Sony’s FlexStrike impresses on all fronts

It’s only been around two months since Sony’s first arcade fight stick was first unveiled during June’s State of Play, but with EVO 2025 – the most important professional tournament catering for the fighting games community – being right around the corner, the company is keen to share more details about it. Once known as Project Defiant, Sony’s product is now officially called FlexStrike, it is still impressively designed and – by the look of things – it will compete favorably with similar products from Razer, Hori and others come 2026.

Sony once again confirmed that this may be a PlayStation product, but “it is compatible with PS5 or PC via a wired connection or wirelessly with PlayStation Link”, the company’s proprietary ultra-low latency wireless connectivity tech used by a number of its own products. The FlexStrike features “mechanical switch buttons and toolless swappable restrictor gates” – square, circle, and octagon in shape – that fit into the fight stick’s built-in storage compartment alongside the included PS Link USB adapter.

That way “players can easily and securely transport the fight stick, all of its components such as the included USB-C cable, and more to a local fight night, a friend’s house, or a tournament with the included sling carry case, and stay ready to play with the built-in rechargeable battery”. 

This being an official Sony PlayStation product designed by the platform holder itself, FlexStrike will strive to set itself apart based on the following exclusive features:

Simultaneous PlayStation Link audio: On PS5, FlexStrike wireless fight stick offers a seamless fighting game experience. Players can use a single PS Link USB adapter to connect the FlexStrike wireless fight stick and a Pulse Elite wireless headset or Pulse Explore wireless earbuds simultaneously on PS5, for an ultra-low latency audio and voice chat experience in the heat of battle. FlexStrike wireless fight stick will feature an updated PlayStation Link USB adapter that is compatible with USB-C ports.

Dual FlexStrike wireless fight stick connections: On PS5, connect two FlexStrike wireless fight sticks via a single PS Link USB adapter for couch competition or co-op.

Durable and ergonomic design: The FlexStrike wireless fight stick features a unique, ergonomic design with comfortably angled surfaces and a non-slip base for a firm foundation. It also has a high-quality custom-designed digital stick.

DualSense controller connectivity: You can keep your DualSense wireless controller on PS5 connected at the same time as the FlexStrike wireless fight stick, if you’d like to use it as an additional controller for navigating menus between fights.

Adjustable controls and DualSense inputs: The FlexStrike features the same game control inputs found on the DualSense controller, plus a touchpad. There’s also additional customization options: you can switch directional inputs with a built-in lever mode switch, or lock in the layout and prevent accidental inputs during a match with a dedicated lock button. For players who choose to connect just the FlexStrike wireless fight stick to their PS5, a quick press of the PS button can also wake the connected PS5 once synced.

There are a few important pieces of information that Sony has not yet shared about FlexStrike – namely its recommended retail price and release date. Since it was unveiled along with Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (Sony’s and Arc Systems’ absolutely amazing-looking 4v4 fighter expected in 2026), it’s fair to assume that the two products will become available around the same time, maybe even as a bundle too. If FlexStrike’s build quality is as impressive as its feature list, though, it will most likely cost closer to Razer Kitsune than to, say, Nacon Daija – so probably more than $200, depending on how niche of a product this is in Sony’s eyes. Fingers crossed, then?