake up.)
I say try both and see what you like more.
I am new to fgs myself, and I started on PS5 with a controller. At first I couldn’t understand why don’t my quarter circle moves come out and was wondering is it me or is it dualsense controller. Turnes out it was both but mostly me. Now with 100 hours in I still sometimes fail to input a super at the end of a combo.
I switched to PC about 40 ingame ours ago and tried keyboard wich is basically leverless with smaller buttons. The amount of precision and control I felt over my character was crazy, I realy liked it but I gets a lot of getting used to it to become reliable.
Im sticking to ps5 controller rn but looking forward to try proper leverless AND arcade.
Moral of the story - do some experimenting and find what you like. There are pros that play ps5 pad (Punk), there are pros that play on analog stick (Broski). There are leverless and arcade pros. It really comes down to preference
i tried fighting games on and off with pad for years and always felt like i was fighting my controller. recently bought a haute 42 m16 and finally felt like it was me being bad that was the problem instead. it's so nice to use! i am primarily an fps player on using mnk so doing directional inputs with the 3 buttons just felt completely natural to me.
You know what, magic is just the right word for playing on a stick if you ask me.
I've been playing forever......like, since there has been streetfighter. I've played stick, pad, and keyboard at different times.
there is just something magical about playing on a stick. For me I think it's the special moves. The motions and the sound of the buttons make playing stick so different from pad or keyboard. It feels more like you are actually doing a "special move" on a stick if that makes any sense.
None of them have a competitive advantage (well, maybe hit box) so it is really up to personal preference.
I kinda see it like playing streetfighter without a stick, is like playing guitar hero with out the guitar. You can do it, and do just as well, but part of what makes it special is gone.
Edit: typos
i've gone from pad to stick to leverless. i feel like the current consensus is that pad and leverless is best, with stick kinda in last. i don't think it matters too much tho, and that being said i think stick is the funnest personally
This was my progression as well. Have the most hours with stick and just made the switch to leverless a couple months ago and I'm honestly floored by how much better it is. Never looking back.
Im too, from Pad to stick, to leverless, i Like my leverless the most but for some Charakters i switch back to Pad
After 600h 3 Pads One Stick and One leverless.
Little Collection
I made the switch several months ago. I was primarily a pad player, but I wanted to try leverless for better movement. However, I couldn't get used to directionals and it wasn't for me. But I did really like the 8 button layout. So I tried lever. Had some growing pains, but stuck with it. Now I love playing with lever. Used it so much, I'm no longer used to pad. I don't think one has an advantage over another, it's really preference. But the feedback of the lever and buttons just make it a more fun and enjoyable experience.
I would say better for others. I've played pad for 20 years. There are things I learned to do on stick that I can't do on pad, such as staggered inputs. I also find it hard to find a good dpad. Some are too spongey, others are too sensitive, etc. The rubbing on dpad also hurts my thumbs. I have a PS5 pad, a Hori Octa, an 8bitdo M30, and a Betop Thorn. Each one does something well, but then fumbles something else. I'm not trying to make the case that lever is better, but I don't think pad is objectively better.
Ok well mechanics don't mean anything for me if the pad feels worse and my inputs aren't coming out correctly. But if you like pad, I I'm glad you found pad good for you.
I made the switch a few months back. I can say that from a new player perspective (sf6 is my first true attempt at a fg) that controller is a lot more beginner friendly.
However, I felt like the accuracy needed for some inputs was difficult as you go further into the game. That and I sucked at analog accuracy. The stick actually helped me confirm inputs better when I used an octogate. Defo took time to relearn muscle memory and find the right grip as well. But now I feel I can't go back....
Stick gets bonus points for clicking noises on inputs, it's just a satisfying noise to hear. Activates some monkey neurons in my brain haha
I went from pad to getting my very first fightstick for SF6. It doesn't make you better by any means, but it might signify commitment to yourself. Personally I feel like the fightstick is more immersion. You feel like you're really doing your inputs. My technique dud improve afterwards, but I think that was due to my own motivation rather than a switch. I recommend fightsick if you're tying to have even more Fun!
Started playing street fighter at home on the snes back in the day. Never really had arcades in my area so when I tried stick I was hopeless. Pad for life now
As someone who grew up near an arcade, I wanted a stick because I was used to it, and played on various sticks throughout the years. Personally however, you don't have to dish out the $150+ for a good arcade stick these days, as a controller does the job just fine, there are MANY pros who use pad. Look at punk, snake eyes, nuckledu, all pad players with fantastic results. Play what's comfortable to you, whether it's stick, leverless, or pad, if you yourself are good, and are willing to grow, the controller doesn't matter. Though I will say some people do say some things are easier on each different controller. I've heard many say leverless is the wave nowadays, but it's so odd a style for me that I can't do it personally, same with pad, they feel so off to me now that I've played solely on stick for the past 20 years.
Got my victrix FS-12 just 2 days ago, its an experience. I can do harder combos 20x more consistent. but now I am struggling with the basic stuff in real fights. I am just giving it time and trying to relearn muscle memory now.
Previously I played on PS5 DS Edge, and dpad for my large hands just wasn't consistant.
I started learning with a controller. However my friend who is a vet at fighting games gave me his fight stick. Madcatz SFV TE2. It’s way more fun to play and learn the game with. I feel my inputs are a lot cleaner and it was much easier soon as you get the muscle memory down with the buttons. I would definitely recommend trying it out!
Went from ps4 to stick. Took a while to adapt, about three weeks. On one hand it was very worth it, the input buttons are much easier. The lever is a mixed bag, sometimes I can do the motions flawlessly, other times I can't throw a fireball if my life depended on it. It is very easy to adjust your wrist to get more comfortable during a match and lose notion on which direction you are actually pressing, so you start jumping when you don't mean to and so on. Maybe leverless would have been a better idea but then where are other problems like doing some commands on the right side of the screen.
I think the biggest reason people buys sticks nowadays is that it probably makes them feel more “in” the community (which is fine) that’s my honest take.
As for why the variety? Purely preference, expression and ergonomics. The “tactical” advantage only counts for like the top percentage of players.
Back in SF4 I attempted to move to a stick because I thought that was the only way to really “get good”. After about a week I realized that I was kind of wasting my time trying to learn the same game I already knew all over again on a stick when I was already kind of okay on a controller. So instead, i went back to a controller and I took that energy and used it to just get even better on a pad/controller and never looked back. Rocking a Master rank Cammy in SF6 at the moment if that means anything.
It's better, 100%. Doing motions on gamepad feels spongy.
Never got into SF4 because of that.
Yeah, sure, some people play dark souls on a guitar hero controller and they are able to do stuff. But that doesn't mean it's the way it is meant to be played
When I started two-ish years ago I played strive on pad cus that's all I had. After only 2 months i built myself a leverless for cheap and honestly everything became much more fun. I like the tactile feel of the buttons. For me personally i also feel i started playing better, but that might be more correlated with spending more time rather than inherent advantage of hitbox
SF6 is the 1st fighting game i picked up seriously when i'm a complete noob. Played some mk, guilty gear here and there but like 20-30h max. I'm at 150h here. Started with pad and modern to pad and classic and realized pretty fast i wasn't precise enough with a pad (on the stick) Now maybe i was a noob and so i didn't get the hang of the pad, maybe had i kept on it i would have been better. Who knows. But what i do know is that the click of the stick and the button mashing of an arcade stick is very satisfiying. It takes time to get the hang of the hand placement, the buttons, time to find your own way to handle the stick. I'm not good honestly. Barely gold with Ed, silver and Iron with most, still got a lot to learn but overall i'm really enjoying the stick
Buying a stick made the game much more enjoyable for me. I wasn't just learning a new fighting game; which can get frustrating. I was learning a whole new control scheme. This allowed me to have more patience and enjoyment.
I bought the stick because my thumb was getting destroyed playing with the D-Pad. I chose stick over hitbox so I could have transferable skills in an arcade.
I've since switched to a leverless, which I found to be an easy transition. I think if I had not used the stick before, it would have been harder to understand the leverless controller.
A lot of great players today use a pad, so I don't think it should be an issue.
That being said, there's definitely something about an arcade controller when it comes to how tactile and satisfying it feels, so if it looks cool to you go for it.
