Sony has announced that its FlexStrike wireless fight stick will be available to preorder starting June 2, ahead of its launch on August 6. Priced at $200, the FlexStrike is designed to be a portable option for PS5 and PC fighting game fans, whether they’re headed off to a tournament or a friend’s house for some couch co-op.
Originally dubbed “Project Defiant,” the PlayStation FlexStrike fight stick controller was an unexpected surprise announcement at PlayStation’s June 2025 State of Play presentation. It’s Sony’s first official fight stick, and as such, it utilizes the PlayStation Link wireless connection, which enables several cool features on the PS5, including the ability to pair a wireless PlayStation Pulse headset or earbuds for simultaneous, lag-free audio. You can also connect two FlexStrike fight sticks to one PS5 at the same time for local multiplayer.
The FlexStrike will feature an eight-button layout and a joystick with a black and white color scheme that matches the look of the PS5 and other official peripherals. According to Sony, it will feature a “sturdy, ergonomic design for a comfortable feel during intense fight sessions. It’s unclear how moddable the FlexStrike will be, but so far, Sony has confirmed it will have three different movement gates for the joystick–square, circle, or octagon–that can be swapped out without needing tools. There will be a built-in compartment for storing the extra restrictor gates and the included PS Link USB adapter when not in use.
As for the rest of the inputs, the eight main face buttons (which map to Cross, Circle, Square, Triangle, R1, R2, L1, and L2) use mechanical switches. The rest of the standard inputs from the PS5’s DualSense controller are also present on the fight stick, including:
- PS Button
- Share Button
- PlayStation Link Button
- L3 Button
- R3 Button
- Touch Pad
- Options Button
There is also a Lever Mode Switch for changing how the stick operates and a Lock Button. You’ll be able to wake up the PS5 from sleep mode using the FlexStrike’s PS Button. The FlexStrike will also include a sling carry case, which we got a glimpse of in the new PlayStation blog post.
In addition to the FlexStrike, Sony is also launching its new 27-inch gaming monitor and Pulse Elevate wireless speakers. Preorders for the 1440p 120Hz gaming monitor with a DualSense controller cradle open on June 5, and it’s priced at $350, while the wireless speakers are designed to complement the display, and a preorder date will be revealed soon.
The FlexStrike reveal is notable for several reasons, the most obvious being that this is PlayStation’s first official fight stick peripheral. The PS5 has plenty of excellent fight sticks to pick from–including PDP’s Victrix Pro FS and its leverless sibling, the Pro FS-12–but we’re curious to see how a PS5-dedicated model made specifically by Sony will stack up to the third-party options.
If you’ve been thinking of getting a fight stick, 2026 has plenty of reasons to adopt the arcade-inspired controller. Street Fighter 6 is easily the fighting game of the current gaming generation, but this year has seen several new challengers rise up. Invincible Vs recently launched, and it offers a deep system of killer combos and colorful characters, while August will see the launch of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls from Guilty Gear developers Arc System Works. On top of that, fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender can also throw down in a fighting game featuring the characters from the animated series and its successor, The Legend of Korra, when it launches on July 2.
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