As the lead developer of GP2040-CE, I can guarantee our firmware is staying free forever! Thanks for all the mentions in the video, we're going to keep on trucking making solid firmware with such a great community behind us.
Grabbed a Haute42 T16 and it's my favorite controller for fighting games I've used. If you're on the fence, go for it. Bought it, unpacked it, plugged it in to my PC, and got to playing immediately, no tinkering required.
I get you but all the cons are overridden by the prices of Haute's line of products, they're so good and cheap that they're almost a no brainer for your first leverless controller at least.
I'm tired of paying premium prices to facilitate ridiculous licensing costs from console manufacturers. My Steam Deck has become my main "arcade machine" for fighting games at home. The games run great and I can use any stick or leverless I want. Not to mention the scam of paying for online.
The big problem with controllers is that all the access to them is extremely USA centric. Stuff like junkfood arcade doesn’t do international shipping, same with other smaller brands. As long as Razer or Victrix stuff costs half of my rent in my country it’s not an option. It’s not like I can’t afford it but dropping 8k (my currency) which is like $450 usd is insane. Another factor is that the Haute stuff like the one in the video is mega cheap to repair, guarantee for big brand stuff is basically non existent outside NA. I seen and played with the Kitsune and there is no justification for why it’s so expensive besides brand recognition. Also not to sound mean but I could care less for a small business charging premium for their custom controller that is clearly cheaply made but since they 3D printed the buttons the price goes $100. Competition is good.
Junkfood arcade does ship internationally. I wanted a snackbox micro, but 50usd to ship to my country? Hell naww. So, I just bought myself a haute42 r16! Really good value! Junkfood arcade is currently having a sale for their micros since they see the competition/threat of these cheaper alternatives, but I'm staying far away from junkfood arcade!
This. This is the reason I am so hesitant to buy these controllers. Not only you have to pay so much, you have to also worry about how long it takes to even deliver to you.
@@therock238360 it does but it’s third party sellers that jack up the price. Same thing for the Kitsune it’s $7k minimal which is $372 bucks or up to $400 depending on the day. I get there’s tariffs, currency is ass and stuff but it’s comical to pay $100 usd more just because.
I've been following GP2040 since before the "community edition" days and it's come really far! Also fun fact, the web config of GP2040-CE can be accessed via an iOS device. I was able to change settings while on the tournament floor at both Combo Breaker and EVO.
With tons of options, users can find something that suits their style (buttons, footprint, materials, etc.) and even upcoming mainstream-brand devices like the Qanba Sapphire have taken a page from the controllers with extra buttons beyond the standard. But really, it's these cheap price points that have been so great for the community. The average price point of all-button controllers has dropped considerably from just a year ago, and the influx of these ones also has had a ripple effect on established brands. We see them lowering their own costs to better compete, and new ones into the scene have to keep increasing the value proposition for the consumer. There's no time to rest on your laurels like there was just a couple years ago. Now we've got cooler devices than ever and the barrier to entry is wonderfully low. Lots of people were scared off by controllers worth as much or more than their consoles, so being able to drop $35 or $50 or whatever to try it out, has gotten lots of new people into the hobby. Fighting games lend themselves well to fun peripherals, so more people getting to experience these cool devices and having fun mashing buttons is a huge net positive for the FGC.
so much this. I'm looking for a good leverless. I first saw them with the MixBox back in 2021 but it still runs $250+ and I just don't have that kind of money but I want that style of controller. Problem is, every one I've found with wasd layout has been expensive. If anyone reads this comment can point me at a solid one with the WASD layout for under $100 I'd greatly appreciate it.
@@GlitchedVision If you just want the up function oriented above your left, down, and right, then there are lots of options. If you need a more traditional keyboard vibe, then look into a B16 or a Haute Board Mini. (one is reviewed on my channel to give context and the other sits in my stash as I'm trying to get through a few others before featuring.) And keeping in mind your $100 limit, you could also install an Odin drop-in lever replacement in any number of sticks if you could get a suitable base stick secondhand or something. Good luck in the search!
@@GlitchedVisionalmost all haute42 controllers have a wasd layout as an option If u look at the video the controller he is holding It literally has an extra up button for wasd users If you prefer just regular keycaps Check the haute42 line They have ones with all keyboard keycaps
Glad youre still around first came across your channel when i picked a vita to mod and make my own many moons ago. miss your calming coffee making that came with those videos. The algorithm brought me back and im happy for it.
I bought a Haute42 aswell, because I wanted to try a Leverless controller for a long time. But I am not ready do dish out 200-300+ Dollar for it, without knowing if I will like it or not. The Haut42 is also the small one and cost me 65€ and so far it works perfectly fine for me. Since I am just playing on PC and don't plan on going to tournaments it's just plug and play for me and so far had no issues with it.
