When you think “arcade stick” well you naturally think of the “stick” part, which is actually referred to as a “lever”. That seems like a crucial bit, but there are in fact arcade sticks without the stick—leverless all-button controllers.

At first it might not be obvious why some players swear by these control pads, but once you understand the unique advantages they offer, you might be a new convert to the cult of the key.

Leverless, Button Box, or All-Button Controllers Are a Cool Fight Stick Alternative

These gadgets go by various names, and you might have to type them all into a search engine to see what’s on offer, but what’s clear is that ditching the lever for a grid of buttons can level up your gaming. The fighting genre in particular has seen some significant adoption here, but there are other genres that can benefit as well, and here’s why.

8Bitdo Arcade Stick for Switch

The 8Bitdo Arcade Stick for Switch is a premium arcade controller designed for Nintendo Switch and PC, perfect for fighting game enthusiasts and retro gamers. It features a classic layout with highly responsive, customizable buttons and joystick. 

They Provide Faster Inputs

Just like analog thumbsticks or any sort of joystick, the lever on a traditional fight stick has inherent lag built into it. This is simply from the physical time it take for the stick to travel from dead center until it activates one of the directional microswitches.

On a leverless pad, you activate those switches without the intervening lever, so that level of input lag is reduced significantly. Of course, this might only make a diference at the pro level, but if you aspire to be competitive, this might be one edge of many that can help when every frame matters.

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In genres like 2D platformers and bullet hell shooters, precise directional control is paramount. All-button controllers shine here, since you can input precise commands without needing to struggle with a joystick’s sensitivity or range of motion. For 2D scrollers, where you may need to perform quick, specific directional inputs (like down-left or up-right), an all-button controller ensures accuracy, helping you avoid mistakes and achieve better control over the action.

I actually first saw these controllers not with fighting game players, but YouTubers playing insanely hard Mario Maker levels where just the smallest mistake means failure. So I think that speaks to the advantages. It’s basically a D-Pad on steroids where you have a finger on all four directions at once.

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The Ergonomics Are Better for Some Players

Button-box controllers can be more comfortable for players who experience hand or wrist strain with other types of controllers. The buttons are placed in an accessible pattern, allowing for a relaxed hand position that reduces the strain on the wrist and fingers, making them a solid choice for those who game for extended periods.

There are plenty of people who simply can’t make the wrist movements needed to use a lever, so these can also be considered an accessibility tool in some contexts.

They Allow Simultaneous Inputs

One of the standout features of all-button controllers is the ability to register simultaneous button presses. In games that require complex, multi-button combinations or rapid, consecutive inputs, the design of the all-button controller makes these actions effortless. Obviously, a lever can only activate its microswitches in one direction at a time and in sequence as you roll it around.

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You Can Customize the Switches

Some button box controllers, like the Haute42 B16 above, are closely related to mechanical keyboards, and often use the same hot-swappable switches you’d find in a gaming keyboard. This means you can install the switches and keycaps that best suit you and your budget. Considering how long it took me to find the right mechanical switches to type on, most serious players will probably sample a wide variety of switches before finding what works for them. Heck, you might not even want the same switches for every direction or action button.

Other models use normal arcade stick buttons on the movement side of the deck, where you also have a choice of what type of buttons you’d like to swap in or out, just as you would with a traditional stick.

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What’s the Catch?

If these pads are so great, why doesn’t everyone just use them? For one thing, if you’ve been playing with a lever all your life, the learning curve can be brutal. Levers are ingrained in my DNA since I’ve been hitting the arcades since age six, so I can’t imagine someone who has put thousands of hours into becoming competitive having a good time starting almost from scratch.

Second, in some competitions they might not be allowed, or there have to be some limits on the pad. Notably, that it’s not allowed to do things that are impossible on a lever, such as providing input in two opposite directions at once, or letting you cancel an input in a way that a lever wouldn’t allow. That sort of thing will be in the rules of any competition, and so you’ll need to practice with a pad set up to be compliant.

Razer Kitsune All-Button Arcade Controller

The Razer Kitsune is a premium all-button arcade controller that provides an alternative to the traditional lever. Ideal for improved comfort and a competitive edge.

These pads (like the Razer Kitsune) are also surprisingly expensive, which I think is largely down to economies of scale. There are millions of arcade stick components, such as Sanwa levers, out there on the market for just a few dollars each, and a lot of people are even playing with self-made button boxes cobbled together with parts and a 3D-printed shell.

While leverless pads are pretty niche, and not for everyone, if you play fighting games, or any genre that would usually work best with a D-pad and doesn’t require 3D movement, then you should at least be aware that these controllers exist. Even if you never use one yourself.