While PDP makes colorful controllers, its upper Victrix-line of peripherals is geared towards eSports gamer and tournament fighters alike. PDP was able to get Sony to sign on to make its arcade fight sticks officially licensed with the Victrix Pro FS and Pro FS 12. Both versions are available in either a purple design or white design complete with side lighting and button lighting. Of the two, the Pro FS was sent over for review and is more traditional in its layout. While there’s a hefty asking price for these sticks, there’s a lot here to help satisfy the spending. Not to mention that sometimes you gotta pay the cost to be the boss.
Both versions of the Victrix Pro FS do retail for $399 and there’s a difference between the two. While the Pro FS is traditional, it’s worth noting that the Pro FS 12 ditches the joystick altogether and replaces them with buttons. This may directly result to better inputs on controls, but personally I believe this would ruin the experience for non-fighting titles. This also opened a new book when using the Pro FS that includes a joystick to play other titles including TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, Resogun and Streets of Rage 4, a fantastic experience with using the Pro FS on these arcade-style games.
The Victrix Pro FS arcade sticks all include super-reliable Sanwa Denshi parts and the joystick included with the Pro FS model is the PDP-patented Link 2 Detachable Joystick. There’s a longer one included as well. These sticks are completely modable with easy access to the interior components. This means users can replace buttons with other ones along with other specific pieces as they desire. There’s an Allen wrench included for changing the parts as these arcade sticks are truly big boy toys.
The only real comparison that I could draw with the button feel and durability is with the Arcade1Up cabinets. These destroy those, and that isn’t taking away from the durability and input of those. These inputs are pulled off every time and quickly especially with the joystick. Games where I would miss a move are completed with ease with the Victrix Pro FS. That alone should help compensate for the cost with the confidence of being able to pull off moves without fault.
The actual design of the Victrix Pro FS is large. It initially felt heavy pulling it out of the box, but the weight is centered at the bottom. There are two handles on each side built into the casing that allows for easy carrying from place-to-place. When put up side to side with the PlayStation 5, it’s bigger; so big in fact that there’s a good bit of unused space on the unit to the point that I wish a cupholder was included. Even with this, it’s comfortable to use with rubber on the bottom to help keep it in place and a 6.28" wrist slope for ergonomic purposes. The top cover is comprised of aircraft-grade aluminum for further durability. Lighting exudes from each side to add life to the stick along with a control bar across the top that allows for a few lighting options and a tournament button that disables these. Lastly, two cable management hooks are attached at the top as the USB-C cable that’s included is long. This allows for versatility if your PlayStation is far from the player, but allows for shortening if it’s close.
The only real issue I’ve had with the Victrix Pro FS is console recognition. It does work with both PlayStation 4 and 5 along with PC, but sometimes the system doesn’t recognize the unit is plugged in, so a reseat of the cable is needed. There’s an auxiliary port at the bottom of the unit for headphones to help with more portability options. With the metallic purple, the unit is superbly aesthetically pleasing. The white version may very well match the aesthetic of the PS5 and if the player has a white aesthetic for their PC setup. Storage may be an issue for some due to the size, but a cloth storage bag is included.
Along with the games listed above, I tested a couple of fighting games with the arcade stick. Street Fighter V stood out well with easily and masterfully pulling off moves. Tekken 7 was the pure standout from the bunch as it brought out the best in the stick. Mortal Kombat 11 was a bit off based on how the game is designed and the additional button commands the game institutes. It will take a minute to get adjusted to the layout of the trigger buttons pulled from the original controllers and their layouts on this. Lastly, Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a fast-paced, 2D fighter that played well with the stick. The faster the title, the better advantage the Victrix Pro FS has.
Closing Comments:
If you’re serious about having a competitive advantage in tournaments or in eSports competition, the PDP Victrix Pro Arcade FS Fight Stick offers this thanks to its durability and input timings. While bulky, the unit is comfortable and offers portability assistance to use anywhere the player likes. The size may bring concerns with storage, but having a cable management option, modable options and nice lighting help play better towards the price of the stick. With the Sanwa Denshi parts, I don’t know what would needed to be modded on the stick. The PDP Victrix Pro Arcade FS Fight Stick is a serious controller for serious gamers that will instill confidence in its users. For $399, there’s a lot to offer here with nice little touches that make it attractive.
