PowerA FUSION Wired Fightpad for PlayStation 4, console, Fighting Game, Gamepad, game controller, officially licensed

Just a few bullet points:*I've thrown this controller a couple of times (okay several times...okay maybe more than 10 times) after getting 10/0 by some really great players, and although the faceplate popped off I was still able to snap it back on perfectly. Never cracked or snapped.*It's durable, super sturdy and feels like a Sony brand controller. I have bought several Tekken vs Street Fighter fight pads (because they are very similar to the 6 button Saturn pads) and the buttons stick after only a couple of months of use. The buttons on the PowerA Fusion controller are still perfect.*Unlike the other reviews my D-PAD never snapped off or broke and I feel like I've put a lot of pressure on it during scrambles in my matches.*(More review on buttons) Face buttons are great and have not stuck after years of use. Shoulder buttons are still operational and just as responsive. The very top shoulder buttons need more pressure to input though (just like a DS4 and DS5, typically) and I wish these buttons were more responsive with a simple press.Complaints:*The face buttons aren't close enough together. They're too far apart.I know this is crazy for some people, but I play claw style (pressing the face buttons with my thumbs instead of my fingers). My execution is good so I hardly ever slip on the wrong buttons, but trying to do ex moves while pressing 2 buttons simultaneously with your right thumb kinda sucks. The Tekken X Street Fighter pad was better for this, because the buttons were closer together and easier to press at the same time. I wish they came out with another model of this controller with the buttons just a bit closer. I had to map my ex inputs on the shoulder buttons, which brings me to my next problem.*I really wish there was a way to make all the 4 shoulder buttons accessible. As for now, you can only switch between 2 out of the 4, which limits your input options. That's an accessibility issue with the game and console though, and I hope they fix this soon.All in all it's still a GREAT controller. Still feels great. Executing moves is great. If my complaints were address, for me, it would be PERFECT. If you're a claw player I'd recommend this controller highly.

UPDATE (December 4, 2020): D-Pad finally fell out. I got a year out of the d-pad before failure. Upon opening up the fightpad, I did learn that the d-pad used modified Sega Saturn parts. This is great news, as the d-pad is certainly swappable. It will require grinding down the screw mounts for the d-pad board in order for it to work properly. I still haven't grinded them down far enough, so it's still a WIP, but I will update once I get it working right.UPDATE (September 7, 2020): For those who have read other reviews citing that the d-pad is not very durable, I have decided to provide feedback on this issue after extensive use. I, fortunately, have not ran into this problem with the d-pad snapping off. It has become quite loose, however. That is to be expected when using a pad for a while, though. So it is quite broken in. The triggers are slightly more mushy to the press as well. Again, expected, due to their design and extensive use. Everything else functions well, however. It is possible I just got a lucky draw on my controller, though. If it does eventually break, I will provide update on that. It does seem like a Sega Saturn d-pad could be modded in place, so when it does break, I will try my hands at that. But I just wanted to make an update on my pad's status.I have purchased the Raion since, and have stopped using it. The PowerA's d-pad is much better in terms of performance. The Raion's d-pad has no pivot while the PowerA does, and uses possibly too small of microswitches, so activating opposite microswitches can and does happen regularly, in my experience. And this causes the d-pad to register neutral inputs in crucial moments too often. The PowerA does not have this issue, fortunately. Also, the PowerA's PC compatibility has moments of issues, but nothing that's impossible to solve. All in all, still highly recommend, just be aware you could get a bad experience with the d-pad longevity.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ORIGINAL REVIEW: Of the Fightpad options currently on the market (that I have tried, still need to try the Razer Raion), the PowerA Fightpad has become my favorite Fightpad of all time. I've been playing fighting games competitively for 13 years now. And I haven't really found a Fightpad I completely enjoy until now.The controller itself is very reminiscent of the Sega Saturn Model 2 controller in terms of ergonomics. It's bigger and heavier, though, and if that has been a controller of choice for you, you'll feel very much at home here. It's also wired (as a Fightpad should be), however it is powered by micro USB, and the cable it comes with is a 10ft braided cable with a proprietary security lock. The lock is incredibly stable and I've had no issues with it failing on me. The controller comes with 3 faceplates (blue, black, and white) that you can swap to your liking. This is a really neat aspect for customization sake to make the controller your own, and they are held on very securely by magnets. They do not move at all.The most important part of a Fightpad is easily the d-pad, and I can say right now, it is top notch. It uses the floating circle design popularized by the Sega Saturn, and it is incredibly accurate. I have no issues doing any motion I want, and even other players who took the controller for a test drive commented on how smooth inputs felt. Everything from a quarter circle to Geese's Raging Storm pretzel motion works extremely well. The 6 face buttons feel great too, with a satisfying click to them that feels just right in responsiveness. They are also larger than normal, so pressing multiple buttons is not at all a problem. The shoulder buttons are probably the first thing I don't 100% approve of, but aren't deal breakers, IMO. The triggers are digital, and feel very responsive, but still give off a slight analog vibe on initial impressions. However you quickly realize they are clearly digital mid-match. The bumpers are a bit hit-or-miss. Depending on where your fingers lay, they can be a nuisance, as they have an extremely short travel, and are quite long and slightly drape over the side. This may be a deal breaker if you are stubborn about your grip on the controller, but if minor readjustments are no problem, you will not have any sort of issue with them. And as with a majority of Fightpads today, you can toggle the d-pad to function as either the d-pad or either one of the analog sticks for menu functionality, and you have a toggle to change the shoulders so that L1 and L2 are on your right side, while L3 and R3 are on your left, giving you complete control for most games on your right hand. The menu buttons (Options/Share/Home for the PS4 version) are okay. They work, but do feel like they lack the same responsiveness that the action buttons do. Not a major issue, however. For the PS4 version, there is no touchpad, so the few games that require it for training mode resetting or specific menu options won't have complete control. This is only huge for a small selection of games (Tekken 7 and NetherRealm Studios titles), and only on their PS4 versions, as the Fightpad does support PC.Overall, if you are looking for a controller for fighting games, you definitely cannot go wrong here, I feel. As I've said, I've owned or tried out a large array of controllers, from the Hori Fighting Commander line, to the MadCatz Fightpads for SFIV and SFV, to even obscure options such as 8BitDo's M30 Controller (which is fantastic itself, btw, albeit not necessarily being intended for fighting games or console use). This one reigns over them all. The price tag may be a bit of a concern for such a dedicated controller with some admittedly missing features like the touchpad and rumble, but you're paying for a quality fighting game controller.