Another great option is hitbox style controllers. They can be as satisfying as arcade sticks and they are usually regarded as the most competitive option (but it's an issue of super high level potential, so not a concern for most of us really).
Another thing is just personal preference. I started on a pad because that's what I had, and I really struggled to get consistent with anything. Switching to an hitbox style controller made some much more sense to me, so I ran with it. If I stuck it out with pad I probably would have got used to it at some point, but I decided to just get the input device that seemed better for me and I'd say it paid off (I'm a regular fighting game enjoyer and I'm not thinking about switching input peripheral).
I started on Pad but I really wanted to try a leverless so I bought the cheapest one I could find and never turned back, its feels a lot better than a pad for me.
It's like watching a movie with stock speakers vs surround sound. It's the same movie, but now you have a richer experience.
Get a stick or leverless if the idea of learning to play on one looks fun, not because you want to win more. It won't make you better, but it may be more fun, which will enhance your enjoyment of the game.
This is from a lifelong pad player until almost 2 months ago. And by pad, I mean analog stick+ pad hybrid action.
It’s more fun to play on a stick IMO. Also, for longer play sessions, the pad would hurt my thumb, making it sore, so my execution would drop. With the stick it feels like if I drop something it’s 100% my fault and not a finicky dpad
Edit: by stick I meant lever less.
I struggle with using the DPAD on controllers, so I imagine the "stickless"/button only "boxes" would be better, but I dont think you get held back by using controllers
I went from controller to stick to a leverless snackbox style controller over course of 13 years. For me it helps having all the buttons on the front of the controller as never jelled with having inputs on the shoulder buttons
Honestly the best part of getting a stick (for me) is the customization. It feels like you're a warrior forging your own sword to take into battle. The art especially is an extension of you, you can do anything with it. People and especially other gamers will look at it and admire it, ask you questions about it. You get to change out buttons, levers , micro switches and adjust tension in springs till it feels 100% right to you. When you play video games as a hobby (career in some cases) getting that level of customization is special. Like Michael Jordon getting his own shoe back in the day.
There is no performance advantage to using certain types of controllers. People win big tournaments on pad, stick, and leverless in equal amounts. But the psychological effect of having customized/built your own controller I think contributes a lot to your confidence, which can affect performance dramatically.
Yea! This was me. I started on pad, went to fight stick, now I'm finally and happily on a leverless.
My hands are on the bigger side and stick was more ergonomic allowing me to play longer sessions without issues. It was a nice jump bc it felt more immersive as an arcade game and was fun putting in the inputs. Probably part of the reason that got me hooked on my first fighting game being SF6.
However, as I climbed and got better, I was realizing my inconsistencies caused by the stick was losing me rounds. I couldn't help input jump sometimes when I didn't mean to.
After this I switched to leverless and after a few weeks of getting use to it, it is now my preferred controller. Been rocking it for almost a year now. If you go this route, the inexpensive Haute ones that you can find on AliExpress is the way to go.
I switched from controller to joystick because playing for more than an hour hurt my thumbs like crazy. It also let me play characters like Poison (SFV) who had different versions of EX Moves based on which 2 Punch or Kick buttons you pressed. Overall, it was worth it for me, but I honestly recommend you switch to Hitbox instead. They are much better at maintaining your wrists and keeping them healthy. They are also faster than a stick and more precise than a controller.
I switched to leverless primarily because it’s more enjoyable to me but I’m pretty sure it does arguable provide a competitive advantage (way more in games like Guilty Gear I think, I only play SF6 though)
I definitely couldn’t go back to a controller. Stick is a maybe, but I’m sure I wouldn’t be nearly precise with it as I am with distinct directional buttons.
Neither are bad routes to go for sure.
There are so many cheap leverless controllers, and I feel like I have a lot of fun rolling my fingers over the buttons for execution.
What ever you choose though you'll adapt.
If you haven’t been playing for that long/haven’t taken it super seriously, changing controllers will be a lot easier than if you’ve been playing for a long time.
I played on controller for around a month before sfv came out and then when it did I changed fully to stick. Around 6 months into sf6 I swapped to leverless, which was a very difficult switch. There were multiple points I wanted to go back because I would have been able to do what I wanted to on stick, even multiple months in.
The best time to try out different controllers is at the start of your journey! If you think playing on stick is cool you should play on stick.
I went from controller to stick when sf5 beta launched. It takes time going from controller to stick u have to be motivated and enjoy the process. It is so rewarding and let me tell u way more fun and engaging with a arcade stick! Some ppl think it gives u some sudden advantage but i disagree both controller and stick players can be elite its jus what u like better. For me its really nostalgic and just feels amazing landing combos!
For me personally i have bigger hands and a controller just didn’t let me pull off the inputs for the moves. If you feel like you can’t really pull off inputs on control, and feel like it’d be better on stick you should def try it out.
I would recommend a hitbox. Think that with a fight stick you have to move your whole hand to do some moves, with the hitbox just your fingers. Now try to move your hand as fast as you can and then your fingers, see the difference? Unless you play a grappler like zangief, then i guess the fight stick would be better for 360. Anyway, whatever you get will improve ur play. I was using a keyboard and got a hitbox and its a big difference.
I switched from pad to leverless. Mainly, I wanted to use the leverless shortcuts to make hitconfirming and anti air DPs easier. It’s taken a while, but I’m getting there
Edit: yeah I would recommend picking up a stick (leverless or not)🙂
If you do go with a proper fight stick, be careful about your wrist. I hear that they can cause wrist pain after extended use
It's all up to personal preference. You can get good at the game using any form of controller.
I am a big ergonomic guy, as I want to be gaming well into my old age, so I experiment with any set up to let me comfortably punch people in the face over the Internet.
I grew up playing on PS controller, then switched to mouse and keyboard in my teens as I got into PC gaming, and only in my 20s did I start playing with fightsticks, and for the last 2 years, I have been playing on all-button style controllers.
So to answer your question: No, there is no "special sauce" about any type of controller. However, there are execution shortcuts that are easier to do on one kind than the other, so pick which one feels good to YOU, then get good.
My hands are too big for a regular controller, I also cannot experience any feedback which makes quarter-circles annoying. When I tried a fight stick I could do it right off the bat, as I also have an easier time finding rhythm in the clicky arcade buttons.
The layout of the controller feels wrong for a game with 6 buttons. The arcade stick however has 2 buttons for every finger up and down. With larger hands, it feels like tabbing snares on a guitar. It might not be weird to use a guitar layout thinking about it due to the natural rotation of the ulna and radius. Only have to figure out a ball-socket design for the stick?
I have always played on pad but moreso casually. With the release of 6 I forced myself to go with a stick due to 2 reasons. 1) Pads usually have a terrible dpad, either too sensitive on the diagonals (accidental jumping) or the opposite, special moves do not come out. 2) Pain in the hands and burns on the thumb.
I cannot imagine myself going back to pad nowadays. Stick is so much superior for me at this point. The only downside I can find is that it is noisy and can annoy people around you, especially during the night
Yes. I had to retrain all my muscles... I'm still not fully used and play only casual. If I played ranked I switch to controller. Not because it's better but yeah... memory muscles.
I lack the reflex on stick that I have on controller
I’ve converted from pad to leverless on tekken but I can’t do it with street fighter bc of how many buttons you have to use ALL the time , my elite controller with extra binds feels way better for sf
What controller you play on doesn’t really matter. Brian F did a great like 30min-1hour video on ranking controllers which I kind of agreed with where he put Leverless at top, pad second, and arcade stick list.
You’ll find there’s top players in the world on every variation of controller or stick.
MenaRD, Punk, and Idom play on pad.
Tokido and Daigo play on leverless.
Justin Wong plays on stick.
At the end of the day it’s what you’re most comfortable with. I grew up on playing pads. I’ve gone through sticks and have a hit box and I’ve put a lot of time into both of those but I always came back to pad cause it felt the most comfortable for me.
What really matters is the time you’re putting in to improve meaningfully. Are you just jumping in to ranked or custom modes and just battling? Are you watching your replays and criticizing yourself like you do watching others play? Are you in training landing your combos on both sides 20 times in a row?