These for tournaments work great. I have a haute42 m13 and i used a brooks adapter at EVO to play Tekken 8 and it worked great with no issue best 125 bucks ive spent on a stick and adapter.
I got it for 30 dollars, I modified it, super stupid easy to work on. False ps5 firmware spoofin. Its literally perfect for my use case. Ive played in tournaments etc. I have 0 reason to ever buy another leverless. I have some beliefs on what would be a better layout, so I may build one oneday however. (I also built my own fightstick, was super good / cool, but I feel leverless is superior in every way except the pain of 720s)
To people not wanting to spend absurd amounts of money: recently grabbed a Razer Kitsune off Amazon for 200 euros instead of 350. Amazon would list returned NEW items as used as soon as their box is opened and cut their price so much so dont be scared to buy those! bought some headphones for half the price in the same way.
The cost of the namebrand leverless controllers is honestly just theft Lol, some simple switches, plastic buttons, and a simple pcb for 400 bucks? 20 dollars worth of materials
@@vidbrotv2566 This reply makes 0 sense when quality leverless controllers with good (and sometimes better) firmware are being sold in the $40 - $70 range. Apple also has a decent ecosystem and great warranty/support. "Namebrand" leverless controllers have little to no ecosystem and don't have a great support department from my experience. When I had a self caused issue with my Haute controller they sent me a replacement part and told me how to fix it for free. My Razer Kitsune arrived broken and it took 2 months before I got my replacement, they also made me pay for the shipping of the broken Kitsune.
I actually got that haute42 s16 for 34 US dollars on ali express. Took about 1 and a half weeks to ship to USA East (Georgia). It's my first and only leverless controller and I absolutely love it. I wanted to give leverless a try and felt this was a great option. I just hit Diamond 4 in sf6 (PC) and am planning on getting another haute42 controller for the size upgrade. The only gripe is that you need a converter to play on PlayStation which is more than okay with me since the native controllers are already pushing 250-300 USD. I love my haute42 s16 please give their company a shot if you want to get into leverless!
In Beijing, China, thr community used to play on PS4 prior to covid. Now everyone bring their laptop or Steam deck and play with myriads of leverless. It's so cool.
Been playing SF6 with a Hori Alpha for more than 1000 hours since it launched last year, and a couple of weeks ago I bought a Haute42 R16, and I love it. I've been using it since I bought it, and even with the Booter 5 for PS5 compatibility (I've tried it and works perfect) it was worth the price.
This video and the comments from people came just in time. Been playing on pad for a while, but deciding to switch and was looking at economical options for my first leverless. Thanks Nidhongo and community!
I bought the mini Haute42 g13 controller specifically for rhythm games and did end up using them for fighting games. As a long time stick and pad player i never expected to like the leverless layout and i've had no regrets on the purchase since, the quality is amazing for its price
I have both and never touch my Kitsune. I put Lofree Ghost switches in my M16 Plus and it's even better now. No reason to buy a Kitsune aside from PS5 plug and play.
I had both the M12+ and the Kitsune a few days ago, I returned the Kitsune even though I did like it but the M12+ was superior to the Kistune all around. I actually feel that the M12+ feels more premium than the Kitsune.
I have two of these cheap allbuttons: - The RTU Mini Hitbox was really good. It lasted a full year without having to change any buttons, and the two which began to fail later were really easy to replace. It needed a good cleaning once a month because the button gaps let some dust and debris to find its way behind the policarbonate surface, but outside of that, really nice product. It cost me 84 bucks. - The Haute42 S16 I bought in June is the same, just smaller, slimmer, quieter, even more precise, more dust resistant and with rgb lights. Overall an amazing experience. At 46 bucks its even cheaper. Both of them are better than most pad controllers, most of the time (PS4 and FightingCommander can compete sometimes, but not consistently. Octa, sadly, is really inferior). Both of them are abolutely superior to any fight stick, no matter the price or brand. I fully recommend these cheap marvels, they are actually the best controllers ever.
I feel like no matter who the company is, there's always a risk that the customer can be left high and dry. My memory is hazy but I recall Nintendo taking the p when it was proven their Switch cons had stick drift. They seemed to ignore/sweep it under the rug for a long time. With these cheap controllers, at least the financial risk is lower than picking up a Razer/Victrix, who could still screw us over. Most of us will likely use the expensive ones for the same period as cheaper ones anyway. I've never used a stick for more than a few months/year before moving on to a new model or just taking some time to play games other than FGs.
