(See it on Amazon) fits that mold. It’s very well-made and much more expensive than the average fight stick – it absolutely deserves the moniker.Not only does it feel comfortable and give you great control, but it features a number of special features specifically for tournament regulars who bring their fight sticks to events and plan to customize or maintain them over time. It also omits or neglects a couple of features that home players might appreciate. As the name implies, the Pro FS is balanced and designed with competitive players in mind, and it’s an incredible tool if you’re willing to invest.
Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick – Design & Features
You can tell just by looking that the Victrix Pro FS is a premium fight stick. Its dark gray brushed aluminum top case and black button give off a more minimalist “high-end tech” vibe than the average fight stick. That said, it also has a flashy side: Its USB-C cable, handle padding, and internals are all bright purple. Plus its RGB lighting, which glows from inside the handles on either side, can give it plenty of “gamer gear” flair.
My appreciation for its “pro” look may be colored by what I know about its parts. The Pro FS comes with Sanwa Denshi buttons and joystick, which many consider the gold standard for fight stick parts. The eight arcade buttons, arranged Taito Vewlix-style, are comfortable and have a nice quick press, just like you’d want. The ball-style joystick also feels good whether you’re tapping in directions or circular motions. The joystick also is easily detachable. Simply pull up on the metal piece at the base of the stick and it detaches from the base, making the joystick incredibly easy to remove or replace whenever needed.
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Along the top edge of the base, there’s a line of system-level buttons, including a PlayStation Home button, audio controls, lighting, and three “Pro” macro buttons. Since none of these buttons are tournament-legal, they can be all be switched on and off easily with the central Victrix button.
At 16.25” x 11” x 2.25” and 7.8 lbs, the Pro FS is a pretty big boy, especially when you think about toting it around. Victrix mitigates this a bit by making it easy to carry. Built-in handles on either side make it easy to pick up, put down, and adjust. There are also metal attachments in the back that allow you to attach a shoulder strap, making it easier to carry around at events. However, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t actually come with a strap – you have to provide your own if you go that route.
Though hefty on paper, the Pro FS is well-balanced and actually feels quite comfortable resting on your lap. The underside features some rubberized padding, which keeps the unit from moving around on your legs. It’s also comfortable on a table at waist- or desk-height: The bottom third of the stick has a slight slope, giving your wrists a comfortable place to rest.
It’s very easy to get inside the Pro FS if you decide you want to swap out any parts. The underside has a panel that’s easy to open, revealing a compact and organized interior. There are also compartments to hold the detached joystick and an Allen wrench, which you can use to adjust the tightness of the joystick.
Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick – Gaming
As you’d expect given the top-of-the-line parts and thoughtful design, the Victrix Pro FS delivers a very tight gameplay experience. Inserting just 5ms of input lag, most players shouldn’t notice any delay. Whether you’re playing a game with controls that mandate lots of directional taps, like Mortal Kombat 11, or quarter- and half-circles like Street Fighter V, every movement feels precise and comfortable. Likewise, the Sanwa buttons have a nice, quick press and deliver a nice click with each tap.
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Nothing, not even the Pro FS is perfect, though. The Pro FS can fall short for some games’ non-competitive modes. For example, you can use the Victrix button to temporarily remap the joystick from the PS4 controller’s left analog stick to the right stick or D-pad.
The process takes a few seconds, which is too slow for games where the D-Pad or right stick may be required mid-match, such as Mortal Kombat 11’s challenge towers, which map optional power-ups to the right stick. I realize that a certain number of players will scoff at the idea of even mentioning this as a problem since it will not affect standard online play, but even pros like to do other things sometimes, right?
Purchasing guide
The Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick is one of the most expensive fight sticks that retails for $349 if you’re looking for a premium arcade-style controller you can take on the road.
