Hori Fighting Stick Alpha: one-minute review
The Hori Fighting Stick Alpha is a very solid option for those on the hunt for a new fight stick, but only if you’ve already got some familiarity with this type of controller and prefer them for fighting games over regular gamepads. At $200 / £200, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to players transitioning to fight sticks for the first time. Especially as many of the best fight sticks come in cheaper while still offering a fantastic onboarding experience.
But that doesn’t mean the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha isn’t worth buying. For one, it’s impressively light for its size, meaning it’ll rest on your lap easily. There’s plenty of space on its surface, too, making for a roomy and comfortable stick to use for quick sessions online.
As we see with similarly priced sticks like the Nacon Daija, the Alpha is fully customizable. Its clamshell design allows you to easily open it up and swap out Hori’s components for alternatives should you desire. That goes for the faceplate, too, if you’re keen to add some of your own unique flair to the rather bland default design.
Circling back to comfort, one other dealbreaker here might be the Alpha’s usage of the Noir layout for its buttons. This means the buttons are slightly more offset than what you’d find with the more modern Vewlix layout - where the buttons are gathered closer together. Your preference may vary here, and I certainly found the Noir layout well-suited for four-button games like Tekken 8 (Noir is a layout popularized by Namco, after all), but when swapping over to Street Fighter 6, I found myself wanting the more uniform layout of a Vewlix stick.
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha: Price and availability
- $200 / £200
- Priced similarly to the Nacon Daija
- Newcomers may wish to consider cheaper sticks like the 8BitDo Arcade Stick
The Hori Fighting Stick Alpha is not cheap, and while it is significantly easier on the wallet than premium sticks like the Victrix Pro FS, it’d be understandable if its $200 / £200 price tag turned newcomers away. It’s definitely a workhorse fight stick thanks to its good build quality and customizability, and well worth the investment if you know you’re going to get plenty of use out of it.
However, those dipping a toe in for the first time may want to consider some of the cheaper fight stick options out there. The excellent 8BitDo Arcade Stick comes to mind here. The Xbox/PC version can be had for $119.99 / £99, and the original Switch model often comes in even cheaper than that (and it also works with PC).
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha: specs
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha: design and features
- Solid build quality and impressively lightweight
- Features Hori’s Hayabusa modules by default
- Fully customizable modules and faceplate
While not the absolute tip-top premium in this regard, there is a good build quality all around on the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha. It’s entirely plastic and rather lightweight compared to many of its peers, but this does mean it sits easily in your lap without feeling like it’s weighing you down. Two rubberized grips on the underside mean it can easily be placed on a desk or similar flat surface without slipping around.
Hori’s own Hayabusa modules are in play here, including eight buttons and a square gate joystick. The top of the board features a line of ancillary function buttons, including Home and sharing buttons as well as options to mute your headset should one be connected via the 3.5mm jack on the left side of the unit. A couple of switches here also let you toggle between Xbox and PC compatibility, as well as a lock switch to prevent pausing or accessing your console’s dashboard for tournament play.
If you’re not keen on those Hayabusa modules, or simply want to swap in other parts like the gold standard Sanwa-Denshi buttons and sticks, you can do so here. The Alpha features a clamshell design that can be opened up via a sturdy latch at the rear side of the unit. I tested swapping out parts myself and found the process to be straightforward. But if you’re new to this kind of thing, you may wish to look up a separate guide as some cable management is involved.
The transparent pane on the surface of the Alpha can also be removed, allowing you to swap in custom faceplates. All in all, it’s a highly customizable stick. You should expect that, given the cost, but it’s nice that you can change up the stick to such a degree based on your preferences nonetheless.