I get the concern over manufacturing issues that are really widespread and get a really shady repsonse like Nintendo did from Joycon drift, but this a little different. Smaller companies have more to lose from a huge defect like stick drift because there are many more competitors on the market, so they're less likely to try and dodge the issue (and not face potentially huge legal fines like Ninty likely will for it), unless you're willing to risk a no-name brand to save some dollars. The other difference is that the stick drift issue only applies to traditional gamepad controllers with analog sticks, not normally used for arcade sticks or leverless controllers. aside from the OEM or 3rd party controllers, the pads for enthusiasts are getting around stick drift by pivoting towards Hall Effect joysticks, but you're probably already aware of that.
Recently got a Haute42 M13 and I was hooked almost immediately. I play Tekken and sf primarily on ps5, grabbing a MAYFLASH converter and plugging it into the second USB on the leverless works perfectly and I experience no interruptions. Highly recommend
I'm glad these videos exist to satisfy my curiosity over these new peripherals. This way I can avoid burning a hole in my wallet and focus on actually playing FGs with what I already have(which works great), and avoid obsessing over every degree of optimization of control and instead put that energy into being a better player in-game.
The Hori fighting stick mini is perfect as an authentication device if you don't want to use dongles. You can probably rip out the pcb and shorten the cable for better portability. Open source controllers are still nice if you are willing to compromise on a couple of things but it's understandable why people want the no fuss option.
When I first heard about the hitbox I was looking into building my own version with keyboard swtiches and a 3d printed case with some basic electronics. I didn't end up doing it, but it's been on the back of my mind. Now they've become so cheap that I bought a small 12 button lever-less on eBay for AU$57; which is probably cheaper than I would have been able to get the parts for. Like others have said, I couldn't get most controllers anyway because they don't ship to Australia. I'm excited for it to come because I never liked the way a stick felt and I wanted more precision than a pad or stick could offer. Guess I'll finally have no excuses for why I lose a match XD
I've had a rac-j800n for a few years now and have had no issues whatsoever. Spent half the money I would have on a hitbox, upgraded the buttons, added some custom art, and got to work. I mostly play on PC and it's obviously plug and play on that platform but I've used it at CEO the last two years and it worked flawlessly on ps5 with a brook wingman converter.
TL;DR: I tried A LOT. Just get a HAUTE board if you’re low on cash, otherwise anything from a T-13 to a T-16 if you want a really good product for a really good price if it is only your first or second board. In the span of a few years I: Played on controller. Then KBM. Then made a DIY arcade stick. Then a DIY leverless with arcade buttons, because sticks are more intuitive, but less optimal. Then got a fighting game controller (Hori Commander). Realized I prefer leverless, so went back to trying my previous leverless options. Started playing Tekken for the first time. Keyboard was best so far, but not quite comfortable. Bought a HAUTE board. Something clicked. The little board and firmware is amazing. Only I’m a big guy with big hands so it’s quite cramped. So I got a T16-C and I am in love. The firmware I already knew was good. The weight and size is just big enough to be comfortable, but you don’t need a walk in closet to store the thing.
One con people don't talk about with Haute is durability if you play and travel with it. It has a detatchable usb cable and, since it's made cheaply, durability is an issue. It can wear out over time from repeatedly plugging in and out. My T13 started to go after only three months with the solution being "just solder a new one." Great... It's a shame because I got custom art for it too but now it's just a neat looking Felicia-styled paper weight. Meanwhile my old HitBox is still going strong after years of use. So far I am happy with my Mayflash Flat but it's less than a month old. I'm hoping it keeps being reliable for years.
On the topic of PC vs PS5 being the tournament staple, it sucks most pcs are just too much to move around at tournaments unless its all laptops. But if the tournament organizers could figure out a way to do that instead of PS, that would be huge
One thing I’d caution about the Haute controllers, especially if you have smaller hands, is that they generally use 30mm buttons and wide spacing on all of their buttons. As someone with pretty small hands this was a total no go.
I wish you had just touched on simple workarounds like Brook adapters. You spend some money on a PC only leverless, spend $50-60 on a Brook adapter and badabing almost every issue any individual congroller can have is circumvented and you're gaming on console
$40 vs $150 was no question for me. The Haute 42 S 13 was my first controller. Got to try making an insert, swapping switches and button caps, making my own splash. Am I better because of it? Eh. Am I glad I was able to buy one to try it? Absolutely. I think the Ali Express Pads are great for that "low barrier to entry." It will be your first pad, but perhaps not your last.