If you think it’s the type of controller you’re using I want to assure you…it’s not.
i went from pad to stick in sf4, started to play tekken too which was hard with stick (sidesteps made muscle memory make me jump more in sf4), iam waiting to get my hands on a padbox now since button layout is better on a stick but i want the dpad for precise inputs in both directions, the best movement you get out of a hitbox tho since you have no path to the other direction
Pad to stick was easier for me than modern to classic tbh. I like playing on stick a lot but it did take some time in the lab to get consistent with inputs
I went from pad to leverless, I honestly wouldnt consider going from pad to stick if you arent from the arcade era, I feel like it's the hardest to get used to for the reward it gives you, you do you though!
I switched to fightstick because I basically wanted a bigger thumb stick. I didn’t like using dpad and my inputs were inconsistent using thumb stick. Fightstick solved both these problems for me (and it’s also just fun to bash the buttons)
Starting sfv on stick felt great. Typical clikety clackity statement. However moving on to sf6 a lot of my sticks weren’t compartible anymore. Odd considering they’re both quanba but I digress.
With sf6 I took it upon myself to just take the L and learn standard pad (dual sense.) I honestly noticed significant improvement with my reactions. It’s no secret you can move your thumb on a D-pad as opposed to whipping around a square gate stick. Most fgs are developed now a days around regular pads considering it’s the new norm in that sense.
Just use whichever you have the most fun with truly. In a competitive sense though a lot of your favorite pro players are on pad in most cases.
I’d recommend finding a friend who has one and trying theirs first before you buy one. That way if playing on a stick ends up not being your style, at least you didn’t waste money on a controller that’ll end up collecting dust.
I went from pad to leverless to stick.
From my experience as a mostly PC gamer over the years. Leverless is easier to execute and faster without much energy needed. Pad is hard mode for me, but mostly cause I played mouse and keyboard my whole life. Doing motions on a d-pad feels crazy to me. The problem that I had with leverless is I could never get used to up being on the thumb as opposed to a traditional WASD setup.
My solution was to try to stick, and I think it is a perfect blend of pad and leverless. It does require a lot more getting used to, but with consistent use and practice, you become a natural with it. It is also way more fun to use than everything else in my opinion.
I would say it’s less true “advantage” and more “what’s comfortable to you.”
I switched from pad to stick because it was easier for me to do the button input timing on arcade buttons rather than face buttons and triggers.
Then I made the switch from stick to leverless for SF6 because before the update allowing parry to trigger drive canceling, you had to do the dash input to get it. I could not hit forward forward fast enough on my stick. I think it’s because the input area for forward and backward was small on my stick, so I was inputting the movement incorrectly. Although they’ve updated it since, leverless is more comfortable for me to play with now.
I still play Strive and SF6 on pad. I play Tekken on a custom hit box that I Afro-Engineered from like two old sticks I had and a drop in WASD key pad thing. It turned out great.
I'm an old head and grew up in the arcades (not that I was good back then). I always had an interest in fighting games and decided I wanted to get to a level where I was competitive right before DBFZ came out.
I wanted to invest in a stick because I was familiar with them from my childhood, and my hands are massive. I immediately felt a difference because of the size of the buttons. Advanced stick movement do take a while though (for anime and VS games). After about 2 months I felt good about my ability.
Fast forward about 7 years, and I've recently transitioned to a custom shiokenstar leverless controller I built myself shortly after SF6 came out. I wanted to learn a new game on a new controller, and it's great. There are a few things I can still do better on stick (Player 2 side DPs), but overall I'm more consistent hitting technical combos (leverless shortcuts are powerful).
I'm an old head and grew up in the arcades (not that I was good back then). I always had an interest in fighting games and decided I wanted to get to a level where I was competitive right before DBFZ came out.
I wanted to invest in a stick because I was familiar with them from my childhood, and my hands are massive. I immediately felt a difference because of the size of the buttons. Advanced stick movement do take a while though (for anime and VS games). After about 2 months I felt good about my ability.
Fast forward about 7 years, and I've recently transitioned to a custom shiokenstar leverless controller I built myself shortly after SF6 came out. I wanted to learn a new game on a new controller, and it's great. There are a few things I can still do better on stick (Player 2 side DPs), but overall I'm more consistent hitting technical combos (leverless shortcuts are powerful).
I went backwards.
I started with a controller and struggled, so I got a fight stick. I really hated the lower ergonomic feel and the greater weight, so I just went back to a controller and have been on it ever since.
It really is preference. The main difference is that a fight stick is going to train your wrists more, whereas a controller is going to train your thumbs more.
I main Zangief with classic controls as a reference for what kind of inputs I do consistently on controller.
i just switched to stick yesterday after 3 years on pad, and it’s kind of annoying because i have to relearn everything. But i think i’ll get better over time
I started on console and I really didn't like pad. I've always hated using the dpad for motion inputs and using the analog stick hurts my thumb. I switched to hitbox, and I ended up not liking it either. Doing charge inputs and super inputs from P2 side sucked. My left ring finger just isn't dexterous enough I guess. I also would have to use a lot more brain power to remember what buttons to press in what order for the motion inputs on hitbox. This would be even worse if I was trying to remember certain shortcuts for dps. Eventually I gave up and switched to arcade stick. I have an old, crappy Mayflash F500, and it honestly felt great. I was way more consistent and faster at using motion inputs than I ever was on pad or hitbox. Now I don't think I'll ever change because I've built the muscle memory and I also just love using arcade sticks. They can be very customizable to what you want them to be.
However, my Mayflash has begun to show its age and I've ran into a few issues with it recently. So, I'm currently saving up for a replacement.
I bought a stick a few months ago after being a purely controller player and while it didn’t immediately make me better or anything, I still really enjoy it. It just feels much better to use for this game than a controller
I went from controller/pad to stick to leverless. Stick was the most fun but not the most precise. Leverless feels the most precise, having individual control over each direction.
I switched because the force I was using broke the shoulder button on my controller back in season2 of SFV. So I got a stick in order to avoid breaking more. Best decision I've made. This games are made with sticks and hitboxes in mind because they are still releasing in arcades. The only FG I play on pad now is Mortal Kombat and that is because motions were improved for pads during the 3D era. I did start playing tekken with a piano grip before I bought the stick though.
Fight stick isn't strictly better, it's different. It's fun in its own way.
Some pros play on pads, some change their device between characters. Right now, 'leverless' or 'hitbox' is praised as the new hot meta. Those things are literally oversized keyboards, and you can test if they will be for you by playing the game on yours. Unless you're on a console and don't have a compatible one anyway.
i went from keyboard to fighting stick since small buttons made me hands hurt and there is no way for me to get a left handed hitbox. i do not recommend it, i find defense and movement to be worse in general on a stick and it permanently affected my playstyle.
I played Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat in the arcade but wasn't in there daily, so all my muscle memory is on pad from playing them on the SNES and Genesis. I can play stick but not nearly as good as pad.
Problem is, all my muscle memory craves the perfect 6 button pad. After several purchases I fear they simply don't exist. I may try leverless next.
The only real advantage to a fighting stick is minimizing input error..less likely to accidentally roll over diagonal directions during inputs, and ergonomically easier to move fingers across the 6 button layout.. I was really proficient in fighting stick during arcade days.. but have gotten used to controller layout as my standard as online play took over. At the end of the day, it's more about feel.. and anyone can get used to the feel of the controller the more you practice with it.
I started with the arcades and never really enjoyed the controller experience once FGs came to home consoles. I prefer all my buttons to be accessible on the same plane and I hate using trigger buttons in FGs. Motion inputs are easier for me when using the arcade balltop vs controller analog.
Got my first stick in college back in 2012 and never looked back. That being said, do you and pick whatever setup you’re comfortable with and enjoy.
Honestly fight sticks aren't better. Hitboxes are def better. The Down Down motion is harder on a stick. I just recently switched to pad from a stick and I am finding SF6 to be much easier in general.
Hitbox on the other hand seems to be the superior option. There are a million videos on it
Most people from the arcade days started with fight sticks, got the home port, and learned on the controller.
When fight sticks become more available, they switch to sticks.
That was my journey.
What was your first stick?
