PlayStation confirms that its first official fighting game controller is called FlexStrike

We now know that Sony is naming its upcoming fighting game controller FlexStrike. First teased during a State of Play presentation in June, this is a controller custom-built for fighting games played on PS5.

There are plenty of popular fighting games, like Street Fighter 6 or Tekken 8, that can take advantage of the FlexStrike. But this controller will truly get its time in the spotlight next year alongside Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, a new PlayStation console-exclusive fighting game Sony is publishing next year.

What is the PlayStation FlexStrike controller?

A controller for the most hardcore fighting game players

The FlexStrike is a controller designed specifically for use with fighting games, something colloquially known within the gaming community as a fight stick. Typically, fight sticks are tailor-made for the unique control schemes of most fighting games, which harken back to the days of joysticks and six-button setups in arcades. Gaming peripheral manufacturers like Nacon, Mad Catz, and 8BitDo make fight sticks, but Sony is now creating its own first-party one. It joins the likes of the DualSense Edge and Access as a game controller tailored more specifically to a subset of PlayStation owners.

A new PlayStation Blog post that revealed the FlexStrike’s name also revealed more about this fight stick’s specific features, like how it’s compatible with both PS5 and PC. For the lowest latency, a wired connection is best, but FlexStrike uses the PlayStation Link technology used on other PlayStation products for wireless play for up to two controllers at once.

It will also be possible to keep your standard DualSense PS5 controller connected while your FlexStrike is in use, which should make navigating menus a bit easier than is typically the case with fight sticks. Like the DualSense, the FlexStrike’s controls can also be adjusted, and there’s even a lever mode switch for quickly switching which part of the DualSense you want to FlexStrike’s joystick to emulate.

All of these features are exactly what fighting game fans like myself want out of a fight stick, and it makes sense for Sony to reveal all of this right before Evo 2025, a popular fighting game tournament taking place in Las Vegas this week. At Evo 2025, the FlexStrike will be on display at the Arc System Works booth, which will also feature Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, a new Sony-published 4v4 tag team fighting game set in the Marvel universe.

The release of the FlexStrike is still a ways off. Like Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, the FlexStrike will be released sometime in 2026. Sony also plans on releasing a sling carry case for the controller around then, so it’s easier to transport to fighting game tournaments.