Raizer Raion: Fightpad for PS4 and PS5, Arcade Fightpad

Product Information

That said, I wouldn’t recommend playing claw with the Raion. The D-pad requires a lot of precision to navigate accurately. I’m not a claw player, so it’s possible you may not find it cumbersome, but it seems like the tradeoff isn’t worth it. HORI has been making controllers for fighting game enthusiasts for many years now. So they know what they are doing. And they know what fans want and do not want. Some advanced level fighters still think of a mechanical keyboard as the best controllers for fighting games.

And, of course, it would be nice if you can hold the controller for long periods of time without your hands cramping up. So ergonomics are also gonna’ be important. As more fighting games appear, new competitions launch, and new streamers start playing them. If you look at professional players and streamers, you'll notice they use different controllers than you have at home. So, you may ask yourself: which controllers work best for fighting games? Well, we have an excellent list of contenders for beginners and pros alike! Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Read our editorial mission & see how we test. It is much less common, but still not uncommon to see gamers using a keyboard at tournaments. Some people have even won tournaments with old crusty keyboards. So as far as traditional controllers for fighting games are concerned, the Hori Fighting Commander controllers are some of the best.

In many cases, players prefer a button layout that has six front facing buttons on the right side (three on top, three on bottom). Kyle Purves is a Tech Product Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech. Device Status will change from “OFFLINE” to “ONLINE” once the Fighting Commander OCTA has been recognized. (You may not release the MENU and VIEW buttons).Please refer to the image below: The six action buttons are perfect for fighting games, and the Sega Saturn style dpad is great for precision movement. I will admit I had a bit of an embarrassing moment as I didn’t realize the shoulder button layout was different until I was deep into a few matches of Mortal Kombat 11. I kept trying to execute a Fatal Blow by pressing L2 + R2 simultaneously with no success, and was certain that there was something wrong with the controller. It’s not until I realized the unique layout was intentional, allowing me to perform this ability with just my right hand.

The center column still has the central PS4 components. The share and options buttons are round and circular. There’s a touchpad, which looks small, but is actually about the same size as the original. Razer moved the PS button up to just below the touchpad because the Raion does not have an internal speaker. Below that, there are a pair of buttons – one mutes your mic, the other is one-button volume control. Press together, they also enable tournament mode, which turns off the menu or system-level buttons. Next, the Hitbox. We think it's a fantastic design that offers the best accuracy and precision possible, making it perfect for those aiming for the top. Ultimately, however, it's a strange design that isn't suited for every game. The more fast-paced your game or character is, the more likely you are to trip over your own fingers. We suggest you try out this controller once you're more well-versed in the medium and want to min-max your performance. So, we've made mention of three prominent styles of controllers for fighting games, but which should you choose? And lastly… a wired controller will always be preferable over a bluetooth connection due to the possible tiny delay on input, which will make all the difference in an intense fight.If you need something that feels a bit beefier, they sell a metal plate for the bottom that will add the weight and make it feel more secure. Once you get into the swing of things, your off-hand should be able to move as fast and as confident as your main hand when it comes to pulling off moves and combos. You won't need to worry about overshooting a quarter circle and inputting the wrong move entirely, as you'll be able to do down, diagonal, right and pull off a fireball without even thinking about it. But what makes it special is that your directional buttons are actual keyboard buttons (Cherry MX Mechanical Key Switches to be exact), much like using the traditional ASDW keys for movement. Press and hold the MENU and VIEW buttons simultaneously and then connect the USB plug from the Fighting Commander OCTA to the USB port of your computer while continuing to hold the MENU and VIEW buttons.