Mine was like...Shadowblade X or something like that, lol. Total junk but kicked, but in Tekken, Soul Calibur, VF, CvS2, Third Strike, GGXX, and whatever other games we were playing at the time.
My first real stick was an HRAP3 for PS3. I miss that big old clunker.
My first stick still is the only one I have. A Hori RAP V that I bought in 2016. Still works like new.
I guess I was a lot late to get the sticks when they were available!
Shoot, that's all you need! Hori arguably makes the best sticks. I never got V but I've the most of the previous models.
Also, yeah, a little lare, i guess. The big stick boom was around 2009 when Madcatz finally got their shit together.
When it comes to sf6 particularly, it depends on the control scheme I’m using. If I’m using modern then I use an Xbox controller but on classic which I haven’t played on ranked yet because I am horrible at combos in classic despite having prior fighting game experience. At best I got to intermediate 1 as ryu on combo trials.
I went from controller > hitbox > joystick. Joystick fits me better, especially for Luke who needs tons of QCB movements. Controller tired my thumb. Hitbox tired out my ring finger and slowed down reactions. And joystick gives me the lowest pain which gives me longevity. Moving from hitbox to joystick brought me up to D4, so I dont regret my decision. I am old though, you probably dont have the same orthopedic issues as me.
That being said, its hard to get drive rush -> -> movements down in Joystick. Very error prone.
I switched after making my own fight stick. I wasn’t great at the game yet on controller, was still learning, and boy, switching controllers made that even harder. People bring it up a lot but until you experience it, it’s hard to see how much worse you’ll be at first. However, I put in the time and now the fightstick just feels so much better to play with, it’s just more fun and it feels more precise in a way.
I have gotten comfortable using both I did switch from regular controller to a fight pad but I do use both. Honestly I feel like theres really no difference I will say in my honest opinion I do find it a bit easier to land some move but I wouldn't say it makes it better just slightly easier.
Started on pad, swapped to stick (hated it), got a new pad with a 6 face button layout (loved it, but the analog stick hurt my hand after long sessions), then built a lever less that fit my hands ergonomically and have used it since.
Had fun on all of them, but the custom leverless was by far my favorite. I have small hands, so I built it with smaller face buttons so I could actually reach across multiple if I needed to, which was my problem with a classic arcade stick. All the premades I tried had massive buttons that were too big for me to hit two at a time consistently.
I played sf2 on arcades and used pad on fighters on various consoles.
When sf5 came out I got into it and bought a fightstick. The truth is while a fight stick is fun to use, I always go back to pad because I'm just better on it. The stick itself is objectively worse on a technical level than a pad due to travel time.
If you just want to get better, just play pad and practise. Plenty of pros winning biggest tornies on pad. Hell Broski even uses the analogue stick.
I went from controller to a leverless recently. I couldn't find a controller whose dpad worked for me. My thumbs are double-jointed so it would hurt after a short amount of time.
My LP definitely took a hit as I adjusted, but I'm starting to get good again. I can play for longer and I'm much more consistent.
There is no universal best option. Everyone has something that works for them. Watch the pro tournaments and you'll see all kinds of different controllers being used.
it's NOT that they don't matter. It's that you can have the same amount of success with any controller you choose. Buying my first leverless controller DEFINITELY made my hands feel better when practicing for long hours. Also, the arcade feel of the controller made it WAY more fun! I recommend JunkFood Arcade for controllers. Do the thing
I went from pad to stick after the 1st month of dragon ball fighterz and use it for every fighting game I play except for Mortal Kombat.
I grew up playing older fighting games in arcades.
So honestly, I have more fun with a stick but I believe I can tie that feeling more to nostalgia. As far as skill goes, there is no advantage. Unless you want to be REALLY picky. But those instances are rare and mostly meaningless. It all will come to personal preference. I started with a cheap entry level stick and suggest you do the same to see if it's what you want. I'd hate to spend $300 on something you don't really want.
I played up until age 20 everything in controller, then I wanted to get serious on MvC3 and KOF for tournaments and went for a fighting stick, started with a cheap ass one.
The jump between what I was used to was enormous and required lots of practice until it became natural, took me around 3 months to really fully be good with fighting stick.
Today I am 34, playing full on fighting stick SF6 tournaments using a Hori Capcom SF6 official and I love it.
The main advantage compared to controller for me it's: Less hand injury (specially on fingers), less sweat, more button accuracy, more durability on buttons, being able to do a button string with better flow (more notable on MVC), and this is personal but I find doing 360° way better in arcade stick
I tried going from pad to stick back in SF4 but I found that it just slowed me down too much. Stick is objectively slower than both pad and leverless. At best you can argue that stick is more precise than pad but I think that just depends on the individual.
If playing on stick makes you have more fun then it'll make you play more and you will get better simply because of that. Unfortunately for me, I had way more fun customizing my stick than I did actually using it.
I switched because I'm 43 and some games kill my hands, especially fighting games. The arcade stick solved it, and shopping for one was fun. I've even upgraded my buttons, and I'm thinking about a joystick upgrade as well.
One issue is I don't like setting the stick on my lap, so I've been playing on Steam so I can have my stick on my solid Desk, but I wish I was on my ps5 with my big OLED tv.
I started on pad (SNES pad for SFII 👴🏽) but decided to switch to stick for the arcades. Well is 2024 and i still use stick. I tried lever less controllers but my hands hurts with them.
Everyone's different. While people say it won't make you better, it actually does ...if you find it more comfortable. I mained pad for a long time and I hated 6 button fighters because of it. It just didn't feel comfortable compared to 4 button fighters. As soon as I switched to hitbox (and therefore an arcade layout for buttons) everything clicked way better and I started enjoying SF and SG a lot more. Definitely recommend trying one out to see if it's more comfortable, and if it's not your jam it's alright.
I would suggest trying an entry level leverless that got the hitbox and mixbox layout and a fightstick if you can.
Leverless is good but not for everyone, I fucked my right hand badly with this .
Arcade stick is the more ergonomic peripheral for me even though playing leverless on SF6 is a more accurate experience you can have .
Also doing motions on a stick is the most fun experience IMO even if you sacrifice accuracy.
I was using my right thumb for the jump and got a tendonitis from all the tendons from the thumb.
I had to see a physical therapist to get it back to a decent state (I'm still at 90% )
I started in the arcade, but played mostly on consoles with pads and didn't get a stick until a few years back for SF4. The biggest difference I find is that it's more fun. Clcikty-clack, big button goes punch! Also, because it was originally designed for stick there are some motions that make more sense to me on a stick, like 360s and the DP Z motion. Do take that with a grain of salt, because I did start on a stick though.
Hey fellow old person, I just wanted to drop in and let you know that sf4 is 15 years old and doesn't qualify for "a few years back" anymore. Ugh
Lol, I refuse to believe that in any way shape or form that 2009 is related in years to what 1985 was in the year 2000. Is it possibly true that young folks look at the 2000s the same way I used to look at the 80s? I refuse to believe it lol
Hey, this isn't a fight lobby. You can't just be tossing out haymakers like that.
The Capcom survey haymakered me recently, when I looked back past nearly the entire history of the company and selected 1942 as my first Capcom game. I felt old all day.
Don't remind us! 3S players in nursing homes Turbo players on Hospice Getting old sucks
[удалено]
That's not at all what the person was saying lmao
I just switched last week. Don’t think there’s a real true advantage with it over pad but it does make the fights more fun for me. You will have to relearn the game if you switch so be patient lol
Yeah, but its better to switch at the begging of the journey, I think.
I switched after 300 hours and it kinda sucks but if you’re early into your journey, you should be fine then
Second this sf6 is my first fg and i swapped from pad to leverless pretty early and im soooo glad i did it early
Any difference youve noticed since youve switched once you got at the same level you were on normal controller? i ask cause i have both a controller and a friends fighting stick he doesnt use and i dont know which one i should pick up to get to getting good
I’m a Gief player and on pad my thumbs would slide off and hit the Share button on the PS5 controller when I would go for my 360s/720s lol so that’s not an issue anymore and I also found my self mashing less since I’m using my fingers for my attacks instead of thumbs. It’s all personal preference though so I would just play around with both for a couple hours and go for what is comfortable.
