Razer Atrox Arcade Stick controller unveiled

Arcade fighting games are enormous fun. You can fight with your friends or go through the mission alone and it always feels awesome. The prevalence of fighting titles like Street Fighter IV, Tekken, Dear or Alive, Marvel Vs Capcom, Injustice: Gods Among Us and Soul Caliber prove that the genre is still very much alive. But sadly, not many companies make the excellent controllers we used to play with in the arcades on Friday nights.

Razer, one of the most popular peripheral manufacturers on the gaming scene, has seen fit to change that with the Atrox. The Atrox is a retro-styled arcade controller that is tournament-ready and comes with durable buttons (ten of them) and the traditional eight-way directional controller for movement. Its pre-order price is US$199 (R1,868.22).

: Razer Atrox

: Razer Atrox top

: Razer Atrox front

: Razer Atrox rear

: Razer Atrox inside

: Razer Atrox accessories

Razer says its suited for modding, thanks to easily accessible innards protected by a panel with several Phillips screws, and users will be able to buy or add on custom vinyls and even extra controls to give them a competitive edge.

The controller works for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. No mention is made of support on Nintendo consoles, although neither the Wii or Wii U feature many decent fighting games. Given that they’ve had an extensive Beta testing phase with the controller, it should stand up to rigorous abuse from fervent button bashing while trying to beat your friend who keeps on trolling you in Soul Caliber while using Voldo.

The Atrox additionally has a hidden storage compartment for cables and personal belongings and includes a screwdriver for making adjustments to the directional controller and side button sensitivity.

Availability: