If you are looking for a low budget PS4 fighting stick, you have two options: the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 and Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha. So which of the products is the better choice? Before you decide, let’s compare the features of both.
Pricing
The Arcade FightStick Alpha is quite a bit more expensive when compared to the Fighting Stick Mini 4. You can compare the price tags for the two with the following links: Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 and Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha.
Dimensions
The Fighting Stick Mini 4 is smaller when compared to the alternative. The Hori arcade stick measures at 8.27 inches in length, 5.6 inches in width as well as 3.43 inches in height (with the length of the stick lever included). It also comes with a wired cable that measures at 8.2 feet in length.
The measurements for the Arcade FightStick Alpha are 8.75 inches in length, 6.75 inches in width as well as 4 inches in height (including the joystick). The included wired cable is 9.8 inches in length. 
Button Layout
The most noticeable difference, when it comes to the button layout, is that the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 has eight action buttons: the Circle, Cross, Square and Triangle face buttons in addition to the R1, R2, L1 and L2 shoulder buttons. 
On the other hand, the Arcade FightStick Alpha only uses six action buttons: the Circle, Cross, Square and Triangle face buttons along with the R1 and R2 shoulder buttons. While the Mad Catz product also comes with the L1 and L2 shoulder buttons, both of these are inconveniently located on the top with the rest of the system buttons. 
So, if you are planning to use a PS4 stick with eight action buttons, your best choice will be the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4.
PlayStation 4 Functionality
Both products come with the same system buttons: PS, Share and Options. With that said, the Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha does come with the same type of light bar as the DualShock 4.
Other Functions
The Arcade FightStick Alpha also has some exclusive features not found in the Fighting Stick Mini 4. One of which is the ability to change the joystick to emulate either as a left analog stick, right analog stick or directional pad. Furthermore, you can also lock out the system buttons so that you won’t pause a game by accident.
Customization
The Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha also has the advantage when it comes to customization. You will be able to use full sized Sanwa JLF and OBSF-30 parts to replace the current ones. Keep in mind that you will need to do some soldering while modify the PCBs will void your warranty.
Other Compatible Platforms
In addition to the PlayStation 4, the two fighting sticks can also be used with the PlayStation 3. To change compatibility, a “PS4/PS3” switch is included in both products. Furthermore the FightStick Alpha and Fighting Stick Mini 4 can also be used on PC platforms as well.
Recap
While the Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha is priced much higher, it does come with more features when compared to the competition. The advantages include the inclusion of a light bar, being able to lock/unlock system buttons, change the emulation of the left analog stick as well hardware modding support. If you are interested, you can purchase the Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha with this link.
With that said, the Hori Fighting Stick Mini 4 is still a great choice, especially at its lower price point. Not to mention that it comes with eight action buttons instead of six. So, if you don’t care about any of the aforementioned extras of the Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick Alpha, you should end up getting a better value with Hori’s miniature PlayStation 4 stick. You can purchase the Fighting Stick Mini 4 with this page.
