14. RAC-J500B
Budget, compact, and light, the RAC-J500B is a decent entry point into the world of hitboxes. The jump button is larger than the other buttons, which is standard for hitboxes. You can choose for the buttons to be black, blue, green, red, white, or yellow. Included is SOCD cleaning to make pressing left and right result in neutral, making the controller tournament-legal.
The case is made of durable plastic. Opening up the case is easy with any compatible tool. You may even be able to use your fingers in the process. The interior is quite neat and spacious, which should make mods such as swapping buttons easier. The suction cups at the bottom work well on a bare surface.
Available to order from AliExpress
13. Hit Box
This is where it all started. The Hit Box Arcade team took the fighting game community by storm with its revolutionary concept of having buttons for directions instead of a joystick. The idea was to convert potentially sluggish joystick movements into swift button presses. The concept was solid, and it was important to implement the concept well, which Hit Box Arcade undeniably achieved.
The slim Hit Box packs Sanwa buttons, a sturdy chassis, and other robust elements that make it shine above the competition. Hit Box Arcade discovered that the best combination of directional button sizes is to make the jump button 30 mm and the other directional buttons 24 mm. The travel distance is short, and there is a satisfying bounce per press.
The bottom of the Hit Box has an anti-slip pad, and the braided USB cable is conveniently detachable. The Hit Box is compatible with the PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Hit Box Arcade provides a sling bag and microfiber cloth with every order.
The visual design of the acrylic Hit Box is masterful and reminiscent of designs by electronics companies that have been in the industry for decades. The Hit Box itself has been tried and tested for a decade now, and it has stood the test of time, making it a staple in the all-buttons controller industry.
With the Hit Box, professional Street Fighter 5 player Kawano was able to win Evo 2022! While on the pricier end, it is a force to be reckoned with.
Available to order from Amazon
12. OkiBoard
Assembled by hand, the OkiBoard is precision laser cut from acrylic and steel for durability purposes. It comes with red Kailh BOX switches, but thanks to hot-swap sockets, it is compatible with any switch in the MX style.
There are red and navy blue Kailh BOX switches in addition to a switch puller. Every edition includes secondary buttons that use navy blue Kailh BOX switches, which are heavy, clicky, and prevent accidental presses. The secondary buttons are home, start, and select.
If you opt for the highest end edition, you are looking at a Brook Universal Fighting Board (UFB) as the PCB, and you can grab the Brook UFB-UP5 for PlayStation 5 compatibility. The JST connector allows for compatibility with any Brook PCB for easy swaps. Also, the front and back panels of the OkiBoard were designed with artwork customization in mind.
Available to order from Etsy
11. Punk Workshop Excellence
The Excellence controller is available in white, black, or black & white. Furthermore, it is available in a whopping 20 hitbox and mixbox layouts! The default layout has 11 buttons that are 24 mm and a button that is 30 mm. The start and select buttons can be found on the side.
The stock switches are the Cherry MX silver type, which is light, Sanwa-like, and makes no clicking sounds. In any case, the switches are swappable. Needless to say, this hitbox has SOCD cleaning.
There is a hinge to lift the top panel and access the organized interior where you will realize that the PCB is the Brook UFB to which you can attach the UFB-UP5 for PlayStation 5 support.
This is an acrylic controller with the same case as the critically acclaimed Mad Catz TE, and the bottom panel has acrylic over the metal. The top plexiglass is designed for artwork.
Available to order from AilExpress:
PS5 / PS4 / PC / Case
10. Pocket Mini HitBox
This is a mini all-keys controller made of aluminum and acrylic. It comes with two USB ports and a nifty LED display under the attack keys. There is a wide assortment of quality switches you can order in different colors when checking out. You can even install your own keycaps if you like.
Available to order from AliExpress
9. Slimbox
SQ Arcade presents this mini all-buttons controller that comes with a shaft, shaft puller, plastic spudger, and USB-C cable. The switches include a combination of Kailh on top and Gateron on the bottom. Specifically, Gateron low profile switches are used. The secondary buttons include R3, L3, turbo, select, home, and start. As this is an acrylic controller, it can accept custom art.
Regarding the PCB, you can choose between Brook or Pico. PC compatibility is achieved through XInput. SOCD cleaning works by equating left and right to neutral. Also, up and down equal up. You can find an input display on the upper left of the controller.
Available to order from AliExpress: R5 / R3 / B5
8. 801 Workshop
The 801 Workshop Fighting Game Controller is a mini hitbox that is compatible with Cherry MX switches. The PCB can either be a Brook UFB with the UFB-UP5 attachment or the Raspberry Pi Pico, the latter of which gives you LED functionality in PC mode. If you would like to customize the art, custom artwork can go between the first and second layers.
The port is USB-C, and the firmware is the open-source GP2040 V2. The control modes include D-pad, left analog stick, and right analog stick. The SOCD modes available are up priority and last-input priority.
Available to order from Etsy: UP / SP
7. Flatbox
The SGF Bridget Flatbox is a premade version of the Flatbox designed by jfedor. The goal behind Bridget is to be an affordable hitbox that is portable enough for travel while having easily available parts despite any current chip shortages.