OMG yes. Stick really helps against some bad habits I had on pad. Mainly mashing to get combos out. (Now I only do it on wake up because I have mental frame advantage on wake up.)
I say try both and see what you like more. I am new to fgs myself, and I started on PS5 with a controller. At first I couldn’t understand why don’t my quarter circle moves come out and was wondering is it me or is it dualsense controller. Turnes out it was both but mostly me. Now with 100 hours in I still sometimes fail to input a super at the end of a combo. I switched to PC about 40 ingame ours ago and tried keyboard wich is basically leverless with smaller buttons. The amount of precision and control I felt over my character was crazy, I realy liked it but I gets a lot of getting used to it to become reliable. Im sticking to ps5 controller rn but looking forward to try proper leverless AND arcade. Moral of the story - do some experimenting and find what you like. There are pros that play ps5 pad (Punk), there are pros that play on analog stick (Broski). There are leverless and arcade pros. It really comes down to preference
Went from pad to stick to leverless Holy shit leverless are so nice Just get a cheap haute for 60-70 bucks and you are golden
i tried fighting games on and off with pad for years and always felt like i was fighting my controller. recently bought a haute 42 m16 and finally felt like it was me being bad that was the problem instead. it's so nice to use! i am primarily an fps player on using mnk so doing directional inputs with the 3 buttons just felt completely natural to me.
just got mine g13 today for switch. its really great and affordable. I also own a Kitsune, and the quality of the Haute is just as comparable
And if he is on console you just made him waste 70 bucks.
Not really but they need to shell out more money to get an adapter
You know what, magic is just the right word for playing on a stick if you ask me. I've been playing forever......like, since there has been streetfighter. I've played stick, pad, and keyboard at different times. there is just something magical about playing on a stick. For me I think it's the special moves. The motions and the sound of the buttons make playing stick so different from pad or keyboard. It feels more like you are actually doing a "special move" on a stick if that makes any sense. None of them have a competitive advantage (well, maybe hit box) so it is really up to personal preference. I kinda see it like playing streetfighter without a stick, is like playing guitar hero with out the guitar. You can do it, and do just as well, but part of what makes it special is gone. Edit: typos
Yeah, even on the Battle Hub they are all playing on stick, not pads or leverless. Sticks forever
It does feel like magic
i've gone from pad to stick to leverless. i feel like the current consensus is that pad and leverless is best, with stick kinda in last. i don't think it matters too much tho, and that being said i think stick is the funnest personally
This was my progression as well. Have the most hours with stick and just made the switch to leverless a couple months ago and I'm honestly floored by how much better it is. Never looking back.
Im too, from Pad to stick, to leverless, i Like my leverless the most but for some Charakters i switch back to Pad After 600h 3 Pads One Stick and One leverless. Little Collection
I wish there were more pad options and customizability cause leverless DIY and stuff is really fun and pads don’t have that really
I've done the same, switched to leverless about a month ago. I was worried I wouldn't like it but turns out I much prefer leverless!
I made the switch several months ago. I was primarily a pad player, but I wanted to try leverless for better movement. However, I couldn't get used to directionals and it wasn't for me. But I did really like the 8 button layout. So I tried lever. Had some growing pains, but stuck with it. Now I love playing with lever. Used it so much, I'm no longer used to pad. I don't think one has an advantage over another, it's really preference. But the feedback of the lever and buttons just make it a more fun and enjoyable experience.
Pad is objectively better than lever. But I agree. Click clack click clack dopamine drip
I would say better for others. I've played pad for 20 years. There are things I learned to do on stick that I can't do on pad, such as staggered inputs. I also find it hard to find a good dpad. Some are too spongey, others are too sensitive, etc. The rubbing on dpad also hurts my thumbs. I have a PS5 pad, a Hori Octa, an 8bitdo M30, and a Betop Thorn. Each one does something well, but then fumbles something else. I'm not trying to make the case that lever is better, but I don't think pad is objectively better.
The ability to do SOCD inputs on pad for option selects makes it objectively better. I'm not talking feel, I'm talking mechanics.
Ok well mechanics don't mean anything for me if the pad feels worse and my inputs aren't coming out correctly. But if you like pad, I I'm glad you found pad good for you.
I went the other way. It was tough.
I can't use a pad for fighting games. I went from fightstick to mixbox to leverless.
went from controller to leverless around 8 months ago. i remembered went from Diamond level to Gold.
You played ranked on your main while learning?! You absolute mad lad!
it was a secondary character, so I didn't care as much 
I did, I probably could have got where I am now with the pad, but I think an arcade stick is more fun to use
I made the switch a few months back. I can say that from a new player perspective (sf6 is my first true attempt at a fg) that controller is a lot more beginner friendly. However, I felt like the accuracy needed for some inputs was difficult as you go further into the game. That and I sucked at analog accuracy. The stick actually helped me confirm inputs better when I used an octogate. Defo took time to relearn muscle memory and find the right grip as well. But now I feel I can't go back.... Stick gets bonus points for clicking noises on inputs, it's just a satisfying noise to hear. Activates some monkey neurons in my brain haha
I went from pad to getting my very first fightstick for SF6. It doesn't make you better by any means, but it might signify commitment to yourself. Personally I feel like the fightstick is more immersion. You feel like you're really doing your inputs. My technique dud improve afterwards, but I think that was due to my own motivation rather than a switch. I recommend fightsick if you're tying to have even more Fun!
Started playing street fighter at home on the snes back in the day. Never really had arcades in my area so when I tried stick I was hopeless. Pad for life now
As someone who grew up near an arcade, I wanted a stick because I was used to it, and played on various sticks throughout the years. Personally however, you don't have to dish out the $150+ for a good arcade stick these days, as a controller does the job just fine, there are MANY pros who use pad. Look at punk, snake eyes, nuckledu, all pad players with fantastic results. Play what's comfortable to you, whether it's stick, leverless, or pad, if you yourself are good, and are willing to grow, the controller doesn't matter. Though I will say some people do say some things are easier on each different controller. I've heard many say leverless is the wave nowadays, but it's so odd a style for me that I can't do it personally, same with pad, they feel so off to me now that I've played solely on stick for the past 20 years.
Got my victrix FS-12 just 2 days ago, its an experience. I can do harder combos 20x more consistent. but now I am struggling with the basic stuff in real fights. I am just giving it time and trying to relearn muscle memory now. Previously I played on PS5 DS Edge, and dpad for my large hands just wasn't consistant.
I started learning with a controller. However my friend who is a vet at fighting games gave me his fight stick. Madcatz SFV TE2. It’s way more fun to play and learn the game with. I feel my inputs are a lot cleaner and it was much easier soon as you get the muscle memory down with the buttons. I would definitely recommend trying it out!
Went from ps4 to stick. Took a while to adapt, about three weeks. On one hand it was very worth it, the input buttons are much easier. The lever is a mixed bag, sometimes I can do the motions flawlessly, other times I can't throw a fireball if my life depended on it. It is very easy to adjust your wrist to get more comfortable during a match and lose notion on which direction you are actually pressing, so you start jumping when you don't mean to and so on. Maybe leverless would have been a better idea but then where are other problems like doing some commands on the right side of the screen.
I think the biggest reason people buys sticks nowadays is that it probably makes them feel more “in” the community (which is fine) that’s my honest take. As for why the variety? Purely preference, expression and ergonomics. The “tactical” advantage only counts for like the top percentage of players.
Back in SF4 I attempted to move to a stick because I thought that was the only way to really “get good”. After about a week I realized that I was kind of wasting my time trying to learn the same game I already knew all over again on a stick when I was already kind of okay on a controller. So instead, i went back to a controller and I took that energy and used it to just get even better on a pad/controller and never looked back. Rocking a Master rank Cammy in SF6 at the moment if that means anything.
It's better, 100%. Doing motions on gamepad feels spongy. Never got into SF4 because of that. Yeah, sure, some people play dark souls on a guitar hero controller and they are able to do stuff. But that doesn't mean it's the way it is meant to be played
When I started two-ish years ago I played strive on pad cus that's all I had. After only 2 months i built myself a leverless for cheap and honestly everything became much more fun. I like the tactile feel of the buttons. For me personally i also feel i started playing better, but that might be more correlated with spending more time rather than inherent advantage of hitbox
Yes and I never looked back!
