Sony is bringing a wireless fight stick to new audiences with its upcoming FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick. The tech giant is looking to pitch its new PS5 peripheral to those who have never owned a fightstick before — perhaps those who grew up with gamepads rather than arcade cabs — as well as relative newcomers to the fighting game genre.
Why? Well, to find out, I sat down with PlayStation’s Vice President of Product Development, Edwin Foo — a man who has overseen the development of products like the PlayStation Portal and Pulse Elite Headphones. I also got to try out the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick for myself — and I’ve got the lowdown on its price, release date, and more.
So, here’s everything you need to know about the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, and how I rated my time with the new PS5 peripheral.
Enter Sony’s beginner-friendly FlexStrike
Before we get into the details, allow me to introduce Sony’s new fight stick. The FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick can be used without a cable via PlayStation Link or wired via USB-C. I was told that the model offers 4ms latency when connected over PlayStation Link — favored over Bluetooth for its highly stable and speedier connectivity.
The model features a custom-built digital stick, which is fairly short — for an ergonomic yet fast and responsive feel. Pair that with well-sized buttons featuring mechanical switches, and you have a very solid foundation to work from.
But who exactly is this for? For Foo, this model is squarely aimed at fight stick first-timers — those who have grown up using gamepads rather than arcade cabs — but also newer fighting game fans.
He was keen to highlight how a lot of models boast an almost intimidating array of buttons, and can be pretty hefty to boot. The FlexStrike’s simplistic layout makes it more approachable, and its ergonomic design is ideal for people who just want to “pick it up, put it in their lap, and play,” he said.
Who better to propose an alternative to the DualSense than the company responsible for it?
Edwin Foo, VP, Product Development – PlayStation
But this got me wondering: why would Sony target players who are new to fight sticks, rather than more experienced fighting game fans? For Foo, this came down to two key reasons. The first, he said, is that “we [Sony] think it’s an experience that those people who have grown up with the DualSense and gamepads deserve to give a shot. It’s another way to play”. The second, he said, is that “we think the market is actually pretty well served already for people who already know and love fight sticks and have already made their choice, so to speak”.
Getting hands on
After chatting away about Sony’s upcoming peripheral, I was given a chance to try it out for myself. We loaded up the upcoming fighter Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and both my opponent and I picked up a FlexStrike each. Interestingly, you can connect two of Sony’s fight sticks up to a single dongle and maintain ultra-low latency.
Now, time for a confession. I kinda suck at 2D fighters. I enjoy the odd bit of Guilty Gear or Street Fighter, but I am by no means up to competitive standards, and inevitably, I got my butt kicked.
However, I did get to experience everything the fight stick had to offer, and I found it really pleasant to use.
First of all, let’s talk about the control stick. Its relatively short stature made movement feel incredibly snappy and responsive, and I never suffered from pesky mis-inputs or anything. The click of the stick moving was satisfying and relatively light — it wasn’t obnoxiously loud or distracting, and Sony found a great balance in my view.
It was a similar story for the buttons, which felt tactile and reactive, and were placed in a convenient way to ensure maximum comfort. I never felt like I was overstretched, and the layout felt very beginner-friendly — ideal for the target audience. I also appreciated a lock button on the fight stick, which prevents you from accidentally triggering buttons like options or pressing the ‘PS’ button — after all, accidentally pausing the game can be grounds for disqualification in some competitive situations.
One more thing that struck me about the FlexStrike was how secure and ergonomic it was to use. The model’s tilted, textured base kept it fixed in place on my lap; it never seemed as if it was slipping off, and its lightweight construction kept it feeling comfortable in use.
Final thoughts: a well-made model, but a slightly tough sell?
Performance-wise, I think this model hits the right notes, especially for the target market. It’s approachable and straightforward to use, and offers ultra-low latency in both wired and wireless capacities. Something I also discovered is that the model has a battery life of 40 hours, which is very solid indeed, and means you won’t have to charge it very often at all — another user-friendly feature.
But something that may prove to be a point of contention is the FlexStrike’s price. Sony told me that the upcoming peripheral will launch at $199.99 / £179.99. And while that’s not extortionate, I do think that the intended audience — i.e., fight stick newcomers — may feel that the cost is hard to justify.
Although it’s high in quality and has welcome features such as a carry case with a protective slot for the stick, and mechanical switch-powered buttons, almost $200 / £180 is quite a bit to spend on a peripheral — especially one that some will find not essential for play.
Having said that, Sony told me that the FlexStrike will release on August 6, 2026 — the same day as Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, meaning that a lot of new players could be tempted to go all in on the ultimate fighting game setup. Foo told me that there are no plans for a game and fight stick bundle on day one, but if we saw bundles in the future, that could be an effective way of shipping more controller units.
But what do you think? Do you see the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick being a success? Are you excited to try it out for yourself? Be sure to let me know in the comments!
The FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick will release on August 6, 2026, and pre-orders will start on June 12.
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
