The Saturn pad's layout is the most versatile controller layout for the vast majority of 2D games, not just fighting games. Like, how many 2D games are out there don't have a control scheme that could easily be mapped onto 6 face buttons + L and R without changing the gameplay experience all that much? Not a lot, that's for sure.
In case my comment sounded a bit ironic, I do own a working Saturn to this day. Got a Play Sega controller to play on my pc ages agos and I love it. Im considering to obtain the bluetooth one released not so long ago, to play wirelessly on my Sat.
Dude this is what I love about your reviews. No other RUclipsr describe the amount of details as you do. It almost feels like we're holding the controller ourselves. Fantastic work!
I was thinking the same exact thing it reminds me of talking to my friends about how the controller works when we used to play hours and hours of fighting games together 😢
It sounds like a small thing, but I really appreciate that you notice and talk about the fact that there's no pre-travel on the buttons. That travel before click/actuation drives me crazy on the Razer controllers.
Updated 4/26/2021: (Device Manager 1.0.40) - Settings are stored to the controller. Just tried on my 2nd pc which doesn't have device manager installed and profiles are intact. - you can’t select ABXY for remapping BUT if u select one of the remappable buttons and assign them an ABXY function then the two buttons will be swapped and the official ABXY buttons will effectively be remapped. Still not possible to duplicate inputs. - Using the above swapping method you can swap the d-pad cardinals with any swappable button (so this excludes ABXY) - Buttons can only be swapped from their original position. If you swap the right shoulder button from LB to RB (previously a face button), and then you change the RB face button (currently LB) to LS click, then instead of getting LB on the left shoulder, you get RB on the left shoulder. Summary: Remapping buttons swaps with the factory labelled function, not the currently assigned software function. - it doesn’t appear possible to disable to the analog stick - Left analog stick click can be assigned to LS click or RS click but cannot be disabled
So your question about how people dash with analog.. I once asked Nuckledu in a stream how he plays on pad and he said he uses analog for guile / charge characters but then he dashes with the d-pad! So he jumps between analog and the d-pad I think it’s so cool!! Really utilising all of the functions of a controller and taking it to the next level
Same with me. Got my stick broker from playing kof too much, used a controller, still managed to have a good fight and learned all sort of nonsense to keep up with the fight demand. Now that controller is broken as well, lol.
Plus one here… I always used the analog stick on my controller… Grew up with it and couldn’t imagine doing a dp motion on a dpad (especially with the dpad on the dual shock 4)… Only downside: I rarely dashed, because dashing with an analog stick is a pain… Just recently, like a month or so, I got used to dashing with the dpad while still using the analog stick for everything else… Works well for me! I still want the Octa for playstation though, just to test, if the octagonal analog stick gives more precision…
The Dpad is the most important factor of a controller for fighting games. You want every input to be registered and you also want the best feedback from the controller as possible to negate any human error and to know where you pressed. Thats all that matters.
My main issue with regular FC pad was the 'plus' d-pad where I could miss diagonal inputs or with a slightest accidental finger motion go from down-back do one or the other without any intention to do so, It's nice to see they are using circular d-pad for a new pad.
I also find the d pad not excelent. It is usable, but it is easy to miss the input if you press to lighty. Even if the sensitivity is at max. Also, it is easy to miss the diagonal imput if you are just a hair off. Takes time to get used to the d pad. D-pad wise the Betop controller is better, in my opinion.
mine arrived today, and I am in absolute awe of how comfortable it is and how easy to use and precise the stick feels, I've been a pad player my whole life and while I loved the button layout of a stick, I could not get used to, well, the stick itself, and this controller feels like I'm having the best of both worlds, I'm just amazed at how perfect this controller worked out for me, completely and absolutely recommend it
My guess as to why they chose to use membrane switches for the D-Pad on the FC Octa is simply because microswitches don’t have pressure-sensitive “analog” response. The DualShock 2, Sixaxis, and DualShock 3 controllers all had pressure-sensitive D-Pads and buttons (most devs chose not to use the feature, though, BUT SHOULD HAVE). I’m happy that Hori used Membrane switches for the D-Pad, since the Razor Raion (thanks for your informative review, by the way) kinda didn’t do it right with microswitches. I have an idea how to fix the Raion’s “issue” but I don’t go that deep into modding my controllers. I usually throw my money at problems like this. 😆
Two months later and I'm looking at how bad reviews on Amazon this pad has. Lots of people showing photos of broken triggers and shoulder buttons and most people complaining how bad the D-pad is. Looks like this might not be as good Fighting Commander.
I got the older version and the only thing I don't like it's the D-PAD, it's much inferior to the DS4 pad (which is probably the best d-pad ever made). This new one looks exactly like the infamous Xbox 360 controller d-pad and this was certainly not a wise move by hori, but still I'm curious to try how it feels.
Yeah, I had one of the shoulder triggers break off after a little over a month. The dpad also feels a little loose, though I wouldn't swear to that one. Even before that, I wasn't a massive fan of the dpad design, as it's a little prone to dropping diagonals. I used my previous FC for years and it was a real trooper - it was the cable, rather than the pad, that wore out in the end. The octa feels like a massive downgrade.
pressure sensitive buttons are a little known feature of the og xbox controller that almost no developer ever used its kinda cool that hori has revived it in a way on a modern controller and implemented in a way that doesn't make you want to pull your hair out. as far as I can remember only doa 3 used this feature I think they dropped the pressure sensitive combos in doa ultimate.
I didn't realize the DukeBox did this too I always remembered this on the PS2 more definitively because MGS3 had it as a core gameplay feature and between how big of a PS series MGS is and how big of a deal that game especially was I always thought of that and assumed other PS2 games did but now I wanna research to see if there really is a major minority of devolpers who even bothered
Hori has ALWAYS made excellent alternatives to the official controllers going all the way back to the earliest retro consoles. I hope Hori fixed the issue with the original fighting commander where the d-pad lost sensitivity over time.