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha: performance
- Sharply responsive across all fighting games tested
- Better suited to four-button games due to Noir layout
- No option for wireless connectivity
In terms of overall performance, the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha doesn’t really put a foot wrong. You’re getting solid, responsive performance across all of the best fighting games. Hori’s Hayabusa buttons have a very short travel time, allowing you to perform inputs quickly and reliably. Stick motions for special move inputs in games like Street Fighter 6 and Guilty Gear Strive do take some getting used to, but that’s more of a stick thing in general and not really a flaw of the Alpha itself.
The elephant in the room for the Alpha - and whether or not you’re likely to gel with it - is its usage of the Noir button layout which many find to be outdated. As mentioned earlier, Noir has the button column second from the left slightly raised compared to the rest, and the buttons on the far right are slightly lowered, too. This creates an offset that might cause your hand to get uncomfortable during longer play sessions.
Noir is actually excellent for four-button fighting games like Tekken 8 as your fingers will naturally rest over those four leftmost buttons. It can be a little awkward for six-button fighters, however, like Street Fighter 6 and many of the titles featured in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. That’s because you’ll more regularly be using the buttons further to the right (by default, for heavy attacks).
You can of course set your own button profiles on the Alpha which may alleviate some of the stress here. But if you’re a Street Fighter player, you may be better served with a stick that adopts the Vewlix layout which has the buttons laid out in more uniform rows.
Lastly, for connectivity on console or PC, you’ll be relying on the included 10ft (3m) USB-C cable. That should be fine for most gaming setups and you can adjust its length via a spool beneath the Alpha’s clamshell. But just know that wireless connectivity isn’t an option here.
Should I buy the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha?
Buy it if...
You’re a Tekken player
Four-button fighting games like Tekken 8 or The King of Fighters 15 are well-suited for the Alpha’s Noir button layout.
You’re after a long-lasting, customizable fight stick
The Alpha is customizable in terms of its hardware and software, allowing you to swap out components and set your own button profiles. Its sturdy build quality and lightweight design make it excellent for traveling and taking to tournaments, too.
Don't buy it if...
You’re new to fight sticks
This is a price thing more than anything else. If you’re just looking to dabble in fight sticks for the first time, cheaper options like the 8BitDo Arcade Stick or Mayflash F300 might suit you better.
You play a wide range of fighting games
While you can have success in just about any fighting game with the Alpha, if you juggle a number of fighting games you might find that a Vewlix layout stick is better suited for you, especially for titles like Street Fighter 6.
Also consider...
Still unsure? We’ve reviewed a couple of fight stick alternatives that you may wish to check out instead of the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha. Refer to the table below for a quick rundown of specs.
8BitDo Arcade Stick
An excellent budget-friendly fight stick that’s relatively light and travel-friendly. It’s also got wireless connectivity via an included 2.4GHz dongle if you’d prefer that over a stricter wired connection. You will have to contend with slightly higher input lag if you’re going wireless, though, which is worth keeping in mind.
For more information, read our full 8BitDo Arcade Stick review
Victrix Pro FS
Arguably the cream of the crop when it comes to premium fight sticks, the Victrix Pro FS boasts immaculate build quality and comes fitted with best-in-class Sanwa-Denshi buttons. If money’s no object and you’re going all in on a fight stick, this is the one to go for. Both stick and leverless options are available here, at the same price.
For more information, read our full Victrix Pro FS review
How I tested the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha
- Tested for two weeks
- Platforms tested: Xbox Series X, PC
- Played a wide variety of fighting games across platforms
I tested the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha over a period of two weeks, playing a variety of fighting games including Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.
I’ve been playing fighting games all my life, and while I’m typically a controller player, I’ve owned a number of fight sticks and thus have been able to channel my experience there into this review. Key things I looked out for during my testing included button responsiveness, the durability of the product, its aptitude to differing fighting game button layouts, and its comfort over longer gaming sessions.
I tested the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha primarily on PC but was also able to hook it up to my Xbox Series X Digital Edition for play on an LG CX OLED TV. Whether I was on console or PC, I didn’t notice any serious deviation when it came to input lag or general performance.
First reviewed January 2025
