Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick review: a pro companion to up your game

Whether we play competitively or casually, it’s sometimes nice to have luxuries in our lives and that’s most certainly true when it comes to our video game accessories - and the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick from PDP is the perfect example.

Owning a pro controller is not something exclusive to esports players, and the likes of SCUF, Nacon and Turtle Beach are all vying for a spot as an industry leader in the market. That includes the production of classic arcade sticks. Recently, I reviewed Nacon’s Daija Arcade Stick and said: ”If you're looking to relive those nostalgic arcade days or make the most out of your favourite competitive fighting games, then look no further than the Daija Arcade Stick from Nacon. It will be a purchase you won’t regret.”

Check out the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick trailer below!

The Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick, however, may have exceeded my expectations of an arcade stick. The moment I removed the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick from its packaging, it instantly felt premium quality. Its aircraft-grade aluminium chassis not only felt cool with no concerns of it ever overheating but I could tell that this arcade stick was made of very sturdy materials.

I would never recommend dropping this item and nor did I even for this review, but if I had, I wouldn't be worried all that much about it being damaged. What’s more, due to it having an aluminium chassis, it’s also a lot lighter than it looks and with this being manufactured with Sanwa, a leading Japanese producer of arcade sticks for decades, this in itself brings a seal of approval both in terms of item quality and durability.

Speaking of Sanwa, the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick features the traditional ergonomic button layout commonly associated with all good arcade sticks fitted with Sanwa Densi parts which include the joystick, the facebuttons and, of course, all of what’s underneath the hood. Not only does this mean that it’s made with quality parts but in terms of responsiveness, the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick makes your commands that little more responsive, especially compared to using a standard controller.

PDP

This is in part due to its low latency communication transmitted through its three-metre braided cable that can also be neatly looped around the cable organiser at the rear of the device. The Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick feels cosy on my lap. The arcade stick is very light due to its chassis, not to mention the subtle 6.28” wrist slope combined with the built-in foam pad at the bottom of the device and the coolness of the aluminium makes for a comfortable gaming session.

Much like the modern-day pro controller, you can program the buttons of the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick to suit your needs, which is particularly handy with games such as Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 all having slightly different control variations. You do this by pressing a combination of buttons and then assigning the buttons to the commands of your choosing. This can be a little fiddly at first but you’ll soon get used to it after a few seconds.

That being said, it would be handy if the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick had an app like the Daija Arcade Stick which makes that process much more simple. Speaking of simple, swapping the joystick for the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick couldn't be simpler (with an additional joystick supplied in the box). You simply pull the outlier metal shaft towards the top of the ball on the joystick and attach it to the arcade unit. If you want, you can change the colours of dashboard buttons such as the PS5’s home and options buttons as well as its flashing pattern. The Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick also features a touchpad like the DualSense controller.

PDP

If you open up the lid of the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick, you can also mod the unit by swapping the buttons, arcade stick, and more. Sadly, I was unable to test this process as I do not own additional parts for the device, but manufacturer PDP says that it’s “hassle-free”. Under the lid is where you’ll also find the button to switch between PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 functionality. Oh, and the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick also features a 3.5mm audio jack, which is always a welcomed addition.

This is the most premium arcade stick that I’ve used to date and to be fair, it should be with an RRP of £349.99. It’s difficult to explain just how good it feels to use this device but the second that you begin using the Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick, you’ll never want to go back to using a standard controller to play your favourite fighting game or arcade beat ‘em ups ever again.

The Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick can be purchased from PDP.com as well as various retailers. A review sample was provided by PDP via Heaven Media.