I bought haute s13 for street fighter, the quality is insane and it was super cheap as well. You can customize each individual button (color and function) and even the small black and white screen Razer kitsune is like €350, the haute I bought was €55 iirc and it has an extra button alongside customizable button colors. Ridiculous product, much recommended
You explain everything perfectly, I hope allwais remains people who wants a special and unique pice to play with. This cheap controllers open the market for a people never asked for a controller like this before it's something good of course, but a small percentage of this people will want on the future something more personal, something good again for people like me who makes custom controllers. Everyone wins with this cheap controllers, the scene and the builders and maybe the big brands too, people never wanted a kitsune buy one after owning a chep one.
imo the introduction of keyboard switches to this market will change everything, the brands over charged for their "special" buttons all the time but thats over, you can get a huge range of different switches and spend whatever you can/want on it. The software thing will change soon, people buying a lot of devices using it will push the development of better versions, just look at the mod scene. The only people mad about this are the owners of over priced devices and big brands, too bad for them, the rest will enjoy the legit fun
I really want to make an ergonomic controller because I can’t fully rotate my wrists all the way down with my elbows at my side. Because of this my wrists start to get sore after a while playing on flat sticks and leverless controllers. I’m aware of the Schism and the Prism and that’s more or less exactly what I want, I just don’t have $300+ to spend right now 😭
9:35 i disagree here. people who buy controller from these sellers have always been hobbyists who are looking to get something special and are willing to spend that much in the first place. Ive seen these hobbyist community actually increase as their been more people coming to fgc; some part due to the increase in controllers in the market mimicking their most preferred/accessible way of playing (the keyboard) and these sellers pivoting to give leverless options. because the open source nature of gp2040-ce & a flood of new cheaper button options, theyve managed to make things cheaper for the customers while keeping the quality of the materials the same.
I been trying for the longest time to wrap my head around using a hitbox, and thought leverless wasnt for me, until I used a mixbox layout and it just clicked.
Custom mechanical keyboards use open source firmware as well and the prices for those range from low budget to thousands. There will always be a market for the whole range.
Thankfully, I bought two of the haute42 G16 controllers when they were not mentioned a lot for $70 cad each... now, amazon is saying they're discounted from $103cad to $76.
I built my own and it was more expensive than getting one pre built because I wanted certain things in it that wasn't needed 😅. Could have easily cut down over a $100😂
So the main con is not about the mechanical side or usability in fighting games? It because it hurts the business of the premium brands? .. some casual people just wanna try using one and dont want to dish out 300 bucks and regret it .
I'm not sure the person who just wants to plug a controller in and play the game is probably not the same person that looks at a leverless controller and says I want one of those
I picked up the Haute42 and love it. I only dabble in SF6 and it was my first ever pad, and I didn't want to drop several hundred dollars to see if I liked it. Which so far, has been a good choice since I haven't played in several weeks
I got a Haute G16, and honestly, it was better than it needed to be on a budget. It's slim, customizable, and has a solid build . The only downside is the size, which I have to akwardly hold between my legs 😅. But since the bigger Haute hitbox was too expensive due to taxes in my country, I'm still very happy with my purchase.
I have an M16 Plus and it's better than the Kitsune for less than half the price. I put new switches in it to make it even better and it's still half the price.
Make sure when buying a pico board cheap one that it's using the main fork of gp2040, Haute42 ones have one. But, a 3d printed one that I had before was using some custom Chinese fork and it never got updated. I've been using the Haute42 G16 for about 7 months now and it's genuinely been great, have used it on ps5 and series x. It being hot swap allowed me to try out many different switches and ended up using some personally modded Tecsee mediums which are 1000% my leverless endgame switches.
Its a bit tricky with the chinese controllers using gp2040ce luckily someone posted a guide on how to update the sky2040 i just got yesterday. Running on latest version 0.7.9 with no issues
Depends. If you like bigger boards? Go get the T16 by haute42. If you want a smaller board, get a haute s16 I think? It’s the smaller one. If you want a different brand, try snack box, hitbox, razer. IF IT IS NOT PS5 CERTIFIED YOU WILL NEED THE BROOK ADAPTER BTW!
Yes, you plug the Wingman into the EXT port and you basically can access the PS5 without adding lag from the adapter. Dumping PS4 authentication files was an outdated method as it involved physically modding both a Dualshock 4 AND a PS4.
7:50 i have a mayflash f300 which is a bit too big for me to comfortably play on usually, does that mean i can plug that into a haute42 s13 (as an example) and it'd work on ps5?
