The PlayStation 4 is quickly becoming the go-to system when it comes to playing the latest and greatest fighting games. The console has already gotten BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend, Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, Guilty Gear Xrd Sign, Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, Mortal Kombat X, Skullgirls 2nd Encore and Ultra Street Fighter IV. It will also be getting Street Fighter V and potentially Tekken 7 in the future as well.
A lot of the above-mentioned fighting games are best played using an arcade fighting stick or a fight pad. Since the former can get quite expensive, the dedicated fight pads are nice alternatives. Currently, the two most popular pads are the Hori Fighting Commander 4 and Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad. So which one is considered to be the best PS4 fight pad? Find out in our comparison below.
Asymmetrical Shape
The Hori Fighting Commander 4 and Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad are not symmetrical as the left-hand handle of the controller is longer when compared to the right handle. This is because a lot of gamers prefer to use their index, middle and ring fingers when playing fighting games as oppose to wasting crucial time by maneuvering your thumb around the face buttons. So, both gamepads are pretty even in this regard.
Platform Compatibility
The two pads are mainly advertised for the PlayStation 4 but can also be used for the PlayStation 3. A switch to change the platform compatibly is located in the bottom of the face side in both cases.
Button Placements
Both fight pads use six face buttons. In the case of the Hori Fighting Commander 4, the R1 and R2 buttons are placed next to the Square, Triangle, Circle and Cross buttons. The Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad places the L1 and R2 buttons along with the four face buttons. The two DualShock 4 alternatives also removed the right and left analog sticks.
The FC4 does have slightly wider spacing between the face buttons, which makes is more preferable for fighting games as the end user will be less likely to press the wrong buttons. Hori’s controller also has two extra shoulder buttons (four total) when compared to PDP’s product, which only has two.
Build Quality
The biggest issue regarding the Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad is the product’s build quality. A lot of customers are reporting that the face and shoulder buttons no longer function as advertised after just hours of use. Even with a limited 2 year warranty, the PDP fight pad is simply too unreliable in terms of build quality.
On the other hand, there hasn’t been any reports of the Fighting Commander 4 wearing down. Not to mention that Hori has a history in making solidly-built accessories for home consoles like the PlayStation 4.
Other Features
The FC4 also outshines the competition with other features. For one, the directional pad is rotatable so that you can change it to an angle (one of three in a clockwise direction) to fit your needs. There is also a switch for you to change the shoulder buttons to one of two options. This will give you control of all eight face and shoulder buttons with your right hand. Last but not least, the Fighting Commander 4 comes with a turbo option for the face and shoulder buttons.
The only advantage the Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad has over the other is that the share and option buttons have been placed on top of the controller. As a result, you don’t have to worry about accidentally pausing the game.
Recap
The Hori Fighting Commander 4 has big advantages over the Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad, especially in terms of features and build quality. If you are looking for a dedicated fighting controller for the PlayStation 4, you should check out the FC4. You can purchase the Hori fight pad with this link on Amazon. If you are still interested, you can also buy the Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad via this page.