That D-pad sensitivity tuning is very, very interesting. Any idea if the settings for that are stored in pad firmware, or in the configuration software?
they need to add macros to these 6 buttons pads as well. the macros can be on the back or any other button. just asking the SOCD in Hori Octa if you press back+forward= forward ? is last win command or neutral ?
I play a lot of fighting games with an 8bitdo m30. It is my prefered layout and it feels good. Only problem is that there is no pivot in the dpad. Which is strange since every other 8bitdo controller does. For those who don't know, a pivot makes a dpad basically like a 4 way seesaw. This is important since it stops the dpad from pressing all directions at once. Games are designed to read at most 2 directions. Those being diagonals. Without a pivot, it can be easier to get some misread inputs
I've been waiting for this to come out since it was announced. Delays from Jan to March and then april (more like may). I appreciate the review and very well done.
they need to add macros to these 6 buttons pads as well. the macros can be on the back or any other button. just asking the SOCD in Hori Octa if you press back+forward= forward ? is last win command or neutral ?
The octo-gate stick added on is what really made me want to upgrade from the older hori fighting commander pro. Stick and clicky buttons are awesome, the shoulder buttons are nicer too. Dpad was kinda disappointing though, I liked the + shaped one much more to the round blob and find it harder to be accurate with. That being said the stiff short throw octo stick is good enough I don't find myself wanting to use a dpad as much. You can adjust the sensitivity but I'm unable to download anything from the microsoft store and hori doesn't distribute the software anywhere else unfortunately so no configuration for me.
Bro, you're my absolute hero. People are always telling me I'm obsessed with controllers lol then I find your channel and can't figure how I have gone so long without it 🔥
Because the d-pad now has diagonal pieces for better quarter and half circle motions, Hori gives you the option to make the diagonals harder to press with the software, so you can have a dpad that feels like the standard regular plus sign whenever you desire. It would come in handy in games like Super Contra, where bad dpads always make you aim downwards and run instead of crouching, because you are pressing the diagonals by mistake when you just mean to press down to crouch.
the hori commander is nice, but personally the build quality just wasnt there so I got a stick and learning to play with it, might get an octa sometime in the future as i like the pad for some inputs more
Now, for those who are 50-50 about this controller, get it. Don't listen to other people. I'm using it and it feels great (atleast coming from XB1 controller user). I never have a fighting pad like previous HORI FC or the others, so this is my first one but this is worth the price. My original XB1 controller got drift so I thought to try to replace it with this, why not. So I like about the 6 face buttons feel clicky like mouse on pc but better, the octagate joystick good, the bumper/trigger buttons feel good too, D-pad is OK, not necessarily mushy because of not having mechanical switch or anything else but just OK (atleast I don't have to play with Xbox's clicky D-Pad no more). I understand that why people complaint about it, maybe because everyone have another controllers before they got the HORI Octa. But for me who is the first timer having a fightpad, I like it. Now I just hope it survive long enough in my possession (I REALLY HOPE..lol). Don't hesitate just it get yourself, thats all. p/s : not sure about my English tho.. hope you guys understand :)
The only thing i've always thought was missing from the original fighting commander was a circular dpad and trigger buttons that aren't absolute trash. I'm very tempted to get this controller even though i quit SF5 like half a year ago.
I have pretty much every 6-button pad ever, so I'm definitely giving this a shot haha. I never quite felt like I wanted to compete with the old Fighting Commanders (typically I used the closest things to actual Saturn controllers), but this sounds very interesting for me to at least try. Ordering it right now. Slightly worried that I may should wait until PS5/Switch versions...but can't hurt to at least support their effort.
Old comment ik but what pads do you recommend? Im personally on stick but my friend wants to get a pad as he wants to move away from the dual shock/sense and I was wondering what the general consensus for a great pad is
@@schierke There's not much of a general consensus besides a lot of people using Dualshock PS3/4/5 pads, but personally the 6-button pad I use for PS4 is the PowerA Fusion Fightpad and for PC + whenever else possible, I use a Retro-bit USB Saturn pad. The PowerA is about $40 and the Saturn USB is $20. You can get the latter in wired or wireless versions
Gonna have to buy one of these, I have some of the older, Saturn-clone pads from Hori, but the buttons became mushy too quickly for my taste. Microswitches should (hopefully) be consistent for longer.
they need to add macros to these 6 buttons pads as well. the macros can be on the back or any other button. just asking the SOCD in Hori Octa if you press back+forward= forward ? is last win command or neutral ?
Hi dear if you press back+forward= forward or neutral ¿ i want to know if I map the shoulder buttons to directions like back and front what will happen if I press back and then front¿ is it last win or neutral ¿
this are the kind of In-depth videos that I wanna find about EVERY controller!! so nice to see this for a change, and even better, you use the controller on pc, no one does an extensive test of a controller on pc :( they usually stick to the console side and that's it :( Also, a nice idea it would be that the Left Stick button could be a switch that changes the function of the stick, with a press it could be the Left Stick and with another the Right Stick, to compensate that it's missing for some games, since you have already 2 LSB they could easily add that function to the software or to the controller itself with a software update
There's the PS4/PS5 version coming in August. Anyway, for my profiles, I'll be assigning buttons as the following-- Profile 1 - default Profile 2 -- _Front_ X, Y, LB (white) A, B, RB (black) _Shoulders (viewed from the top, face buttons facing downward)_ LT, RT LB, RB Profile 3 -- Same as Profile 2, but change the following shoulder buttons - LT RT LS RS Profile 4 -- Same as Profile 3, but change the following shoulder buttons - LS RS LT RT
Using this controller for a week. And I can this is great, but D-pad is a little small, and It has strange sensitivity, you can adjust sens on diagonals, but for me, it works like 1) if you make the diagonal less sensitive it skips it when you roll, so you need to press harder 2) if you make it more sensitive - a little wiggle when you press down or forward and it registers as diagonal. you have to be very precise with your inputs when you using this controller
You should contact hitbox about the cross-up. As a hitbox main and stick player I find it interesting. Not to mention it seems like a great fit for your channel. They are good people and would probably help your channel if you contact them. Thx for the video on the Octa it seems legit for overnight vacations and such.. Sending Good Vibes! Edit: I could see myself buying this to pass to my friends who don’t play anymore but enjoyed the arcade days.
