A new Street Fighter 6 PS5 fight stick is coming but it won’t make you play better

A new version of the Hori Fighting Alpha for PS5 featuring Street Fighter 6 branding is coming and looks to be a definitive way to play the upcoming competitive title. 

The Street Fighter 6 fight stick is slated to launch alongside the game itself on June 2 making it the perfect companion for playing on PS5, PS4, or PC. It’s set to retail for $229.99 / £229.99 (approximately AU$340), making it $30 / £30 (around $44) more expensive than the standard Hori Fighting Alpha from September 2022. 

For that extra cash, you’re getting some truly stunning branding around the new art style of Street Fighter 6 instead of the standard blue hue of the original stick. The decal on the front shows off the change of art style well, with new purple branding on the sides adorning the logo to further separate it from the stock version. 

If you’re not sold on the base cover art that the new themed Hori Fighting Alpha for PS5 and PS4 comes with then that’s okay. That’s because this version comes with a link to download 18 different designs featuring the full Street Fighter 6 roster that you can print out and use instead. 

Pre-order the Street Fighter 6 PS5 fight stick 

New look aside, this truly is one of the best fight sticks on the market right now in my opinion. I’ve had one in my possession since September and have found its build quality and versatility to be unmatched for the asking price. You’re getting the classic Hayabusa joystick and matte buttons here, with the added feature of being able to lift the lid and customize things to your heart’s desire.

That’s a major selling point of this fight stick. Open the latch and lift the top and you can swap out everything from the buttons to the artwork and even the stick, too. Personally, I’ve loved using the Hori Fighting Alpha despite not being particularly good at Street Fighter myself, here’s hoping that when the latest in the series drops in June that my luck will change.

We’ve long since argued that arcade sticks won’t give you an advantage in Street Fighter 6, but if you want the full experience then Hori’s got you covered. It comes down to preference at the end of the day. A fight stick like this gives you more real estate than the best PS5 controllers or best PS4 controllers, with a button placement that’s built with 6-button fighting games in mind. Learning on a stick may not give you a leg up in competition, but you’re sure to be more comfortable gaming for longer.

• We now know why Street Fighter 6 is launching later than we thought

Aleksha McLoughlin is the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming and oversees all hardware coverage for the site. She looks after buying guides, writes hardware reviews, news, and features as well as manages the hardware team. Before joining TRG she was the Hardware Editor for sister publication GamesRadar+ and she has also been PC Guide’s Hardware Specialist. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of Trusted Reviews, The Metro, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.