The short answer is no. Building a fightstick is tricky and may end up doing you more harm than good. That is because a homemade fightstick is more likely to fail than a professional fightstick that you buy. Also, you will likely save more money by buying a fightstick.

Only those with experience building fightsticks or building electronics in general can guarantee that building a fightstick is cheaper than buying one. Otherwise, especially if you have to buy tools for the first time, you will likely build a fightstick that is not that good and end up having to spend more to improve it if not buy a new one altogether.

It is also important to mention that your game will potentially suffer, and especially if you compete in tournaments, you may miss out on monetary prizes. Furthermore, if you end up wanting to repair your fightstick or sell it, it is easier to do so if you have a reputable fightstick. You can discuss tips and tricks with fellow owners of the fightstick or contact the company directly. Also, it is easier to sell a fightstick from a reputable brand like Hori or Qanba than a fightstick you made from wood in your garage.

Who should build a fightstick?

  • Those with experience building fightsticks or electronics in general
  • Those who are not on a budget and can afford to experiment
  • Those who are not looking to immediately play competitively
  • Those who would like to start a business making fightsticks

There could be other possibilities, of course, but those are the general ones.

Our Recommendation

Do not be discouraged, but you need to be aware of any consequences. To enter the world of fightstick building, consider buying a DIY kit first that you can simply assemble before building a fightstick from scratch. Otherwise, if you would not like to spend too much on your first fightstick, check out our top budget fightsticks and top budget hitboxes.