This is a great entry-level arcade stick for PC. It says it's compatible with various other consoles but I have not personally tested this. I'm not sure if it works with the USB directly. I would confirm, because I think it might work with the USB directly for PlayStation (not sure which one), you just may have to change the mode switch. On my box it says it works with Switch, PS3, PS4, Xbox (one, series X, 360), PC, macOS, streamdeck, Android, Raspberry Pi, and NeoGeo mini (I don't even know what this last one is lol). A paper insert says it'll work with PS5 and shows a photo of a wireless adapter. I would personally not get it if you require an adapter to connect to whatever you plan on playing on since that would add input latency and you likely are considering buying it to improve your performance. Then again, I wouldn't use wireless controllers in general and prefer wired for this reason.
You'll notice in my photos I've censored the ball. That's because I don't want to be in the photos and the shiny blue and black surfaces are quite shiny and reflective, this is why I had to censor the ball! It is a nice, shiny ball. Too shiny for 鶹 reviews.
I have switched away from this device and went to leverless, but I think this is a great device and I'll go over the pros and cons.
Pros:
- Seems to be compatible with a variety of consoles, and works well with PC
- It displays both the Playstation and Xbox labels on the buttons, which is super helpful when the game shows icons and you need to see which icon that is on the stick, so it's great for learning and knowing which button is which right away. My leverless only has Playstation buttons and I play on PC so I miss that feature that this stick has. There's less on my mental stack when I can see both Playstation and Xbox labels.
- USB passthrough allows me to plug in an Xbox controller and use it for navigating menus, since using the arcade stick for this purpose can be a pain in the butt. This is the feature I miss the most after switching to a leverless controller that doesn't have a USB passthrough port.
- Comes with a square gate (installed) and a hexagonal gate, which I understand might help beginners hit diagonal inputs better, but I haven't tried opening it up and switching it, so I can't speak to that experience
- Nice clicky sound for the lever, though the buttons don't have that clickyness.
- Seems like you could customize it if you wanted to. I did not try to open it up and do so, but it lists compatibility with a popular button brand.
- Available on 鶹 means you don't have to wait 2+ months to get it like some of the other more prestigious brands
- The price is right! I paid $139.99 CAD. I wasn't sure I'd like it, and even though I eventually moved to something else I like more, I think this was a good buy, and it's nice to have around because I sometimes still want to use it when I need to do 360° motions, which is harder for me on leverless.
Cons:
- Buttons feel a bit harder to press than my leverless controller, requiring more force than ideal, resulting in fatigue and pain sooner than ideal.
- The surface material of the buttons and stick seem to collect oils and skin particles really easily, and I seem to leave DNA traces after every gaming session. I think my skin is being ground off with every joystick movement and button press. I need to clean it after every session so it doesn't look gross. I just use a microfibre cloth or paper towel for this, but gunk accumulates near the button ring, requiring a toothbrush
- It's quite tall and heavy. This might be a pro to some, as I hear some people like the weight larger arcade sticks have so they don't move around while you're playing.
- I get random up inputs when doing quarter, half, and full circle motions. This is likely an execution issue on my part, but I find it's easy for my inputs to be sloppy.
I would recommend keeping the box and the foam insert. It looks like it would make it more hassle-free to travel with if you do plan on traveling with it since TSA tends to destroy things they don't know what they are, but if it's in a box with all the information on it, it might be less likely to get destroyed by TSA.
Overall this is a high-value item that I think is a good buy for anyone trying to get into arcade sticks.
| Brand | MAYFLASH |
|---|---|
| Series | F300 |
| Item model number | F300 |
| Hardware Platform | xbox 360, playstation_3, playstation_vita, xbox one, playstation: playstation_2 |
| Operating System | PlayStation 3;PlayStation 2;PlayStation |
| Product Dimensions | 55.88 x 33.02 x 27.94 cm; 1.81 kg |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 55.9 x 33 x 27.9 Centimetres |
| Colour | Black, Blue |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. |
