At a Glance
 | Mayflash F500 | Check on Amazon |
 | Nacon Daija | Check on Amazon |
 | Razer Panthera EVO | Check on Amazon |
 | HORI Real Arcade Pro N Hayabusa | Check on Amazon |
 | Mad Catz Arcade FightStick TE2+ | Check on Amazon |
What’s great about fightsticks is the ability to customize it. You can improve the performance of the stick by installing high-quality parts. Or, if you want to improve the look of the stick, you can customize the artwork making it more personable.
Most fightsticks mods are easy to learn and to do. However, there are some manufacturers that make customizing their stick even easier for the would-be modder.
Whether it’s allowing easy access to the inside of the stick or having a built-in plexi panel for adding your own artwork, these companies are encouraging players to tinker with their fightsticks to make it even better.
I should add that the best way for someone who seriously wants to learn how to mod a stick is, quite simply, to build their own. This is what I did and found not only was it cheaper than buying a new fightstick but I learned a lot in the process. Not to mention it was fun too!
If you don’t want to go down the route of building your own fightstick then that’s completely fine. It can be a daunting process, especially for the beginner. Buying a prebuilt fightstick and modding it to make it better is also a rewarding experience. In which case this post is definitely for you!
So without further delay let get into it and list the best fightsticks for modding.
Mayflash F500 – Best pick for modding
The Mayflash F500 is the best in terms of price and being easy to mod.
The F500 sports a great design and added metal plates mean it’s good quality too.
Whilst it doesn’t have an easy access option you can just as easily unscrew the bottom to access the inside. In addition, it comes with a built-in plexiglass which makes adding your own artwork a breeze.
The Good
- Excellent value for money
- Bigger and better quality than the Mayflash F300
- Customizing the fightstick is a breeze
- Octagonal plate included
- Universal Fightstick
The Bad
- Parts are Non-Sanwa
- Buttons feel slightly mushy
- Setup is awkward
Nacon Daija – A premium fightstick that is easy to mod
The Nacon Daija was built with the help of pro fighting game player Kayane so you know it’s good.
A solid premium design, Sanwa parts, and easy to mod capability makes the Daija one of the best fightsticks on the market.
The Good
- Solid and sturdy size
- Clean looking design
- Comfortable to hold
- Sanwa joystick and buttons
- Very easy to mod
- Can easily swap out artwork
- Performance is excellent
- Headphone jack
- Spacious internal storage for wires
The Bad
- Hefty size for some
- Difficult to swap out lever for something other than Sanwa
Razer Panthera EVO – Built for the serious fighting game players
Razer really went all out with the original Panthera and made it one of the best fightsticks on the market. It’s follow up, the Razer Panthera EVO is an improvement in many ways.
Designed with the most serious players in mind, Razer have installed their own high-quality buttons into the stick. Add to that a Sanwa joystick, high-quality base, the ability to swap artwork and you have a stick that is truly built for the fighting game enthusiast.
Read Razer Panthera EVO full review
The Good
- Premium and sleek design
- High-quality parts
- Comfortable to hold
- Highly responsive buttons and joystick
- Spacious Internal storage compartments
- Can now swap artwork
The Bad
- Razer buttons may sometimes stick after extended use
HORI Real Arcade Pro N Hayabusa – A great fightstick with a unique button layout
Like the RAP 4, the RAP N is a fantastic mid-range fightstick, but with some added features that make it, in my opinion, better than the RAP 4.
The fact that there is a headphone jack, the ability to swap artwork and the repositioning of the annoying OPTIONS button means HORI really listened to the complaints of the RAP4.
The RAP N also has one more trick up its sleeve in that it also has the ‘Noir’ button layout, as opposed to the traditional viewlix layout you find on most sticks these days. This already makes it a unique fightstick and one that should not be overlooked. Read my full review by clicking on the link below.
HORI Real Arcade Pro N Hayabusa full review
The Good
- High-quality parts
- Noir button layout is quite comfortable
- Solid premium design
- Joystick and Buttons are very responsive
- A cheaper alternative to the Madcatz TE and Razer lines
- Headphone jack
- Easier to add custom artwork
The Bad
- Buttons can get loud
- Joystick feels a little loose at times
Mad Catz Street Fighter V Arcade FightStick TE2+
Madcatz original TE2+ came out way back in 2016. Sadly, Madcatz is no longer around (at least not in the fightstick business) but you can still pick one of these up for a reasonable price.
The TE2+ stick is famous for its high-quality Sanwa parts, solid outer shell, and being easy to mod. A lot of care and engineering went into making this the best fightstick possible and it definitely shows.
Since these are no longer in production, they are becoming scarce and the price is going up. Therefore, if you want the TE2+ – which may very well become a collector’s item – I would get it now.
The Good
- Solid build quality
- Sanwa buttons and lever
- Easy to mod
- Maybe a collector’s item in the future
The Bad
- Madcatz no longer produce fightstick meaning lack of support
- Some users have reported durability issues with the stick e.g PCB failure