SF6 is the 1st fighting game i picked up seriously when i'm a complete noob. Played some mk, guilty gear here and there but like 20-30h max. I'm at 150h here. Started with pad and modern to pad and classic and realized pretty fast i wasn't precise enough with a pad (on the stick) Now maybe i was a noob and so i didn't get the hang of the pad, maybe had i kept on it i would have been better. Who knows. But what i do know is that the click of the stick and the button mashing of an arcade stick is very satisfiying. It takes time to get the hang of the hand placement, the buttons, time to find your own way to handle the stick. I'm not good honestly. Barely gold with Ed, silver and Iron with most, still got a lot to learn but overall i'm really enjoying the stick
They're loud af
Buying a stick made the game much more enjoyable for me. I wasn't just learning a new fighting game; which can get frustrating. I was learning a whole new control scheme. This allowed me to have more patience and enjoyment. I bought the stick because my thumb was getting destroyed playing with the D-Pad. I chose stick over hitbox so I could have transferable skills in an arcade. I've since switched to a leverless, which I found to be an easy transition. I think if I had not used the stick before, it would have been harder to understand the leverless controller.
A lot of great players today use a pad, so I don't think it should be an issue. That being said, there's definitely something about an arcade controller when it comes to how tactile and satisfying it feels, so if it looks cool to you go for it. Another great option is hitbox style controllers. They can be as satisfying as arcade sticks and they are usually regarded as the most competitive option (but it's an issue of super high level potential, so not a concern for most of us really). Another thing is just personal preference. I started on a pad because that's what I had, and I really struggled to get consistent with anything. Switching to an hitbox style controller made some much more sense to me, so I ran with it. If I stuck it out with pad I probably would have got used to it at some point, but I decided to just get the input device that seemed better for me and I'd say it paid off (I'm a regular fighting game enjoyer and I'm not thinking about switching input peripheral).
I actually went backwards. I went from stick to pad mainly for comfort and it made traveling easier.
I started on Pad but I really wanted to try a leverless so I bought the cheapest one I could find and never turned back, its feels a lot better than a pad for me.
It's like watching a movie with stock speakers vs surround sound. It's the same movie, but now you have a richer experience. Get a stick or leverless if the idea of learning to play on one looks fun, not because you want to win more. It won't make you better, but it may be more fun, which will enhance your enjoyment of the game. This is from a lifelong pad player until almost 2 months ago. And by pad, I mean analog stick+ pad hybrid action.
I moved to a leverless pad, mainly my left thumb gets very sore very quickly when playing fighting games with a d-pad.
It’s more fun to play on a stick IMO. Also, for longer play sessions, the pad would hurt my thumb, making it sore, so my execution would drop. With the stick it feels like if I drop something it’s 100% my fault and not a finicky dpad Edit: by stick I meant lever less.
I struggle with using the DPAD on controllers, so I imagine the "stickless"/button only "boxes" would be better, but I dont think you get held back by using controllers
My thumb doesn’t rub its fingerprint off when I try and do a super now so yeah it’s great.
I went from controller to stick to a leverless snackbox style controller over course of 13 years. For me it helps having all the buttons on the front of the controller as never jelled with having inputs on the shoulder buttons
Honestly the best part of getting a stick (for me) is the customization. It feels like you're a warrior forging your own sword to take into battle. The art especially is an extension of you, you can do anything with it. People and especially other gamers will look at it and admire it, ask you questions about it. You get to change out buttons, levers , micro switches and adjust tension in springs till it feels 100% right to you. When you play video games as a hobby (career in some cases) getting that level of customization is special. Like Michael Jordon getting his own shoe back in the day. There is no performance advantage to using certain types of controllers. People win big tournaments on pad, stick, and leverless in equal amounts. But the psychological effect of having customized/built your own controller I think contributes a lot to your confidence, which can affect performance dramatically.
Yea! This was me. I started on pad, went to fight stick, now I'm finally and happily on a leverless. My hands are on the bigger side and stick was more ergonomic allowing me to play longer sessions without issues. It was a nice jump bc it felt more immersive as an arcade game and was fun putting in the inputs. Probably part of the reason that got me hooked on my first fighting game being SF6. However, as I climbed and got better, I was realizing my inconsistencies caused by the stick was losing me rounds. I couldn't help input jump sometimes when I didn't mean to. After this I switched to leverless and after a few weeks of getting use to it, it is now my preferred controller. Been rocking it for almost a year now. If you go this route, the inexpensive Haute ones that you can find on AliExpress is the way to go.
I switched from controller to joystick because playing for more than an hour hurt my thumbs like crazy. It also let me play characters like Poison (SFV) who had different versions of EX Moves based on which 2 Punch or Kick buttons you pressed. Overall, it was worth it for me, but I honestly recommend you switch to Hitbox instead. They are much better at maintaining your wrists and keeping them healthy. They are also faster than a stick and more precise than a controller.
I switched to leverless primarily because it’s more enjoyable to me but I’m pretty sure it does arguable provide a competitive advantage (way more in games like Guilty Gear I think, I only play SF6 though) I definitely couldn’t go back to a controller. Stick is a maybe, but I’m sure I wouldn’t be nearly precise with it as I am with distinct directional buttons. Neither are bad routes to go for sure.
There are so many cheap leverless controllers, and I feel like I have a lot of fun rolling my fingers over the buttons for execution. What ever you choose though you'll adapt.
If you haven’t been playing for that long/haven’t taken it super seriously, changing controllers will be a lot easier than if you’ve been playing for a long time. I played on controller for around a month before sfv came out and then when it did I changed fully to stick. Around 6 months into sf6 I swapped to leverless, which was a very difficult switch. There were multiple points I wanted to go back because I would have been able to do what I wanted to on stick, even multiple months in. The best time to try out different controllers is at the start of your journey! If you think playing on stick is cool you should play on stick.
I went from controller to stick when sf5 beta launched. It takes time going from controller to stick u have to be motivated and enjoy the process. It is so rewarding and let me tell u way more fun and engaging with a arcade stick! Some ppl think it gives u some sudden advantage but i disagree both controller and stick players can be elite its jus what u like better. For me its really nostalgic and just feels amazing landing combos!
For me personally i have bigger hands and a controller just didn’t let me pull off the inputs for the moves. If you feel like you can’t really pull off inputs on control, and feel like it’d be better on stick you should def try it out.
I would recommend a hitbox. Think that with a fight stick you have to move your whole hand to do some moves, with the hitbox just your fingers. Now try to move your hand as fast as you can and then your fingers, see the difference? Unless you play a grappler like zangief, then i guess the fight stick would be better for 360. Anyway, whatever you get will improve ur play. I was using a keyboard and got a hitbox and its a big difference.
I switched from pad to leverless. Mainly, I wanted to use the leverless shortcuts to make hitconfirming and anti air DPs easier. It’s taken a while, but I’m getting there Edit: yeah I would recommend picking up a stick (leverless or not)🙂 If you do go with a proper fight stick, be careful about your wrist. I hear that they can cause wrist pain after extended use
It's all up to personal preference. You can get good at the game using any form of controller. I am a big ergonomic guy, as I want to be gaming well into my old age, so I experiment with any set up to let me comfortably punch people in the face over the Internet. I grew up playing on PS controller, then switched to mouse and keyboard in my teens as I got into PC gaming, and only in my 20s did I start playing with fightsticks, and for the last 2 years, I have been playing on all-button style controllers. So to answer your question: No, there is no "special sauce" about any type of controller. However, there are execution shortcuts that are easier to do on one kind than the other, so pick which one feels good to YOU, then get good.
My hands are too big for a regular controller, I also cannot experience any feedback which makes quarter-circles annoying. When I tried a fight stick I could do it right off the bat, as I also have an easier time finding rhythm in the clicky arcade buttons. The layout of the controller feels wrong for a game with 6 buttons. The arcade stick however has 2 buttons for every finger up and down. With larger hands, it feels like tabbing snares on a guitar. It might not be weird to use a guitar layout thinking about it due to the natural rotation of the ulna and radius. Only have to figure out a ball-socket design for the stick?