Very good in depth video! Good love an updated quick review, since there are SO many bad reviews on the web, specifically about dpad and shoulders breaking ridiculously often…! Thanks!
I hope the ps4/ps5 version has a touch pad button of some kind this time around, I love my commander for Tekken, but training mode is a pain without the touch pad button.
Thank you for the very in-depth review! This is what I like to see. Looks like an awesome controller for Zangief, I'm playing a lot of SFV these days, and enjoy fighting games in general! I also like N64 emulation, it'll be nice for that. Hope it's as good as I assume
I’ve been playing on this controller for a couple of weeks now on SFV, DNF Duel, BlazBlue CF, DBFZ, etc & I have to say that I find it very accurate & a lot of fun to use. I give Hori credit for succeeding with their attempt to innovate the modern Fightpad. The controller is comfortable to hold, & of course the micro switch input buttons are extremely responsive and have a advantage over common membrane buttons. I find the 8-Way Gated Analogue Stick extremely handy for when your thumb becomes fatigued from rolling on the D-Pad & you just want to mix things up a bit. If you want to have some fun I suggest adding a Nintendo JoyCon Thumb Extender to the top of Analog Stick. I improves the throw of the stick & its so much fun to just it rip into it like it’s a mini arcade stick. It’s so much fun to use this controller that way! I’m not saying it’s better or worse than a D-Pad but it great to have options with how you play the with the Fight-Pad & like I said it’s just a real joy to utilize with the thumb extender. Good Luck.
A controller with a membrane d-pad and buttons with micro-switches. Those are good news, because micro-switches are good for buttons but NOT for d-pads. Let's see when they release a PS and Switch version of it.
"people who play on analog stick, how do you dash?" by jumping 🙃 but seriously, over time i trained myself to reposition my thumb on the opposite direction of where i want to dash and just push against it. analog can be wonky like that sometimes, but it's easier to wrap my head around for 2D fighting games and motion inputs; but i still prefer the D-pad for 3D fighters because that's a closer mimic to understanding the ground beneath your feet
Ive been waiting for a good review for this controller. Thanks great content 👍 You didnt mention the headphone jack that was not there on the original though.
As satisfying as pulling off IADs in DBFZ was I agree I don't see how it's so hard MvC did it just by making you press any two buttons together and wave dashing in those games feels hella satisfying
I had the EXACT same feeling of relief seeing that the dpad doesn’t skip cardinals when you’re doing a 360 Every rubber membrane dpad I’ve tried always skipped down if you weren’t specific
xDDD dont worry, this pad isnt different. In fact, I bought it just for the D-pad, and I will return it today because my old very xbox 360 gamepad has the same pad, with a better feel.
Nice video! And I think the membrane approach is a good thing for the dpad. I have a feeling you would have the same problems as you did on the Razer Raion fightpad if Hori had went a similar tactile route.
Just to offer my thoughts, someone with hitch hikers thumbs and bigger hands. The Octa was kinda disappointing. I couldnt do qcf's to the left, it was awkward. I wish the dpad was pushed into the center more. Also while not a problem with the controller itself, the original Fighting Commander's shoulder/trigger buttons protrude less, which is what im used to, because now im always pressing left trigger by accident, activating VO in Uniclr. It looks like until the junk food arcade micro or i save up for the v2, i'll just be stuck with original fighting commanders until then.
I think the four profiles is great for accommodating multiple games, rather than people Tekken and UNI can bind L3 and R3 but SFV can’t do that feature was difficult to take advantage of Now it’s totally adaptable to each game
finally another fighting pad to compete with the big boys! the original hori fighting commander was a great controler and i used it for quite some time BUT the cheap build quality REALLY showed after some time, the shoulder buttons are THE WORST part abt that controler and it kinda frustrated me, i adopted the razer raion out of curiosity to see if it was rlly as "awkward" or bad as the reviewrs said and OH BOY they were wrong, i play mainly tekken and i can say that after a little bit of practice, the DPAD is absolutely fantastic, and the problems that even you said you were having with it were not a problem at all for me after a little time to adapt, i can do 360 motions in Street Fighter without even thinking, it became super natural for me, that said i'm really curious abt the new hori controller and see if it can be even better than the raion, bc as you said, the hori FC was not a bad controller, and if it rlly is that big of an improvement i'm REALLY REALLY curious to see how it feels to play on it!
I’m glad u found a way to make the Raion work for you! I made a follow up video demonstrating how the raion can be playable as long as you hold it carefully tho personally I still think it had potential to be better if there were a pivot on it. Hopefully the OCTA will meet ur expectations for better durability :)
damn, if they went with a clicky d-pad I would've gave this controller a try. Still a good controller for the price. Also looks like a great controller for N64 emulation (6 front buttons, and has a control stick)
Great video man! You made me realiza how much I need this controller. I play MK11 on Steam using a DS4 and the great weakness are the triggers. But I was afraid of trying other controller because of the Dpad. I already ordered the controller, a shame I'll have to wait a month for it. Edit: I'm bummed with the controller. After one month of use one of the shoulder buttons started to feel "sandy" getting stuck randomly so I asked for a new one. The second one lasted two weeks until, again, one of the shoulder buttons broke and fell off. I ordered a third one, but man, what a bummer. Besides that the pad feels great though...
razer raion: d-pad uses mechanical switches but not face buttons hori fighting commander octa: face buttons use mechanical switches but not the d-pad whyyyy
I'm glad you reviewed this controller i ordered it not to long ago. I bought it for the d-pad and because i wanted micro switches. But I don't like what that what are suppose to be LT &L B are LS & RS. If you remap the left shoulder buttons to LB & LT and the right shoulder buttons to RB & RT will that affect the face buttons that are labeled RB & RT and the button you get from pressing down the actual analog stick?