Bridget includes updates to the 3D-printed case for added durability and serviceability. There are brass screw threads as well as rubber feet to avoid slipping during gameplay. Bridget’s port is USB-C. PC compatibility is effortless and instant.
For compatibility and SOCD options, Bridget runs on the open source GP2040-CE firmware. The PCB is assembled with Kailh switches that are socketed for easy swapping and cleaning without soldering.
SGF Devices strives for quality with every print of Bridget, which allows you to pick the colors of the case and buttons.
Available to order from Etsy
6. 2nd Stage Buttonbox
5. Victrix Pro FS-12
The Victrix Pro FS was one of the most popular arcade sticks of the last generation, and it makes a comeback as what is perhaps the first official hitbox that is natively compatible with the PlayStation 5. It is also be available in purple.
The buttons are all 24 mm Sanwa, except for the bottom jump button, which is 30 mm Sanwa. There is a tournament mode to avoid pressing secondary buttons during play.
The wrist resting space is sloped for your convenience, and there is an anti-slip foam pad at the bottom. Also, there is a 3.5 mm audio input/output jack. The controller itself is made of aircraft-grade aluminum.
The carrying handles and cable organizers allow for maximal convenience, and the quick-access back panel allows for the swapping of components with ease. In addition, mods can be made.
What you also get with the controller:
- Detachable braided USB-C to A cable
- Allen wrench
- Storage bag
Available to order from Amazon: White / Purple
4. Punk Workshop Hitbox
This acrylic hitbox is the weapon of choice for pro Street Fighter player and Evo champion Tokido. It is light and easy to carry. It comes with mechanical buttons and swappable SOCD cleaning. You can choose from the colors of black, white, red, clear red, clear blue, or something custom. Again, this is an acrylic hitbox, so you can message Sinoarcade your custom design.
As for the PCB options, they include:
- Zero delay arcade USB encoder with SOCD
- Brook UFB
- Brook UFB with UFB-UP5
There are two buttons on the side for start and select, and there are also buttons for SOCD, LS/DP/RS, home, back, start, L3, and R3. You can swap out the pink silent Kailh BOX switches to customize the feel, tension, and actuation, but Kailh BOX switches are relatively light and close to Sanwa parts when it comes to the feel. Furthermore, they have a soft bump above the actuation point. The controller’s internal wiring is neat.
Available to order from Sinoarcade:
Mini V3 / Mini V2
Also available to order from MCD:
Mini V2 & V3 / Ultra Thin A / Ultra Thin B
3. FightBox B1
The FightBox B1 is an ultra-thin but decently weighted acrylic controller available in many colors and variations. The thickness is less than two centimeters, but it is not malleable. Its layered structure allows for the placement of custom artwork onto the panel depending on the edition.
All buttons measure 24 mm, and Cherry MX switches are featured. Thanks to hot-swapping tech, you can replace them with your favorite mechanical key switches. Otherwise, the stock buttons both feel and sound good, and they are quite reminiscent of a keyboard. They can be taken out with just your fingers. The B1 has no noticeable input delay.
There is SOCD cleaning as well. The PlayStation edition of the B1 achieves its compatibility through the Brook Fighting Board PS3/PS4 PCB. The cable is conveniently detachable.
Available to order from AliExpress:
PS / PC / MINI
2. FightBox F1
The FightBox F1 has many variations. It has three Sanwa OBSF-24 directional buttons, one Sanwa OBSF-30 jump button, and the attack buttons are Sanwa too. The secondary buttons cannot be pressed by accident, which is a good safety measure during tournaments. Of course, SOCD cleaning is featured as well
The best PCB option seems to be the Brook UFB. As for the PlayStation edition, it has four buttons on the back for R3, L3, share, and the touchpad. There are two buttons on the side as home and options buttons as well.
The case is made of metal that feels good, and the panel is sturdy acrylic that is not malleable. Custom art fans can upload their own image file when ordering the F1. Additionally, there are rubber feet at the bottom for stability purposes.
The wiring in the interior is very organized despite the F1 being thin. Its weight is also moderate. If needed, you can detach and replace the USB port.
Available to order from AliExpress:
F1 White / F1 Custom / F1 PS5 / F8 Black
1. RAC-J800B
The RAC-J800B is your best bargain. It is is an improvement over the J500 series and has many variations. It has three Sanwa OBSF-24 buttons and one Sanwa OBSF-30 button on the left, which is the industry standard. The attack buttons are Sanwa as well. Because the secondary function buttons are firmer, it is unlikely that you will press them by mistake during gameplay. Needless to say, SOCD cleaning is featured.
The PlayStation edition has four buttons on the back for R3, L3, share, and the touchpad, and it has two buttons on the side as home and options buttons as well. The case is metal that feels good, and the panel is sturdy acrylic that is not malleable. Moreover, there are rubber feet at the bottom to make the controller more stable.
The wires inside are quite organized, which is impressive because the RAC-J800B is quite thin. Also, the weight is decent. Even the USB port is detachable if you would like to replace it, which is a thoughtful feature.
You can upload your own custom art as you order your RAC-J800B. We at The Arcade Stick have a custom art service.
Available to order from AliExpress