The fact that there will always be a call for fight sticks in gaming warms my heart. Growing up playing in arcades will make you nostalgic for stuff like that. And yes, playing fighting games is way more practical with them, but it’s about the feel. And now PlayStation has named its new fight stick and pulled back the curtain on some details.
Playstation’s new fight stick is called flexstrike
That is an interesting name, but I’m sure it’ll grow on me after a while. There have been worse peripheral names than FlexStrike. It was originally known as Project Defiant and was announced in June’s State of Play. But now we have a name, a look and some pretty significant details on it from the PlayStation Blog:
Videos by VICE
- Simultaneous PlayStation Link audio: On PS5, FlexStrike wireless fight stick offers a seamless fighting game experience. Players can use a single PS Link USB adapter to connect the FlexStrike wireless fight stick and a Pulse Elite wireless headset or Pulse Explore wireless earbuds simultaneously on PS5, for an ultra-low latency audio and voice chat experience in the heat of battle.
- FlexStrike wireless fight stick will feature an updated PlayStation Link USB adapter that is compatible with USB-C ports.
- Dual FlexStrike wireless fight stick connections: On PS5, connect two FlexStrike wireless fight sticks via a single PS Link USB adapter for couch competition or co-op.
- Durable and ergonomic design: The FlexStrike wireless fight stick features a unique, ergonomic design with comfortably angled surfaces and a non-slip base for a firm foundation. It also has a high-quality custom-designed digital stick.
- DualSense controller connectivity: You can keep your DualSense wireless controller on PS5 connected at the same time as the FlexStrike wireless fight stick, if you’d like to use it as an additional controller for navigating menus between fights.
There are more details on the blog as well. PlayStation Link is the brand’s highly touted, “innovative ultra-low latency wireless technology”. And it needs to be that to operate wirelessly. I hope it works as intended, because the way some of the best fighting game players get down, you can’t afford any lag. The PlayStation FlexStrike fight stick will be displayed at Evo 2025 and will come out in 2026.