Looking like a bulkier Sega Saturn controller (also thicker than the Sat pat), this controller executes my moves in fighting games flawlessly. It even comes with interchangeable face plates which adds to the coolness factor, I stick mine to blue because that’s my favourite colour. You can even change dpad functionality for games that use the analog stick for movement which is perfect for overhead exploring games like roguelikes or run n’ guns . Excellent for arcade fighters and arcade shooters as well. Heck, it even works on my PS2, Saturn and Dreamcast courtesy of Brook who happens to make excellent peripherals that let me use my new controllers on old hardware (which are called adapters). It also comes with a wire which I have no reason to take out, it should have been hardwired to the controller if you ask me. The build quality is great. It’s an all-round excellent controller. Totally recommended.

The joypad is as perfect as it should function, identical to the Sega Saturn joypad that I absolutely loved. But it has no option button (ps4 uses the Touch-pad).... so overall it’s not that great....

Controller functions extremely well. Very accurate with hardly any input errors.The problem is the durability. I’ve had the controller for roughly five months and have played lots of street fighter v. D-pad is now broken and detached from the controller lol.Can’t recommend because of this.

UPDATE:Changed my review to 1 star. The D Pad snapped off after barely 3 months of use. Unacceptable for the price point. The only caveat is I sink a lot of my spare time into fighting games. For someone more casual, this could last 3 months to even a year. Though someone more casual would be better off just using the controller their console came with in that case.The diagonal inputs on this particular controller never got as accurate as I'd hoped. But still pretty accurate. To use some fighting game lingo, it gave me more mistakes and and would give me a 6 input instead of a 3, or a 4 input instead of a 1. Regularly turned my slide inputs, like 236k kicks into 6k kicks, etc. I eventually learned to compensate for this on the controller, but not perfectly every time as it required some precision I was still training my hand to do.7 and 9 inputs weren't too bad though. It was mostly the 3 Diagonal that was the worst input accuracy wise on this particular controller.I'll probably buy another Hori down the line, as it gave me almost a year's worth of gameplay. I'm gonna try a few more brands.I really prefer the fusion for comfort and feel, so I'm disappointed it couldn't pass the durability test. If Fusion fixes the wheel problem for the eventual PS5 version of this controller they'll have a perfect controller.OLD REVIEW:The braided cable for my controller broke within the first hour of using the controller, and I had to switch cords to a spare one I had in my room. This cost me a match online. I am relieved it was not the controller, but that's disappointing because the cord it comes with is nice and long. Loses 2 stars for that though. Otherwise I'd rate it 5/5.Besides that, the inputs are smooth and accurate. The shoulder buttons are a huge improvement over the Hori Fighting Commander. I use this for Soul Calibur, and it's great.Love the D Pad for 8 Way moves, but it's a bit inaccurate/mushy sometimes compared to the Hori. It is also way more comfortable, and still quite accurate. I'm adjusting to the "personality" differences between the Hor and the Fusion D Padl, as I think part of it is just me getting used to the controller. My D Pad accuracy will probably be fine once I've had more than three days to break in this controller.I have no idea if this controller will pass the durability test, but it feels good so far. It took me 9 months to fully wear out the Hori, so I hope the Fusion lasts longer.

d'pd see above.