A New Way To Play Fighting Games
If you have ever tried to land tight combos in a fighting game using a regular console controller, you know how rough it can be. Mushy directional pads, inconsistent inputs and sore thumbs can quickly kill your momentum. That is exactly the problem leverless controllers like the Razer Kitsune are designed to solve.
The Kitsune is an all button arcade controller built for PC and PlayStation 5. Instead of a traditional joystick, every directional input is a button. This makes movement faster, more precise and more consistent once you adjust. For competitive fighting game players or anyone who wants to sharpen their gameplay, it is a serious upgrade over standard pads.
The big news is that the Razer Kitsune has dropped to its lowest price yet. In the US it is currently 30 percent off, going from 300 dollars down to 210 dollars. In the UK it has an even steeper discount from 300 pounds to 170 pounds. It is not a budget starter stick, but for a premium leverless controller from a major brand, this is a strong deal.
Why Leverless Controllers Feel So Good
Leverless or all button controllers replace the joystick with directional buttons laid out in a flat panel. Every direction is a digital button press. There is no analog throw distance, no gate, and no diagonals to accidentally hit. You either pressed the direction or you did not. That alone makes them very attractive for fighting games where clean inputs are everything.
The Razer Kitsune uses a 12 button layout. You get the four direction buttons under your left hand and your attack buttons under your right hand. If you are coming from a standard controller or arcade stick, there is an adjustment period. However once your fingers learn the layout, actions like dashing, blocking crossups and micro spacing can feel significantly easier.
The switches are optical which means the inputs are triggered by light sensors instead of mechanical contacts. In practice that means two big things for players:
- Very low latency for rapid and consistent inputs
- No switch bouncing or wear like you might see with cheaper mechanical buttons over time
If you play games that demand fast directional inputs such as Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, Tekken or anime fighters, that smooth and instant actuation can feel like a genuine performance boost.
Leverless controllers also help if you struggle with certain motions on a traditional stick. Quarter circles, dragon punches, or quick back and forth moves can be more reliable when they are just patterns of button presses under your fingers.
Design, Portability and Tournament Features
One of the standout features of the Razer Kitsune is its physical design. It is extremely thin and lightweight compared to most arcade sticks. Instead of hauling around a chunky box with a stick sticking out of the top, you get a flat and low profile controller that slides easily into a backpack or laptop bag.
For players who attend locals or tournaments regularly, that portability matters. Less weight to carry, less space taken on crowded setups and less risk of your gear taking damage in transit. The Kitsune connects over a USB C cable, which is pretty much the standard for modern peripherals now.
The top plate is also swappable which is a nice touch if you like to personalize your setup. You can change out the art to better match your favorite game or your own branding if you are streaming or playing on stage.
Beyond the look and feel, the Kitsune includes several features that matter specifically for offline competitive play:
- SOCD cleaning modes The controller offers four different SOCD cleaning options. SOCD stands for simultaneous opposite cardinal directions. This is when you press left and right or up and down at the same time. Tournaments usually require legal SOCD behavior so players cannot exploit weird directional interactions. Having multiple modes ensures the controller can be configured to meet different tournament rules.
- Lock switches There is a lock to disable menu or system buttons so you do not accidentally pause mid match and forfeit a round. There is also a lock to make sure the USB cable does not become loose or disconnect easily during play.
These are the kinds of quality of life features that may not sound exciting on paper but they prevent the kind of disastrous mid set issues that can ruin a tournament run.
Compatibility And The One Big Drawback
The Razer Kitsune works natively with PC and PlayStation 5. That covers most modern setups, especially bigger events that have already moved on to current gen hardware. For PC gamers, it functions much like any other USB arcade controller which is great if you grind matches on Steam or training tools on desktop.
The strange limitation is that the Kitsune does not support PlayStation 4 out of the box. Many locals and older setups still run PS4 versions of fighting games, so this is a real drawback if your scene has not completely transitioned to PS5 yet. To get around this, you would need an additional adapter such as the Brook Wingman which can add to the total cost.
If your current play environment is mostly PS5 and PC, that limitation will not matter much. But if your local still uses PS4 consoles, factor the cost and possible input delay of an adapter into your decision.
Even with that odd compatibility gap, the Kitsune gets so many things right that it remains a very appealing choice. Ultra thin design, high quality optical switches, tournament ready features and strong discounts make it a serious contender if you are ready to commit to leverless play.
Whether you are climbing ranked at home or traveling to offline events, moving from a regular pad or stick to something like the Razer Kitsune can completely change how fighting games feel. If you have been curious about leverless controllers and want something premium that is both stylish and performance focused, this sale is a great excuse to finally make the jump.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/controllers/switching-to-a-leverless-fighting-game-controller-is-the-smartest-thing-i-ever-did-and-one-of-the-best-in-the-biz-is-at-its-lowest-ever-price/