My friend and I came across a pair of PS3/4 commanders at a second hand shop years ago and got them. Loved it ever since. Hopefully a PS5 pad is on the way but might get this for PC in the mean time. Looks like some great updates. Only thing that could make it better would be if I could replace parts on it and a detachable cable.
I've been complaining about this controller not knowing about the adjustable sensitivity for the dpad. Soon as I'm home I'm fooling around with it, cause as of right now I hate it.
I'm torn between this gamepad and the Xbox controller (9th generation) for Street Fighter 6. I've heard from many people that the Hori Octa has poor quality and durability, and that after a few months of use, it starts to have incorrect inputs on the D-pad. I don't have ambitions of becoming a professional, but I don't want the equipment to limit me either. If I choose Hori, will I see a noticeable improvement in Street Fighter?
I'm still on the fence because the d-pad uses membranes and those can get mushy after only a couple of months of heavy use. Everything else about it seems fine though, but putting micro-switches on the face buttons but not the d-pad seems like kind of a waste IMO.
Clicky D-pad has been a hindrance in basically every situation I've used one. Very good for FPS weapon switching and the other kind of quick actions you find in 3D action games but for d-pad things it needs a slightly longer throw to be comfortable. Neo-Geo 8-way thumbstick remains the undefeated clicky directional input.
@@NihongoGamer The Neo Geo CD clicky stick was incredible. There were a few re-releases for PS2 and PS3, but all had the same major issue. They dont last long at all before the insides get grinded to powder and then that distinct click is gone, it becomes very mushy feeling and useless. If they could fix the durability issues they would be the best 2D controllers Ive used. After going through a few of them, pre owned, I gave up on buying them.
Over 25 years later and companies are still trying to remake the Saturn controller
Haha
Sega was ahead of its time.
And still few have made a compelling buy due to the sheer lack of buttons. This one however is great, as was the hori pad before it.
The Saturn pad's layout is the most versatile controller layout for the vast majority of 2D games, not just fighting games. Like, how many 2D games are out there don't have a control scheme that could easily be mapped onto 6 face buttons + L and R without changing the gameplay experience all that much? Not a lot, that's for sure.
In case my comment sounded a bit ironic, I do own a working Saturn to this day.
Got a Play Sega controller to play on my pc ages agos and I love it. Im considering to obtain the bluetooth one released not so long ago, to play wirelessly on my Sat.
Dude this is what I love about your reviews. No other RUclipsr describe the amount of details as you do. It almost feels like we're holding the controller ourselves. Fantastic work!
This is the only RUclips channel that talks about controller! He’s very good at it.
Tbf... It's paid did you see the disclaimer
@@callofmetals24 He does that in pretty much all of his reviews. Just watch them and you'll see.
I was thinking the same exact thing it reminds me of talking to my friends about how the controller works when we used to play hours and hours of fighting games together 😢
It sounds like a small thing, but I really appreciate that you notice and talk about the fact that there's no pre-travel on the buttons. That travel before click/actuation drives me crazy on the Razer controllers.
Updated 4/26/2021: (Device Manager 1.0.40)
- Settings are stored to the controller. Just tried on my 2nd pc which doesn't have device manager installed and profiles are intact.
- you can’t select ABXY for remapping BUT if u select one of the remappable buttons and assign them an ABXY function then the two buttons will be swapped and the official ABXY buttons will effectively be remapped. Still not possible to duplicate inputs.
- Using the above swapping method you can swap the d-pad cardinals with any swappable button (so this excludes ABXY)
- Buttons can only be swapped from their original position. If you swap the right shoulder button from LB to RB (previously a face button), and then you change the RB face button (currently LB) to LS click, then instead of getting LB on the left shoulder, you get RB on the left shoulder. Summary: Remapping buttons swaps with the factory labelled function, not the currently assigned software function.
- it doesn’t appear possible to disable to the analog stick
- Left analog stick click can be assigned to LS click or RS click but cannot be disabled
hey can you do a review of the xboomer? its on my channel and turns a mouse to a fightstick :)
hey what's your favourite fighting game that you played in 2020
Octogonal gate on the stick is what sold me on this.
thats super cool!! ive been using a ds3 for like 9 years but i think ill be switching, i still sometimes think im holding db but im pressing b, etc
One of the reasons the GC layout works so well, actually.
@@johnbuscher Man, I miss the GC analog stick so much...
So your question about how people dash with analog.. I once asked Nuckledu in a stream how he plays on pad and he said he uses analog for guile / charge characters but then he dashes with the d-pad! So he jumps between analog and the d-pad I think it’s so cool!! Really utilising all of the functions of a controller and taking it to the next level
Very impressive! Controller use is constantly evolving. Love to see it!
That's what I do when I play zangief.
Same with me. Got my stick broker from playing kof too much, used a controller, still managed to have a good fight and learned all sort of nonsense to keep up with the fight demand.
Now that controller is broken as well, lol.
Plus one here… I always used the analog stick on my controller… Grew up with it and couldn’t imagine doing a dp motion on a dpad (especially with the dpad on the dual shock 4)…
Only downside: I rarely dashed, because dashing with an analog stick is a pain… Just recently, like a month or so, I got used to dashing with the dpad while still using the analog stick for everything else… Works well for me!