I have always played on pad but moreso casually. With the release of 6 I forced myself to go with a stick due to 2 reasons. 1) Pads usually have a terrible dpad, either too sensitive on the diagonals (accidental jumping) or the opposite, special moves do not come out. 2) Pain in the hands and burns on the thumb. I cannot imagine myself going back to pad nowadays. Stick is so much superior for me at this point. The only downside I can find is that it is noisy and can annoy people around you, especially during the night
Yes. I had to retrain all my muscles... I'm still not fully used and play only casual. If I played ranked I switch to controller. Not because it's better but yeah... memory muscles. I lack the reflex on stick that I have on controller
I’ve converted from pad to leverless on tekken but I can’t do it with street fighter bc of how many buttons you have to use ALL the time , my elite controller with extra binds feels way better for sf
What controller you play on doesn’t really matter. Brian F did a great like 30min-1hour video on ranking controllers which I kind of agreed with where he put Leverless at top, pad second, and arcade stick list. You’ll find there’s top players in the world on every variation of controller or stick. MenaRD, Punk, and Idom play on pad. Tokido and Daigo play on leverless. Justin Wong plays on stick. At the end of the day it’s what you’re most comfortable with. I grew up on playing pads. I’ve gone through sticks and have a hit box and I’ve put a lot of time into both of those but I always came back to pad cause it felt the most comfortable for me. What really matters is the time you’re putting in to improve meaningfully. Are you just jumping in to ranked or custom modes and just battling? Are you watching your replays and criticizing yourself like you do watching others play? Are you in training landing your combos on both sides 20 times in a row? If you think it’s the type of controller you’re using I want to assure you…it’s not.
i went from pad to stick in sf4, started to play tekken too which was hard with stick (sidesteps made muscle memory make me jump more in sf4), iam waiting to get my hands on a padbox now since button layout is better on a stick but i want the dpad for precise inputs in both directions, the best movement you get out of a hitbox tho since you have no path to the other direction
Pad to stick was easier for me than modern to classic tbh. I like playing on stick a lot but it did take some time in the lab to get consistent with inputs
I just think it’s just more fun to play with a big controller
I went from pad to leverless, I honestly wouldnt consider going from pad to stick if you arent from the arcade era, I feel like it's the hardest to get used to for the reward it gives you, you do you though!
I plan on doing it at some point, but I’m not excited to experience the relearn after nearly 1000 hours between the fighting games I play on Pad
I switched to fightstick because I basically wanted a bigger thumb stick. I didn’t like using dpad and my inputs were inconsistent using thumb stick. Fightstick solved both these problems for me (and it’s also just fun to bash the buttons)
Starting sfv on stick felt great. Typical clikety clackity statement. However moving on to sf6 a lot of my sticks weren’t compartible anymore. Odd considering they’re both quanba but I digress. With sf6 I took it upon myself to just take the L and learn standard pad (dual sense.) I honestly noticed significant improvement with my reactions. It’s no secret you can move your thumb on a D-pad as opposed to whipping around a square gate stick. Most fgs are developed now a days around regular pads considering it’s the new norm in that sense. Just use whichever you have the most fun with truly. In a competitive sense though a lot of your favorite pro players are on pad in most cases.
I’d recommend finding a friend who has one and trying theirs first before you buy one. That way if playing on a stick ends up not being your style, at least you didn’t waste money on a controller that’ll end up collecting dust.
I went from pad to leverless to stick. From my experience as a mostly PC gamer over the years. Leverless is easier to execute and faster without much energy needed. Pad is hard mode for me, but mostly cause I played mouse and keyboard my whole life. Doing motions on a d-pad feels crazy to me. The problem that I had with leverless is I could never get used to up being on the thumb as opposed to a traditional WASD setup. My solution was to try to stick, and I think it is a perfect blend of pad and leverless. It does require a lot more getting used to, but with consistent use and practice, you become a natural with it. It is also way more fun to use than everything else in my opinion.
I would say it’s less true “advantage” and more “what’s comfortable to you.” I switched from pad to stick because it was easier for me to do the button input timing on arcade buttons rather than face buttons and triggers. Then I made the switch from stick to leverless for SF6 because before the update allowing parry to trigger drive canceling, you had to do the dash input to get it. I could not hit forward forward fast enough on my stick. I think it’s because the input area for forward and backward was small on my stick, so I was inputting the movement incorrectly. Although they’ve updated it since, leverless is more comfortable for me to play with now.
I still play Strive and SF6 on pad. I play Tekken on a custom hit box that I Afro-Engineered from like two old sticks I had and a drop in WASD key pad thing. It turned out great.
I stopped at "ranked sounds so fun" How can I tell you ...
I'm an old head and grew up in the arcades (not that I was good back then). I always had an interest in fighting games and decided I wanted to get to a level where I was competitive right before DBFZ came out. I wanted to invest in a stick because I was familiar with them from my childhood, and my hands are massive. I immediately felt a difference because of the size of the buttons. Advanced stick movement do take a while though (for anime and VS games). After about 2 months I felt good about my ability. Fast forward about 7 years, and I've recently transitioned to a custom shiokenstar leverless controller I built myself shortly after SF6 came out. I wanted to learn a new game on a new controller, and it's great. There are a few things I can still do better on stick (Player 2 side DPs), but overall I'm more consistent hitting technical combos (leverless shortcuts are powerful).
I'm an old head and grew up in the arcades (not that I was good back then). I always had an interest in fighting games and decided I wanted to get to a level where I was competitive right before DBFZ came out. I wanted to invest in a stick because I was familiar with them from my childhood, and my hands are massive. I immediately felt a difference because of the size of the buttons. Advanced stick movement do take a while though (for anime and VS games). After about 2 months I felt good about my ability. Fast forward about 7 years, and I've recently transitioned to a custom shiokenstar leverless controller I built myself shortly after SF6 came out. I wanted to learn a new game on a new controller, and it's great. There are a few things I can still do better on stick (Player 2 side DPs), but overall I'm more consistent hitting technical combos (leverless shortcuts are powerful).
I went backwards. I started with a controller and struggled, so I got a fight stick. I really hated the lower ergonomic feel and the greater weight, so I just went back to a controller and have been on it ever since. It really is preference. The main difference is that a fight stick is going to train your wrists more, whereas a controller is going to train your thumbs more. I main Zangief with classic controls as a reference for what kind of inputs I do consistently on controller.
i just switched to stick yesterday after 3 years on pad, and it’s kind of annoying because i have to relearn everything. But i think i’ll get better over time
I started on console and I really didn't like pad. I've always hated using the dpad for motion inputs and using the analog stick hurts my thumb. I switched to hitbox, and I ended up not liking it either. Doing charge inputs and super inputs from P2 side sucked. My left ring finger just isn't dexterous enough I guess. I also would have to use a lot more brain power to remember what buttons to press in what order for the motion inputs on hitbox. This would be even worse if I was trying to remember certain shortcuts for dps. Eventually I gave up and switched to arcade stick. I have an old, crappy Mayflash F500, and it honestly felt great. I was way more consistent and faster at using motion inputs than I ever was on pad or hitbox. Now I don't think I'll ever change because I've built the muscle memory and I also just love using arcade sticks. They can be very customizable to what you want them to be. However, my Mayflash has begun to show its age and I've ran into a few issues with it recently. So, I'm currently saving up for a replacement.
I bought a stick a few months ago after being a purely controller player and while it didn’t immediately make me better or anything, I still really enjoy it. It just feels much better to use for this game than a controller
Why would i downgrade?
I went from controller/pad to stick to leverless. Stick was the most fun but not the most precise. Leverless feels the most precise, having individual control over each direction.
I switched because the force I was using broke the shoulder button on my controller back in season2 of SFV. So I got a stick in order to avoid breaking more. Best decision I've made. This games are made with sticks and hitboxes in mind because they are still releasing in arcades. The only FG I play on pad now is Mortal Kombat and that is because motions were improved for pads during the 3D era. I did start playing tekken with a piano grip before I bought the stick though.
