The Razer Arcade Stick

Just over one year ago, I spotted a thread on the SRK forums posted by Team Razer, the PC peripheral manufacturer. They were working to produce their first arcade stick for 360 and showed off a teaser video (above) of an early prototype that opened up with the press of a button. For modders or anyone who ever has had to replace parts, this was a dream. No more lengthy disassembling of your stick just for a 2-minute joystick swap, no more concerns about wearing out the plastic where the hardware threaded into the case that was never meant for dis-assembly, no more screwdrivers.

Another bonus is storage. Cables and spare parts could fit inside the case with easy access. It actually comes with an extra joystick bat-top inside as well as a cable compartment. These compartments can be easily removed if you don't wish to use them. All wiring is clearly labeled and neatly managed. They also gave the inside bottom surface of the case a honeycomb pattern to screw into for anyone adding second or third PCBs for multi-console support. It has all the usual features you would expect like button lock-out and turbo. It comes with a very nice and very thick plexiglass top panel, making it very easy to customize it by adding your own artwork underneath and also has a durable layer of high-friction padding on the bottom.

One year later they announced that they would be sending 200 near-final beta units (images above and below) to select individuals within the fighting game community around the world, mainly top players and well-known modders, for feedback before final production. I had been following the thread throughout the year and had been holding off on buying any of the new sticks, impatiently waiting for this one. After making a few posts in the forum expressing my general interest in the product, one of the lucky 200 beta members emailed me saying that he didn't even own a 360 and would be glad to sell me their unused, unopened Razer Arcade Stick. $150 and 4 days later and it was sitting in my living room.

Here's a peek at mine (below) after I replaced the Sanwa JLF joystick with a snappy Seimitsu LS32, removed the Microsoft-mandatory colored buttons, and removed their artwork, exposing the black powder-coated metal panel underneath.

This is a very solid stick with a sleek and simple design and fantastic features. There's nothing else I could possibly want in an arcade stick (cup holder?). It will be released sometime in 2013, but Razer hasn't gotten any more specific on the release date or, more importantly, the price. My best guess at MSRP is a MINIMUM of $180, up to $250. Not cheap, I know, but for arcade stick junkies like myself that play and own just about every fighter and STG out there, it's practically irresistible.