PlayStation Is Releasing A New PS5 Controller For Old-School Enthusiasts In April

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In modern gaming, it can be a little surprising to see a controller design that was employed back in the '80s and '90s. Of course, there are a lot of great modern controllers out there, such as the PS5 DualSense and the Backbone Pro. But if you're a fighting game enthusiast, there could be a lot of value in pulling out a fully-featured fight pad-style controller. It's this exact use case that is driving Victrix to release the new Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick that's officially licensed by Sony in a "Street Fighter II" Champion Edition color scheme.

This fight stick-style pad has a lot going for it, but obviously the design is the first thing you'll notice. It is styled in PlayStation blue with a graphic depicting the original Street Fighter character select screen. There are also other worthy features including various movable buttons that you can customize and a stick-free design. While the controller primarily serves fight games, it can also be an excellent choice for other 2D games.

The Victrix Pro KO is actually a Turtle Beach-designed leverless fight stick controller that's been out for a bit now. Enthusiast user feedback is mostly positive, with users commenting on its customizable layout and its premium look and feel. While some users did note some early release hardware concerns, the fight stick has been out long enough that many of those hardware kinks have at least been considered. Plus, since PlayStation is set to raise PS5 prices, you might as well get a controller you love.

The new Street Fighter II Champion Edition gives the Pro KO a coat of paint, offering a blue background and filling the cavernous space that was left empty on the original edition with graphics that pay tribute to one of fighting games' most popular installments. Naturally, the color scheme and design are meant for those who love fighting games, but specifically for players who love classic fighting games from the origins of the genre.

As this controller is "leverless," there's actually no stick to be found here. Instead, you'll see 16 different buttons that can all be assigned to functions and directional inputs in your game. There are several different cutouts on the controller so you can move these buttons around to a location that makes sense for your hands. Each button also contains a mechanical Cherry MX Speed Silver switch for precise and tactile inputs.