Yes, but it depends on which game you are playing, which character you pick, and your preference. The main difference between hitbox and stick is that a hitbox uses directional buttons instead of a joystick.
There is a time and place for each type of controller. However, if you get used to either hitbox or stick, you can usually do well playing all games and characters instead of switching controllers per game & character.
Examples of Hitbox Being Better
Let us take two examples of hitbox being potentially better:
- Doing 360 motions in Street Fighter
- Doing electrics in Tekken
Street Fighter characters like Zangief utilize 360 motions to perform grapple moves, although you can usually get away with 270 motions due to input leniency. You will likely be able to “piano” the directional buttons faster than rotating a joystick 270 degrees.
Tekken characters like Jin perform electrics, which are punches that move forward and produce electricity as an indicator that they are a powered up version.
To pull off an electric, you have to be precise in your timing of the punch and directional input. You may find yourself more precise and therefore more consistent using directional buttons than a joystick that has a bigger margin for error.
Your Preference Matters
In both of the previous cases, you still have to deal with the entire games of Street Fighter and Tekken, not just Zangief & Jin, and you may want to play other characters, so choosing hitbox only for 360 motions and electrics is not the best.
Go for hitbox if you actually like the controller type. Otherwise, try both hitbox and stick to see which one works best for you.
Hitbox has become the fighting game community’s favorite, indicating its superiority. Some may claim that the only reason they continue to use stick is because of how fun joysticks are (in addition to nostalgia).
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May the electric be with you! ⚡