I still want the Octa for playstation though, just to test, if the octagonal analog stick gives more precision…
@@rexflores8461 Ditto. Stick when doing 360s, switch back to pad when doing other stuff.
literally looked earlier today to see if this exact video existed, thanks NG
The Dpad is the most important factor of a controller for fighting games.
You want every input to be registered and you also want the best feedback from the controller as possible to negate any human error and to know where you pressed.
Thats all that matters.
My main issue with regular FC pad was the 'plus' d-pad where I could miss diagonal inputs or with a slightest accidental finger motion go from down-back do one or the other without any intention to do so, It's nice to see they are using circular d-pad for a new pad.
Dpad is the exact reason why this gamepad is trash compared to previous one.
@@m4rcin847 why?
I also find the d pad not excelent. It is usable, but it is easy to miss the input if you press to lighty. Even if the sensitivity is at max. Also, it is easy to miss the diagonal imput if you are just a hair off. Takes time to get used to the d pad.
D-pad wise the Betop controller is better, in my opinion.
You can take my thigh-top controller from me when you pry its lever from my cold dead hands.
remind me! 1 week
@@clairemadeinheaven No.
mine arrived today, and I am in absolute awe of how comfortable it is and how easy to use and precise the stick feels, I've been a pad player my whole life and while I loved the button layout of a stick, I could not get used to, well, the stick itself, and this controller feels like I'm having the best of both worlds, I'm just amazed at how perfect this controller worked out for me, completely and absolutely recommend it
How well does the dpad work on diagonal movements?
I pre-ordered mine months ago but it releases in 7 days! Can't wait to receive mine! Also great video like always! :)
My guess as to why they chose to use membrane switches for the D-Pad on the FC Octa is simply because microswitches don’t have pressure-sensitive “analog” response. The DualShock 2, Sixaxis, and DualShock 3 controllers all had pressure-sensitive D-Pads and buttons (most devs chose not to use the feature, though, BUT SHOULD HAVE). I’m happy that Hori used Membrane switches for the D-Pad, since the Razor Raion (thanks for your informative review, by the way) kinda didn’t do it right with microswitches. I have an idea how to fix the Raion’s “issue” but I don’t go that deep into modding my controllers. I usually throw my money at problems like this. 😆
Your videos have come a long way man been watching you for years
This is by far the best controller review video I've seen. You demonstrate exactly what we need to know and timestamp it into chapters. Dude.
Two months later and I'm looking at how bad reviews on Amazon this pad has. Lots of people showing photos of broken triggers and shoulder buttons and most people complaining how bad the D-pad is. Looks like this might not be as good Fighting Commander.
yeh it looks nice but the durability is a problem for sure
Thanks for mentioning! Durability is kind of damn important.
Damn that's a major turn off for me. Doesn't matter how cool it is, aint wasting $ every 3 months getting a new gamepad
I got the older version and the only thing I don't like it's the D-PAD, it's much inferior to the DS4 pad (which is probably the best d-pad ever made).
This new one looks exactly like the infamous Xbox 360 controller d-pad and this was certainly not a wise move by hori, but still I'm curious to try how it feels.
Yeah, I had one of the shoulder triggers break off after a little over a month. The dpad also feels a little loose, though I wouldn't swear to that one. Even before that, I wasn't a massive fan of the dpad design, as it's a little prone to dropping diagonals. I used my previous FC for years and it was a real trooper - it was the cable, rather than the pad, that wore out in the end. The octa feels like a massive downgrade.
pressure sensitive buttons are a little known feature of the og xbox controller that almost no developer ever used its kinda cool that hori has revived it in a way on a modern controller and implemented in a way that doesn't make you want to pull your hair out. as far as I can remember only doa 3 used this feature I think they dropped the pressure sensitive combos in doa ultimate.
I didn't realize the DukeBox did this too I always remembered this on the PS2 more definitively because MGS3 had it as a core gameplay feature and between how big of a PS series MGS is and how big of a deal that game especially was I always thought of that and assumed other PS2 games did but now I wanna research to see if there really is a major minority of devolpers who even bothered
Hori has ALWAYS made excellent alternatives to the official controllers going all the way back to the earliest retro consoles. I hope Hori fixed the issue with the original fighting commander where the d-pad lost sensitivity over time.
My diagonals are so hard to get on mine. Gotta really press down hard af.
Buy a hori mini controller and swap the membranes they are like 10 -15 bucks
That D-pad sensitivity tuning is very, very interesting. Any idea if the settings for that are stored in pad firmware, or in the configuration software?
Yeah
they need to add macros to these 6 buttons pads as well. the macros can be on the back or any other button. just asking the SOCD in Hori Octa if you press back+forward= forward ? is last win command or neutral ?
I play a lot of fighting games with an 8bitdo m30. It is my prefered layout and it feels good.
Only problem is that there is no pivot in the dpad. Which is strange since every other 8bitdo controller does. For those who don't know, a pivot makes a dpad basically like a 4 way seesaw. This is important since it stops the dpad from pressing all directions at once. Games are designed to read at most 2 directions. Those being diagonals. Without a pivot, it can be easier to get some misread inputs
so that's why it felt off when I used it thanks for sharing 👍
I've been waiting for this to come out since it was announced. Delays from Jan to March and then april (more like may). I appreciate the review and very well done.
Well, my preorder's in. Thanks for the review. Hori's the undisputed champ now.
Ordered this for a friend after seeing your video and he's loving it. Thanks for putting out great stuff dude.🤙
I'm excited more controllers with mechanical switches are coming to market.
they need to add macros to these 6 buttons pads as well. the macros can be on the back or any other button. just asking the SOCD in Hori Octa if you press back+forward= forward ? is last win command or neutral ?
