| Price | SGF Devices |
| Release | July 2025 |
| Compatibility | NS / PC |
| Cable | 3 m |
Preview
One day, you may find yourself prompting AI to generate an image of a gladiator in the form of a leverless controller. Actually, you don’t need to do that—because SGF Devices already came up with the Gladius, which is also loosely based on Marisa from Street Fighter. This controller is an improvement over the SGF Alpha—another great controller.
The SGF Gladius comes with 15 buttons called MonKeys. You see, SGF Devices’ branding is heavily based on apes. Anyway, MonKeys allow you to choose your preferred profile, and they are smooth to press. The three extra MonKeys can come in handy, such as the leftmost MonKey that allows you to put your left pinky to use.
That said, have you ever tried keys that don’t give you enough feedback to know if you actually pressed them? Well, you’re in luck because the Gladius’ tactile switches solve this problem—as you should know if you have successfully registered an input per press.
Moving on, the Gladius has three function buttons. To deactivate the pause button—and avoid getting disqualified from a tournament—you can simply use the appropriate lock.
(Due to its width, the Gladius is more comfortable to place on your lap at a tournament compared to some of the previous SGF Devices controllers.)
As for the Gladius’ hardware, it’s made of steel with magnets holding it together—except for the inside, edges, and strap rings.
Essentially, the magnets make disassembling the Gladius a screwless process—and therefore easier for you. Regarding the rings, they are made of durable PA12 (a kind of nylon).
Despite being made of steel, the Gladius is quite light—making it easy to carry. Speaking of which, a carrying case comes included with your brand new controller. Also, the USB-C to A cable is braided and the right angle type, which can reduce obstruction.
Now, let’s dive into the Gladius’ looks. The nylon’s satin finish is smoothly textured. For halo lighting, each of the buttons is surrounded by a raised bevel and situated in an LED backlit enclosure.
The custom RGB LED is made possible by the highly acclaimed GP2040-CE firmware. You can even request for your Gladius to arrive with PlayStation 5 support built-in. This way, no need to spend on an extra adapter!
When it comes to custom art—instead of the art being under an acrylic panel—your art can be printed directly onto the controller. If you would like some custom art, we at The Arcade Stick are actually partnered with SGF Devices to make your Gladius reflect your interests visually, so feel free to drop us a line.