Click, clack
Growing up in the golden era of arcade sticks, it is something that I have slowly lost the ability to be excellent at. Not sure if it has to do with not standing in a smelly arcade, or just getting older, but I am just not capable of the same skill I was as a young teen. For a few years I have wondered if leverless fight sticks were the answer, and recently I got to check out the Victrix KO Leverless model.
At first, it broke my brain. The idea of performing a dragon punch with buttons simply did not register. After a few hours, a ton of different games, and some frustration, I am still not sure it all clicks, but I have a newfound respect for what these controllers offer.
MSRP: $249.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $249.99
The second I opened the box; I could see the quality of this controller. It comes with a nice carrying bag, a braided USB cable, and a switch puller that is packed away inside the controller. Immediately after setting the controller on my lap, I could feel the quality. The buttons are nice and clicky, and the wrist slope is perfect to rest my hands on. Everything immediately felt good. My brain still wasn’t comprehending the button movement, but that would come with time. For a leverless fight stick, this is a quality build.
Out of the box there are 12 buttons on the controller with 11 of them being the standard 24mm size buttons, and the Up or Jump button being a larger 30mm one. This makes it stand out and serves as a rest when not looking at the controller.
All the buttons can be replaced with your own if you have a preference, and the process is pretty straightforward. The coolest thing about the buttons though is that the KO has a spot for four more buttons. These are included inside the controller itself. If you want to add them, just unlock the bottom and install them. This level of customization is really cool.
In order for these buttons to work, I had to remap them. Thankfully this is a pretty painless process. There is an app that can be downloaded for PC that allows for all customization and firmware updates. This is my recommended method, as it is by far the easiest. But if you don’t have access to download it for whatever reason, the buttons can be remapped via the controller. This is achieved by holding down the function button, then the button you want to map, and finally the button you want to map it to.
The controller also has a ton of features that make it tournament ready. There is a lock switch that keeps the buttons at the top from being pressed during game play. This is imperative in competitions as you can be disqualified if you pause the game or make any changes. The USB cable also has a lock mechanism that keeps it from being pulled out. There are a lot of features packed into this stick, and it retails for about $50 cheaper than most in its class.
This stick is well worth the money with all its features. The design is fantastic and if you can adapt to the buttons for movement, it is slim and sleek and easy to travel with. Everything about it screams quality. I highly recommend this version compared to others. It comes in at a cheaper price without sacrificing any of the amenities.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