The octo-gate stick added on is what really made me want to upgrade from the older hori fighting commander pro. Stick and clicky buttons are awesome, the shoulder buttons are nicer too. Dpad was kinda disappointing though, I liked the + shaped one much more to the round blob and find it harder to be accurate with. That being said the stiff short throw octo stick is good enough I don't find myself wanting to use a dpad as much. You can adjust the sensitivity but I'm unable to download anything from the microsoft store and hori doesn't distribute the software anywhere else unfortunately so no configuration for me.
Awesome! My PS4 fight commander gave up the ghost ages ago.
They probably went with the membrane for the sensitivity options
You sound a bit like James Acaster in the tone of your voice from time to time.
It is a compliment.
Bro, you're my absolute hero. People are always telling me I'm obsessed with controllers lol then I find your channel and can't figure how I have gone so long without it 🔥
Because the d-pad now has diagonal pieces for better quarter and half circle motions, Hori gives you the option to make the diagonals harder to press with the software, so you can have a dpad that feels like the standard regular plus sign whenever you desire. It would come in handy in games like Super Contra, where bad dpads always make you aim downwards and run instead of crouching, because you are pressing the diagonals by mistake when you just mean to press down to crouch.
They updated and changed the dpad since then? If they did then I think I'll buy it but I can't find any info on it
@@ADreamingTravelerNothing seemed to be wrong with this d-pad to begin with.
the hori commander is nice, but personally the build quality just wasnt there so I got a stick and learning to play with it, might get an octa sometime in the future as i like the pad for some inputs more
Now, for those who are 50-50 about this controller, get it. Don't listen to other people. I'm using it and it feels great (atleast coming from XB1 controller user). I never have a fighting pad like previous HORI FC or the others, so this is my first one but this is worth the price. My original XB1 controller got drift so I thought to try to replace it with this, why not.
So I like about the 6 face buttons feel clicky like mouse on pc but better, the octagate joystick good, the bumper/trigger buttons feel good too, D-pad is OK, not necessarily mushy because of not having mechanical switch or anything else but just OK (atleast I don't have to play with Xbox's clicky D-Pad no more).
I understand that why people complaint about it, maybe because everyone have another controllers before they got the HORI Octa. But for me who is the first timer having a fightpad, I like it. Now I just hope it survive long enough in my possession (I REALLY HOPE..lol). Don't hesitate just it get yourself, thats all.
p/s : not sure about my English tho.. hope you guys understand :)
How is it going after 2 web? Still ok?
The only thing i've always thought was missing from the original fighting commander was a circular dpad and trigger buttons that aren't absolute trash. I'm very tempted to get this controller even though i quit SF5 like half a year ago.
You can use it for Strive in 6 weeks. Probably what I'm gonna do although I'd rather have a PS4/5 version.
@@Kingepticon I'm only excited for the league fighting game right now. Gotta wait a long time for that though.
I have pretty much every 6-button pad ever, so I'm definitely giving this a shot haha. I never quite felt like I wanted to compete with the old Fighting Commanders (typically I used the closest things to actual Saturn controllers), but this sounds very interesting for me to at least try. Ordering it right now.
Slightly worried that I may should wait until PS5/Switch versions...but can't hurt to at least support their effort.
Old comment ik but what pads do you recommend? Im personally on stick but my friend wants to get a pad as he wants to move away from the dual shock/sense and I was wondering what the general consensus for a great pad is
@@schierke There's not much of a general consensus besides a lot of people using Dualshock PS3/4/5 pads, but personally the 6-button pad I use for PS4 is the PowerA Fusion Fightpad and for PC + whenever else possible, I use a Retro-bit USB Saturn pad. The PowerA is about $40 and the Saturn USB is $20. You can get the latter in wired or wireless versions
Gonna have to buy one of these, I have some of the older, Saturn-clone pads from Hori, but the buttons became mushy too quickly for my taste. Microswitches should (hopefully) be consistent for longer.
they need to add macros to these 6 buttons pads as well. the macros can be on the back or any other button. just asking the SOCD in Hori Octa if you press back+forward= forward ? is last win command or neutral ?
Hi dear if you press back+forward= forward or neutral ¿ i want to know if I map the shoulder buttons to directions like back and front what will happen if I press back and then front¿ is it last win or neutral ¿
this are the kind of In-depth videos that I wanna find about EVERY controller!! so nice to see this for a change, and even better, you use the controller on pc, no one does an extensive test of a controller on pc :( they usually stick to the console side and that's it :(
Also, a nice idea it would be that the Left Stick button could be a switch that changes the function of the stick, with a press it could be the Left Stick and with another the Right Stick, to compensate that it's missing for some games, since you have already 2 LSB they could easily add that function to the software or to the controller itself with a software update
There's the PS4/PS5 version coming in August.
Anyway, for my profiles, I'll be assigning buttons as the following--
Profile 1 - default
Profile 2 --
_Front_
X, Y, LB (white)
A, B, RB (black)
_Shoulders (viewed from the top, face buttons facing downward)_
LT, RT
LB, RB
Profile 3 --
Same as Profile 2, but change the following shoulder buttons -
LT RT
LS RS
Profile 4 --
Same as Profile 3, but change the following shoulder buttons -
LS RS
LT RT
Using this controller for a week. And I can this is great, but D-pad is a little small, and It has strange sensitivity, you can adjust sens on diagonals, but for me, it works like
1) if you make the diagonal less sensitive it skips it when you roll, so you need to press harder
2) if you make it more sensitive - a little wiggle when you press down or forward and it registers as diagonal.
you have to be very precise with your inputs when you using this controller
You should contact hitbox about the cross-up. As a hitbox main and stick player I find it interesting. Not to mention it seems like a great fit for your channel. They are good people and would probably help your channel if you contact them. Thx for the video on the Octa it seems legit for overnight vacations and such.. Sending Good Vibes!
Edit: I could see myself buying this to pass to my friends who don’t play anymore but enjoyed the arcade days.
Very good in depth video!
Good love an updated quick review, since there are SO many bad reviews on the web, specifically about dpad and shoulders breaking ridiculously often…!
