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United States of America, Erie
1 Level
471 Review
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Review on ๐ŸŽฎ Officially Licensed Qanba Obsidian Joystick for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC - Fighting Stick for Enhanced Gaming Experience by Karen Huston

Revainrating 5 out of 5

The best arcade stick I've ever had. but wait. Eat more.

I had to replace my old Mad Catz TE PS3 joystick because I didn't want to mess with modifications or using a Brook adapter and felt I might "lose" some input lag (I know it's like Boogie Man in arcade sticks, but going over 20 milliseconds equates to more frames, so if you're playing Street Fighter 3 or 4 Ultra you know some combos are very tightly timed). I have to say I hesitated a bit. so because we all know how expensive these sticks can be. I was about to close my eyes and buy a $350 Mad Catz TE2+ (btw, Mad Catz went bankrupt a few months ago, I think it was April?). So! Let's talk obsidian! The box wasn't as "pretty" as other brands like Mad Catz (but still decent) and I opened it with my usual enthusiasm. When I took it out of the box I couldn't believe how beautiful this stick looked. Seriously, this put my old TE to shame. Absolutely sleek, elegant, but it had a hidden feature. It's VERY RELIABLE (at least in the frame, I don't know about the circuit board) and everyone here probably knows that the sanwa buttons are the same in all arcade sticks (except Hori), so we don't have to say much about the excellent quality by Sanwa. . There is absolutely no compromise with this wand, those silvery things you see in the pictures? All hard aluminum. This is the most durable joystick I've ever owned (Qanba Dragon must be a monster). At this point I smile and am very glad that I didn't buy Razer or Mad Catz. . Don't get me wrong, these are great products too! But the difference here is that they feel like plastic toys, while this one feels like a great, well-built device. Pros: Unprecedented design. The thing is built like a tank and still not as heavy as the Qanba Q4 I had. ever had. Period. Slim, elegant and durable. It has everything (I don't use parking lights because I'm not a fan of them, but I'm glad you can turn it on or off at will, anyway it's a free feature considering other joysticks don't have anything like that) .-JLF joystick and OSBF buttons by Sanwa always guarantee the guaranteed quality. Think about it. If you buy a $150 Hori RAP the buttons are good but not as good as this one so you end up spending the same. I'm surprised how Qanba managed to pull off such an incredible package at this price point. It looks like a much more expensive stick. Worth every penny. I imagine only the $300 Hori VLX can match it in terms of durability, and oddly the VLX has one of the worst input lags of any stick. Support a company that is non-mainstream and will surely bring the best returns. -It is quite possible to modify it 100%. provided you are a little smart and good with electronic devices. CONS (not a con at all if you ask me) - the cable compartment feels a little tight. This is the only thing that needs attention. (Mad Catz TE2+, for example, feels weak on RAM, which is unacceptable for such an expensive flash drive, so keep that in mind. If you're into modding, swapping out parts isn't as easy as with the TE2+, but I think its worth the expense as the frame is so much better bottom line this is the best stick i have ever had and i have had everything but a razer (which is tempting for a stygolian like me) nothing, i repeat nothing will looking as good as this guy in your lap, if you google it there are pics to see how it looks modified (I haven't modified mine but the procedure is still pretty much the same as the Qanba Q4 I). I don't have it. It's beautiful as hell. In search of the perfect stick I settled on this one. I've yet to try Razer but this one puts the Mad Catz to shame in terms of durability. If I did you would be i I'm just going for the Mad Catz TE2+ for this one case you're totally clumsy, clumsy and still want to categorize his mod. e. If you want to change the pattern at Razer, you have to blow off the super hard plexi/acrylic top with a hair dryer. This is a complete pain in the ass. Here just remove a few covers, buttons and that's it (in Mad Catz you just have to remove the plexiglass which is just a click away). I would give this 6 stars if I could. My old blue Qanba Q4 was built better than the Mad Catz but didn't look much better. I would say they were up to date. This stick really is better built and better looking than any other stick I have ever owned. Can't recommend enough. For comparison I put a photo of my old converted Qanba next to it.

Pros
  • Solid build
Cons
  • Annoying