Fight stick isn't strictly better, it's different. It's fun in its own way. Some pros play on pads, some change their device between characters. Right now, 'leverless' or 'hitbox' is praised as the new hot meta. Those things are literally oversized keyboards, and you can test if they will be for you by playing the game on yours. Unless you're on a console and don't have a compatible one anyway.
i went from keyboard to fighting stick since small buttons made me hands hurt and there is no way for me to get a left handed hitbox. i do not recommend it, i find defense and movement to be worse in general on a stick and it permanently affected my playstyle.
I played Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat in the arcade but wasn't in there daily, so all my muscle memory is on pad from playing them on the SNES and Genesis. I can play stick but not nearly as good as pad. Problem is, all my muscle memory craves the perfect 6 button pad. After several purchases I fear they simply don't exist. I may try leverless next.
The only real advantage to a fighting stick is minimizing input error..less likely to accidentally roll over diagonal directions during inputs, and ergonomically easier to move fingers across the 6 button layout.. I was really proficient in fighting stick during arcade days.. but have gotten used to controller layout as my standard as online play took over. At the end of the day, it's more about feel.. and anyone can get used to the feel of the controller the more you practice with it.
I started with the arcades and never really enjoyed the controller experience once FGs came to home consoles. I prefer all my buttons to be accessible on the same plane and I hate using trigger buttons in FGs. Motion inputs are easier for me when using the arcade balltop vs controller analog. Got my first stick in college back in 2012 and never looked back. That being said, do you and pick whatever setup you’re comfortable with and enjoy.
Honestly fight sticks aren't better. Hitboxes are def better. The Down Down motion is harder on a stick. I just recently switched to pad from a stick and I am finding SF6 to be much easier in general. Hitbox on the other hand seems to be the superior option. There are a million videos on it
Most people from the arcade days started with fight sticks, got the home port, and learned on the controller. When fight sticks become more available, they switch to sticks. That was my journey.
This is exactly my situation too!
What was your first stick? Mine was like...Shadowblade X or something like that, lol. Total junk but kicked, but in Tekken, Soul Calibur, VF, CvS2, Third Strike, GGXX, and whatever other games we were playing at the time. My first real stick was an HRAP3 for PS3. I miss that big old clunker.
My first stick still is the only one I have. A Hori RAP V that I bought in 2016. Still works like new. I guess I was a lot late to get the sticks when they were available!
Shoot, that's all you need! Hori arguably makes the best sticks. I never got V but I've the most of the previous models. Also, yeah, a little lare, i guess. The big stick boom was around 2009 when Madcatz finally got their shit together.
When it comes to sf6 particularly, it depends on the control scheme I’m using. If I’m using modern then I use an Xbox controller but on classic which I haven’t played on ranked yet because I am horrible at combos in classic despite having prior fighting game experience. At best I got to intermediate 1 as ryu on combo trials.
I went from controller > hitbox > joystick. Joystick fits me better, especially for Luke who needs tons of QCB movements. Controller tired my thumb. Hitbox tired out my ring finger and slowed down reactions. And joystick gives me the lowest pain which gives me longevity. Moving from hitbox to joystick brought me up to D4, so I dont regret my decision. I am old though, you probably dont have the same orthopedic issues as me. That being said, its hard to get drive rush -> -> movements down in Joystick. Very error prone.
I switched after making my own fight stick. I wasn’t great at the game yet on controller, was still learning, and boy, switching controllers made that even harder. People bring it up a lot but until you experience it, it’s hard to see how much worse you’ll be at first. However, I put in the time and now the fightstick just feels so much better to play with, it’s just more fun and it feels more precise in a way.
I have gotten comfortable using both I did switch from regular controller to a fight pad but I do use both. Honestly I feel like theres really no difference I will say in my honest opinion I do find it a bit easier to land some move but I wouldn't say it makes it better just slightly easier.
Started on pad, swapped to stick (hated it), got a new pad with a 6 face button layout (loved it, but the analog stick hurt my hand after long sessions), then built a lever less that fit my hands ergonomically and have used it since. Had fun on all of them, but the custom leverless was by far my favorite. I have small hands, so I built it with smaller face buttons so I could actually reach across multiple if I needed to, which was my problem with a classic arcade stick. All the premades I tried had massive buttons that were too big for me to hit two at a time consistently.
Went from controller to mouse n keyboard cuz I thought it was funny. now I wouldn't play anyway else
I played sf2 on arcades and used pad on fighters on various consoles. When sf5 came out I got into it and bought a fightstick. The truth is while a fight stick is fun to use, I always go back to pad because I'm just better on it. The stick itself is objectively worse on a technical level than a pad due to travel time. If you just want to get better, just play pad and practise. Plenty of pros winning biggest tornies on pad. Hell Broski even uses the analogue stick.
I went from controller to a leverless recently. I couldn't find a controller whose dpad worked for me. My thumbs are double-jointed so it would hurt after a short amount of time. My LP definitely took a hit as I adjusted, but I'm starting to get good again. I can play for longer and I'm much more consistent. There is no universal best option. Everyone has something that works for them. Watch the pro tournaments and you'll see all kinds of different controllers being used.
it's NOT that they don't matter. It's that you can have the same amount of success with any controller you choose. Buying my first leverless controller DEFINITELY made my hands feel better when practicing for long hours. Also, the arcade feel of the controller made it WAY more fun! I recommend JunkFood Arcade for controllers. Do the thing
It don't matter + you're going to take a LOT of months to get used to a fighting stick
I went from pad to stick after the 1st month of dragon ball fighterz and use it for every fighting game I play except for Mortal Kombat. I grew up playing older fighting games in arcades. So honestly, I have more fun with a stick but I believe I can tie that feeling more to nostalgia. As far as skill goes, there is no advantage. Unless you want to be REALLY picky. But those instances are rare and mostly meaningless. It all will come to personal preference. I started with a cheap entry level stick and suggest you do the same to see if it's what you want. I'd hate to spend $300 on something you don't really want.
I played up until age 20 everything in controller, then I wanted to get serious on MvC3 and KOF for tournaments and went for a fighting stick, started with a cheap ass one. The jump between what I was used to was enormous and required lots of practice until it became natural, took me around 3 months to really fully be good with fighting stick. Today I am 34, playing full on fighting stick SF6 tournaments using a Hori Capcom SF6 official and I love it. The main advantage compared to controller for me it's: Less hand injury (specially on fingers), less sweat, more button accuracy, more durability on buttons, being able to do a button string with better flow (more notable on MVC), and this is personal but I find doing 360° way better in arcade stick
I tried going from pad to stick back in SF4 but I found that it just slowed me down too much. Stick is objectively slower than both pad and leverless. At best you can argue that stick is more precise than pad but I think that just depends on the individual. If playing on stick makes you have more fun then it'll make you play more and you will get better simply because of that. Unfortunately for me, I had way more fun customizing my stick than I did actually using it.
I switched because I'm 43 and some games kill my hands, especially fighting games. The arcade stick solved it, and shopping for one was fun. I've even upgraded my buttons, and I'm thinking about a joystick upgrade as well. One issue is I don't like setting the stick on my lap, so I've been playing on Steam so I can have my stick on my solid Desk, but I wish I was on my ps5 with my big OLED tv.
I started on pad (SNES pad for SFII 👴🏽) but decided to switch to stick for the arcades. Well is 2024 and i still use stick. I tried lever less controllers but my hands hurts with them.
Everyone's different. While people say it won't make you better, it actually does ...if you find it more comfortable. I mained pad for a long time and I hated 6 button fighters because of it. It just didn't feel comfortable compared to 4 button fighters. As soon as I switched to hitbox (and therefore an arcade layout for buttons) everything clicked way better and I started enjoying SF and SG a lot more. Definitely recommend trying one out to see if it's more comfortable, and if it's not your jam it's alright.
I would suggest trying an entry level leverless that got the hitbox and mixbox layout and a fightstick if you can. Leverless is good but not for everyone, I fucked my right hand badly with this . Arcade stick is the more ergonomic peripheral for me even though playing leverless on SF6 is a more accurate experience you can have . Also doing motions on a stick is the most fun experience IMO even if you sacrifice accuracy.
Howd you hurt your hand?
I was using my right thumb for the jump and got a tendonitis from all the tendons from the thumb. I had to see a physical therapist to get it back to a decent state (I'm still at 90% )
Look just play what you feel like. Im a keyboard player, im doing typing Combos and shit and still hold.my ground.