Street Fighter 6 controller vs fight stick – what’s better

We’re having a look at the pros and cons of using a controller vs fight stick for Street Fight 6.

Combat games have been about much longer than gaming consoles and their controllers. The Street Fighter franchise itself got its start in arcades across the globe. Like other arcade games of the time you controlled your character using a joystick and several buttons positioned around it.

For many, this is the definitive gaming experience, while others argue that it offers no competitive advantage. Now that Street Fighter 6 is upon us, this old debate has been brought back into focus. What with Street Fighter 6 being crossplay, you could end up facing a fight stick user on your controller, and players out there don’t want to be at a disadvantage. We’re going to break down the pros and cons of each device type. Let’s get into it.

Is a Fight Stick good for Street Fighter 6? Maybe…

Fight sticks may be an old technology but they’ve seen plenty of breakthroughs and high-tech versions. There are a tonne of different versions out there too, from Arcade sticks to leverless options. We’ll be focussing here on the traditional lever fight stick as it is the one most commonly used in Street Fighter 6.

Pros

Fight sticks are designed specifically for use in combat games such as Street Fighter 6. Many of them are built for intense gaming and, as such, are optimised and well-built. This means mechanical buttons and quality components. Not only that but they tend to have a wide range of compatibility, meaning you can use the same fight stick for both console and PC gaming.

As for the impact on gameplay, the uniformity of the button layout can be helpful for memorising and mashing out combos. It can be easier to learn new ones too. With a standardised layout across essentially all fight sticks, people often annotate specific moves using a numbering system, which can be a headache to translate to a controller’s inputs. They also tend to be pretty durable.

Cons

Compatibility may be a strength in terms of gaming devices, but fight sticks score much worse when it comes to cross-game usage. While you could in theory play any game using one, they are designed with combat games in mind and so would have a significant negative impact on your gameplay. This means you could be potentially forking out a few hundred dollars for some hardware with pretty limited uses.

There can also be a steep learning curve if you’re playing using a fight stick for the first time. This can mean that for some time after buying one, you could actually see your performance drop off, rather than improve.

Is a controller better for Street Fighter 6? No, but…

In certain street fighter circles, controllers can get a bad rap, but for many gamers out there they actually make more sense. Now that we know that you can use a controller with Street Fighter 6 on PC this comparison now applies to even more gamers.

Pros

You can still get very high performance in Street Fighter 6 with a controller. In fact, it is only at the very highest level that the fight stick can start to make a significant difference. Most gamers are also likely much more used to controller gameplay, making it more intuitive to learn the inputs of a new game.

On top of that, they’ve got an ergonomic design and don’t cost $300! Pro controls also give you lots of options for customization. If this interests you you should check out our list of the best controllers for Street Fighter 6 

Cons

For those who first played Street Fighter in an arcade, a controller can lack the nostalgia factor. Even for those who have never used one before, the fight stick can offer a more novel and rewarding gaming experience.

On top of that, the majority of gamers playing in competitive street fighter competitions will use a fight stick, so there clearly can be some performance improvement at the top level, which the controller cannot offer.

Final word

Overall, it comes down to personal preference. If you’re used to a fight stick, there is no reason to not go for one in Street Fighter 6. That said, if you only have a controller don’t worry that you are missing out on a great deal by not having a fight stick. Unless you intend to take the game very seriously, buying one might not offer a good return on your investment.