Thanks!
The moment one comes out for ps5 I'm definitely grabbing one since I dislike the ps5 d-pad.
Isnt the dualsense d-pad just a transparent DS4 one? The ds4 d-pad is the best D-pad ever made.
I have this pre-ordered months ago. I hope they make this for PS4/PS5. I'll be using this on PC mostly.
I had it to... today I will return it, a total disappointment with this gamepad :(
I hope the ps4/ps5 version has a touch pad button of some kind this time around, I love my commander for Tekken, but training mode is a pain without the touch pad button.
So you have a green sheet on your legs to make the cut out of hand and pad? That's so thoughtful!
I used a pink t-shirt so that the green of the A button wouldn’t vanish :)
Amazing review man. I have no doubt that this is a great pad. Definitely going to upgrade from my regular fighting commander. Thanks a bunch.
Thank you for the very in-depth review! This is what I like to see.
Looks like an awesome controller for Zangief, I'm playing a lot of SFV these days, and enjoy fighting games in general! I also like N64 emulation, it'll be nice for that.
Hope it's as good as I assume
Best review I found. No constant pausing or repeating. Ggs
I’ve been playing on this controller for a couple of weeks now on SFV, DNF Duel, BlazBlue CF, DBFZ, etc & I have to say that I find it very accurate & a lot of fun to use.
I give Hori credit for succeeding with their attempt to innovate the modern Fightpad.
The controller is comfortable to hold, & of course the micro switch input buttons are extremely responsive and have a advantage over common membrane buttons.
I find the 8-Way Gated Analogue Stick extremely handy for when your thumb becomes fatigued from rolling on the D-Pad & you just want to mix things up a bit.
If you want to have some fun I suggest adding a Nintendo JoyCon Thumb Extender to the top of Analog Stick. I improves the throw of the stick & its so much fun to just it rip into it like it’s a mini arcade stick.
It’s so much fun to use this controller that way! I’m not saying it’s better or worse than a D-Pad but it great to have options with how you play the with the Fight-Pad & like I said it’s just a real joy to utilize with the thumb extender.
Good Luck.
Your videos are always thorough. Great Job!
22:58 in DBFZ you can also instant air dash pressing forward + S + H (S + H is also the super dash input so you can do it with the trigger as well)
Hey I was just wondering - Could you please try doing some Korean backdashes in Tekken 7 with the d pad and let me know how it feels ?
A controller with a membrane d-pad and buttons with micro-switches. Those are good news, because micro-switches are good for buttons but NOT for d-pads. Let's see when they release a PS and Switch version of it.
Mine hasn't even shipped yet, so jelly!! Good video though, glad to hear it's living up to the FC name
Been waiting for this controller to launch for so long, insanely hyped!!
Thanks for the review ! Been trying to find a new pad to buy, guess imma wait for the PS Ver of this pad.
Finally another pad withe analog in the right spot thank you
"people who play on analog stick, how do you dash?" by jumping 🙃
but seriously, over time i trained myself to reposition my thumb on the opposite direction of where i want to dash and just push against it. analog can be wonky like that sometimes, but it's easier to wrap my head around for 2D fighting games and motion inputs; but i still prefer the D-pad for 3D fighters because that's a closer mimic to understanding the ground beneath your feet
Ive been waiting for a good review for this controller. Thanks great content 👍 You didnt mention the headphone jack that was not there on the original though.
Hori did a similar pad for the PS3, but the thumbstick was also on microswitches and was all clicky. It was really cool.
Thanks for this awesome review, after checking so many other controllers, I'm sold on this one!
I was just thinking about my old hori fighting commander and why it didn’t have mechanical switches. Def a buy
I like how at 2:26, even though it isn't an arcade stick box, you can still see the strange attraction between the box and his head.
SOLD!!!!!! Thank you for the amazing review!
Ever since I played the Strive beta I have wanted to have a dedicated dash button in all my fighting games.
As satisfying as pulling off IADs in DBFZ was I agree I don't see how it's so hard MvC did it just by making you press any two buttons together and wave dashing in those games feels hella satisfying
I don't even play fighting games, but I NEED IIIIIT...
That’s pretty cool! Thanks for the review. I mainly use stick but I wouldn’t mind getting one of these for the experience.
If I could get raion clicky pad with the customization and pivot of this pad, and the clicky buttons, it'd be perfect
Cool, the d-pad sensitivity is very similar to the Paradise Magenta Analog to Digital Programmable Joystick lever software
I'm gonna get one of these to use on my steam deck specifically for saturn, dreamcast and some ps one (mostly capcom) fighting games
Looks like I’m getting a new fightpad. Great review!
the stick is like a wii nunchuk? i mean can you feel the 8 directions without touching the edge?
I'd like to hear about the most important thing on a controller, the one nobody talks about and that is DURABILITY!
Hori just makes cool stuff.
My switch life would be a lot worse without their cheap and great joycon with dpad.
I had the EXACT same feeling of relief seeing that the dpad doesn’t skip cardinals when you’re doing a 360
Every rubber membrane dpad I’ve tried always skipped down if you weren’t specific
xDDD dont worry, this pad isnt different. In fact, I bought it just for the D-pad, and I will return it today because my old very xbox 360 gamepad has the same pad, with a better feel.
@@JLoza_ It's available for preorder? How did you test it already?
@@SleepayGui preorder from amazon
@@JLoza_ Yeah so it's not out yet?
I've been looking forward to this controller.
This controller is a thing of beauty. Hopefully we are getting this in the States. If not I will just have to import it.
amazon will sell this on 30 of april happy purchase.
@@archmagus1510 nice. THANX.
Nice video! And I think the membrane approach is a good thing for the dpad. I have a feeling you would have the same problems as you did on the Razer Raion fightpad if Hori had went a similar tactile route.
