PowerA Fusion Wired FightPad - Review 2022

Arcade sticks are big joysticks with rows of buttons on a flat surface to emulate the arcade feel, and they're honey past fighting game enthusiasts. Fightpads put the same controls into a gamepad configuration, offering more portability and a lower cost. There are enough of arcade sticks on the market, just fightpads are a relatively rare brood. We've looked at the Hori Fighting Commander, the Razer Raion, and at present the PowerA Fusion Wired FightPad. This $59.99 controller is pricier than the $39.99 Fighting Commander, but non almost as expensive as the $99.99 Raion. It's responsive, features a good direction pad (vital for fighting games), and provides all the controls you need to play both fighting and classic arcade games.

Design

The Fusion looks and feels very similar to the Hori Fighting Commander, with a wide, apartment, dog bone shape featuring a single round direction pad with a prominent plus shape for the fundamental directions on the left, and six face buttons (A/B/Ten/Y/RB/RT) on the right. I tested the Xbox One model, merely the controller is likewise bachelor for the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 4.

The Guide push sits in the center of the gamepad, flanked past Menu and Back buttons. A iii-way switch sits below the Guide button, letting yous choose whether the direction pad sends inputs equally the digital direction pad or the left or right analog sticks. Four shoulder buttons (LB/LT/RB/RT) sit down on the top of the gamepad, with a sliding switch next to the correct pair of buttons that lets y'all choose between the four functioning typically, or with the left pair serving as L3/R3 and the right pair serving as LB/LT, since RB/RT are already present every bit confront buttons.

The controls feel comfortable under the thumbs, though the direction pad is a piddling mushy when compared with the fantastic, clicky direction pad on the Razer Raion. The face up buttons likewise feel slightly soft, and aren't quite as large and satisfying to press as the buttons on the Fighting Commander. The Fusion definitely feels closer to the Fighting Commander than the Raion in build quality, which makes sense considering the price.

PowerA Fusion Wired FightPad for Xbox One

Cable and Faceplate

The faceplate of the Fusion is removable, and yous tin swap the default black plate out with the included white or grayness faceplates to suit your tastes. The faceplate attaches magnetically, and sits very securely on the controller; I had to wedge a dime under the faceplate to pry information technology off and switch it out.

This is a wired gamepad, like the Fighting Commander and Raion, and comes with a lengthy 10-human foot cablevision. The cable is wrapped in textile and features a quick-release connector a few inches downward from the USB plug, and then if you yank as well hard or get tripped up, the cablevision volition come apart harmlessly instead of dissentious your panel. The cable is likewise removable, with a micro USB connector that features a snap-in plug to keep it locked in place in the gamepad. Different the quick-release connector, the micro USB plug attaches very stiffly to the controller, and tugging it free from that end can take some strength.

Performance

I played Male monarch of Fighters '98 and Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite on my Xbox One with the FightPad. For both games, the controller felt quite responsive. The circular direction pad, with the pronounced plus shape for the cardinal directions, helps make directional inputs for special moves consequent. I had no problem executing shoryukens and power dunks, even if the pad doesn't feel nearly as crisp as the Raion'southward. The sleeky, concave face buttons also worked exactly as intended, though they aren't equally satisfying as the Raion's or Fighting Commander's flatter, slightly clickier buttons.

PowerA Fusion Wired FightPad for Xbox One

I experienced no issues using the gamepad with my PC. Plugging it in made Windows 10 automatically detect the controller equally an XInput device compatible with most Windows games. While the lack of analog sticks limits what games work with the FightPad, I was able to use information technology with classic arcade shooters like Earth Defense force through Antstream.

For Fighting and Arcade Games

The PowerA Fusion Wired FightPad is a capable little wired controller for your PC and console of choice. It offers nigh the aforementioned experience as the Hori Fighting Commander, with a slightly amend-feeling direction pad. Information technology doesn't offer the same rock-solid experience the Razer Raion'southward clicky mechanical controls provide, only it also costs near half as much. For the price, the Fusion is a solid gamepad for whatsoever fighting game enthusiast looking to railroad train or compete without dropping a lot of money on a pro-grade controller or arcade stick. Just remember that it doesn't have analog sticks, so y'all simply can't utilize it to play most modern games.