Qanba Qanba Carbon Joystick for PlayStation 3 and PC (Fighting Stick)

EDIT (20211007): I bought this stick in 2017 for 80 CAD. It is now priced at almost the double (155 CAD). Be aware that prices for arcade sticks seem to have sky rocketed recently.This is my second stick after the Hori mini 3. The hori mini is a very popular stick among newcomers, and with good reason: cheap, small, reliable. However, if you're currently interested in the mini, I think you should get the Qanba Carbon (or Drone, if you play on console). For 11$ more than the hori mini, you get a ton of value.This stick has the option to use d-input, x-input or android input. It has turbo, and the stick can be set to analog, making it compatible or if the box with many more games. It was instantly recognized with my windows and Linux laptop, my RetroPie and even my Android (with adaptor). It comes with table clamps, which means you can clamp it to your desk, making it feel ever more like a true arcade The joystick and buttons, while not great by any means, get the job done. Beginners should be able to train with them for a while before needing to swap them for sanwa or seimitsu parts. The case of the stick feels solid and well built, even if it's plastic.And here's where it gets interesting: since this is a full sized stick, changing the joystick and buttons is very, very easy (and fun!). I bought the stick with the intention of modding it, which was my first mod ever. I watched 2-3 YouTube videos, and it was a piece of cake. I used a sanwa jlf stick and sanwa buttons (see photo). If you're a beginner, you can begin just by buying the stick, and upgrade little by little each part as you get better. That's why I call it a good long term stick. And if you want to change sticks in many years, the extra parts you bought will (most likely) go in the newer case!To summarize, as a beginner myself, I love this stick to play Tetris TGM and shmups, and I think you should definitely give it a try. Do you worry if Qanba is an unknown brand to you (it was to me), I believe you will not regret your purchase!2021 EDIT: I still use this stick on a daily basis, it's a beast! The tableclamps are wonderful, I use them on my stand-up desk to replicate an arcade feeling. I have also modified the stick to mimick the Sega Astro City. Overall, couldn't be happier with my purchase.

I needed a joystick for emulation on my Windows computer, found some no name controllers for $20 cheaper on Amazon. Decided to spend the extra cash and I an not disappointed, this controller is well built for the under $100 price. Solid joystick and good feel to the buttons.Buttons can be swapped easily if you break them, joystick is a little limited with what you can change it with if you break it due to limited space inside (SanWa fits, find a Youtube tear down video).

In terms of quality it isn't the highest. Over time the buttons begin to feel more and more mushier, and the whole thing doesn't have much weight to it. The clamps seem like a tacked on idea, and are a bit flimsy. Most of these cheap aspects, probably wouldn't bother someone who hasn't used a higher quality fight stick beforehand though. But the great parts of this stick is that the joystick holds up pretty nicely. The placement of the start button is spaced out away from the other buttons so you don't accidently hit it. It's also highly modifiable. You can switch it out the buttons with other sanwa push-in buttons, and other sticks as well. You can also remove the plexi glass plate and switch out the artwork underneath. Also its cord management, also works really well. It's also sort of a shame that it only works on PC, PS3, and Android. But make sure to keep that in mind when purchasing this stick. Overall, despite its somewhat cheap parts, I think its a solid fightstick if you're starting off or are looking for portability.

I put my hand in the picture so there is a size reference.It works. It's cheap comparatively. The button are kinda loose, however, and does not always register quick enough so when I play games that is sensitive to timing and require precise button pressing rapidly like marvel vs capcom, it's a pain in the butt because of all kinds of delay and missed button pressing......works fine with most street fighter games and perfectly for gundam seed destiny.

The tables clamps are nice, but not very wide. The stick is responsive, but feels a bit... looser than I expected. Decently mod able, I've changed the ball to a bat top, but it would not easily fit the Sanwa octagonal plate, if that's your intent, you'll need to be comfortable trimming the plastic around the stick. Has x-input mode, but it won't connect to a series X