Just to offer my thoughts, someone with hitch hikers thumbs and bigger hands. The Octa was kinda disappointing. I couldnt do qcf's to the left, it was awkward. I wish the dpad was pushed into the center more. Also while not a problem with the controller itself, the original Fighting Commander's shoulder/trigger buttons protrude less, which is what im used to, because now im always pressing left trigger by accident, activating VO in Uniclr.
It looks like until the junk food arcade micro or i save up for the v2, i'll just be stuck with original fighting commanders until then.
I think the four profiles is great for accommodating multiple games, rather than people
Tekken and UNI can bind L3 and R3 but SFV can’t do that feature was difficult to take advantage of
Now it’s totally adaptable to each game
well most not paid people are saying this is trash, i hope i like mine since i pre order it after watching this vid.
Thank you for the thorough review, I'm probably going to pick this up soon
I've had two of these things. The D-pads quickly become defective and start missing inputs.
even with firmware updates?
@@davide_notaro I don't think its a firmware issue. They just seem poorly built.
finally another fighting pad to compete with the big boys! the original hori fighting commander was a great controler and i used it for quite some time BUT the cheap build quality REALLY showed after some time, the shoulder buttons are THE WORST part abt that controler and it kinda frustrated me, i adopted the razer raion out of curiosity to see if it was rlly as "awkward" or bad as the reviewrs said and OH BOY they were wrong, i play mainly tekken and i can say that after a little bit of practice, the DPAD is absolutely fantastic, and the problems that even you said you were having with it were not a problem at all for me after a little time to adapt, i can do 360 motions in Street Fighter without even thinking, it became super natural for me, that said i'm really curious abt the new hori controller and see if it can be even better than the raion, bc as you said, the hori FC was not a bad controller, and if it rlly is that big of an improvement i'm REALLY REALLY curious to see how it feels to play on it!
I’m glad u found a way to make the Raion work for you! I made a follow up video demonstrating how the raion can be playable as long as you hold it carefully tho personally I still think it had potential to be better if there were a pivot on it. Hopefully the OCTA will meet ur expectations for better durability :)
Have you modded a pivot on to the raion?
I just got this in the mail cuz of this video, gotta get used to the 6 buttons but it feels so much better already
damn, if they went with a clicky d-pad I would've gave this controller a try. Still a good controller for the price. Also looks like a great controller for N64 emulation (6 front buttons, and has a control stick)
Ooh I should check this out! Thanks for reviewing it!
Great video man! You made me realiza how much I need this controller.
I play MK11 on Steam using a DS4 and the great weakness are the triggers. But I was afraid of trying other controller because of the Dpad.
I already ordered the controller, a shame I'll have to wait a month for it.
Edit: I'm bummed with the controller. After one month of use one of the shoulder buttons started to feel "sandy" getting stuck randomly so I asked for a new one. The second one lasted two weeks until, again, one of the shoulder buttons broke and fell off.
I ordered a third one, but man, what a bummer. Besides that the pad feels great though...
You may also enjoy the back button attachment, just remap triggers to the back
razer raion: d-pad uses mechanical switches but not face buttons
hori fighting commander octa: face buttons use mechanical switches but not the d-pad
whyyyy
The Retrobit Saturn controller if it doesn't skip and lag would have been the best fighting gamepad on the market.
I'm glad you reviewed this controller i ordered it not to long ago. I bought it for the d-pad and because i wanted micro switches. But I don't like what that what are suppose to be LT &L B are LS & RS. If you remap the left shoulder buttons to LB & LT and the right shoulder buttons to RB & RT will that affect the face buttons that are labeled RB & RT and the button you get from pressing down the actual analog stick?
My friend and I came across a pair of PS3/4 commanders at a second hand shop years ago and got them. Loved it ever since. Hopefully a PS5 pad is on the way but might get this for PC in the mean time. Looks like some great updates. Only thing that could make it better would be if I could replace parts on it and a detachable cable.
I've been complaining about this controller not knowing about the adjustable sensitivity for the dpad. Soon as I'm home I'm fooling around with it, cause as of right now I hate it.
Real good in depth review. Thank you!!!! 🔥💯
I'm torn between this gamepad and the Xbox controller (9th generation) for Street Fighter 6. I've heard from many people that the Hori Octa has poor quality and durability, and that after a few months of use, it starts to have incorrect inputs on the D-pad. I don't have ambitions of becoming a professional, but I don't want the equipment to limit me either. If I choose Hori, will I see a noticeable improvement in Street Fighter?
I bought this because of your amazing review!
I'm still on the fence because the d-pad uses membranes and those can get mushy after only a couple of months of heavy use.
Everything else about it seems fine though, but putting micro-switches on the face buttons but not the d-pad seems like kind of a waste IMO.
Now they just have to recreate micro switches found on the original Neo Geo controller!
@@cassiebelmont993 it should always be microswitches, rubber membranes wear down too fast.
People bout to come back to this video after seeing Chikurin's Lili win EVO JP.
so for 4 button fighting games this is perfect! Awesome, glad I ordered mine
Clicky D-pad has been a hindrance in basically every situation I've used one.
Very good for FPS weapon switching and the other kind of quick actions you find in 3D action games but for d-pad things it needs a slightly longer throw to be comfortable.
Neo-Geo 8-way thumbstick remains the undefeated clicky directional input.
Why snk doesn’t just make a controller for modern consoles I will never know
@@NihongoGamer The Neo Geo CD clicky stick was incredible. There were a few re-releases for PS2 and PS3, but all had the same major issue. They dont last long at all before the insides get grinded to powder and then that distinct click is gone, it becomes very mushy feeling and useless. If they could fix the durability issues they would be the best 2D controllers Ive used. After going through a few of them, pre owned, I gave up on buying them.
Great review. Do you find the analogy stick gets in your way when using the D pad?
Man I want this controller so bad right now, but I also want a new stick lol