Fighting game fans (or anyone else looking for a fight stick) can now pre-order PlayStation’s new FlexStrike arcade stick. The pricey peripheral will be released globally on August 6, just in time for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – perhaps the most anticipated fighting game of 2026. Tōkon is being developed by industry veterans Arc System Works, commonly known as ArcSys.

Sony set June 12 as the pre-order date for the FlexStrike, originally announced as Project Defiant more than a year ago. Despite the popularity of leverless alternatives these days, the FlexStrike sticks to a more traditional eight-button arcade design. It also has the luxury of a clever gate-swap feature, allowing users to easily switch between square, octagonal, and full-circle gates.

FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick available at Target, GameStop, and Smyths

Last week, PlayStation shared a five-minute-long explainer about the fight stick’s design if you want a deeper dive. For something much more surface-level, the features trailer below explains all the key selling points. It’s the first fight stick made by PlayStation as a first-party piece of hardware and is compatible with PS5 and PC.

Wireless connectivity in an arcade stick is a rarity; there are only a handful of models that don’t go the wired route. One popular example would be the 8BitDo Arcade Stick. Wired has always been the go-to option for competitive players (and it’s probably less worry for fighting game tournament organizers), but Sony promises “ultra-low latency response” with the FlexStrike.

Premium arcade sticks don’t come cheap, with Sony pricing the FlexStrike at $199.99 USD, or £179.99 in the UK. In addition to the stick itself, it also ships with a sling carry case specifically designed for the controller – including a lever gap to keep the stick protected. Sony says it offers up to 40 hours of wireless play, and it ships with a USB-C charger for when you need to top it up.

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Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.