@@KetsubanSolo another question just in case you know about it, if i plug a ps5 controller in the f300, will that work? because i know haute42 won't work with normal ps5 controller in the passthrough mode
I would be fine with paying a couple of bucks more for a homemade device but not that much, is hard to justify the prices they charge when haute 42 devices are of decent quality, they are hot swap, easy to use, they use open source software, they ship worldwide, etc... I am not trying to be rude but homemade business are not excluded to compete in prices if they can not exactly match the price at least somewhat close, if not they can't they do not deserve to be in business. I have a b16 and I never felt I sacrifice anything compared to other expensive devices. Also is it just me or leverless aren't kinda a smaller keyboard? why would a smaller keyboard would cost more than 100 bucks? sure there are some extra technologies but not to justify that big of a price.
I have had 2 Hautes and both had issues. Got one more expensive controller from jony Fraze with custom art and it's a dream come true. He's near me in NJ which made it an even easier choice and is probably go back to him before anything else. I'm glad these cheaper ones exist but my experience has been pretty bad.
ngl , half the cons are not even cons . go get the controllers in the size you like and start playing . haute 42 is selling an adapter for consoles as well . there are many guides for setup available on youtube.
As someone who has actually helped run Tournaments for Fighting games, I found the sections about being Pro-PC for events is incredibly disingenuous & misinformed. Playing on PC is fine for the individual but if you try to raise the number of devices up to accommodate events, the issues start piling up very quickly. And in all honesty, if you want to play the most modern fighting games, your PC cost is likely to be comparable to a console now. Cheap, budget PCs can't handle them to the level of making them playable. I tried running GBVSR on my mini PC which cost me around £300 and it was a slide show when running the game on the lowest settings with V-sync on and that transferred over to the online experience too. (apologies to my opponent I was testing it with). This was mitigated by turning V-Sync off but then you got horrendous screen tearing in the middle of the display, making the game unplayable in a different way. With regards to the the main video content, controller compatibility is a big issue. A friend went to evo and used a Haute42 controller. It worked fine on testing but at the competition, he noticed that one specific button dropped inputs...
Haute 42 is great. Great Price, hasnt failed me, can clean it ezpz. Improved my inputs. I can customize it no prob. It's my first leverless controller and based on this exp i think it will take a good amount for me to spend that much more. It's also easy to travel with and stuff. I am playing on PC tho so i don't know about console stuff with it
If you're on a Haute42, first make sure the passthrough is active in the web configurator. Then you plug the dongle (ie: Brook FGC Wingman, PS4 Magic Boots 1.1, PXN N5, etc) into the EXT port, and hold whatever button you have set for PS4 mode when you plug it in.
Tbh, I would prefer to pay a bit extra and buy from an established reputable company (Hori etc.). On a separate note, I really wish that Hori would make a leverless controller.
Bro... I think you missed the point. It doesn't matter if you wait for Hori to make one of these and charge you $200+. The parts inside will still be made in China keyboard switches and PCB's. The housings will still be cheap aluminum or plastic. The most expensive part of an arcade controller has always been the lever. Leverless controller makers replaced the most expensive part with cheap keyboard switches and then used hype/marketing to convince idiots to buy $300 stripped down keyboards. These gp2040 devices aren't cheap. They cost exactly what they should. You're just gaslighting yourself into thinking that a $300 leverless has more expensive components in it than $50 dollar Walmart keyboard. You geniuses have been getting bent over since the original Hitbox.
@@similaritiesendhereThat's like complaining about people wanting a Ferrari over a Toyota. Let people buy what they want. Also there is value in native controller support versus these hokie workarounds. Both have their place in this market.
@@hypnotico7051 Refusing to buy a Toyota because it's affordable and has too many good reviews is brain dead, stupid. If the idiot wants to overpay for something, he can just order Snack Box Micro for 4x more (same f'ing parts and layout). OP: "I'd buy a minivan to drive my kids to school but, I'm waiting for Ferrari to make one." Me: "Cool story, bro. STFU."
Got a Haute T13 to try a leverless. Its worked decently at Tekken but you cannot do slide 720 techniques without the buttons coming undone. Wondering if I should upgrade to a more traditional leverless to be able to do more better 720's? Thanks for the content 🙏
I’m new to fighting games so take my word with a grain of salt but I’ve seen people say that for 720 techniques using a stick would be easier. It can be done on leverless but I’ve seen people say that doing 720s, or if you main a grappler, are a harder to pull off on on leverless regardless of what type you buy (I saw it on the SF Reddit when I was looking at others opinions tbh)
@@PerfectMistfit Thanks for taking the time to respond. I had no luck on my hori arcade stick, but that could be because I suck and/or have not dedicated enough time to it. I was able to pull of a few standing 720's on the T13 but never consistently on reaction like I would like, and the button caps often came off afterwards 😅. They where reattached easily and are seemingly fine? I am at a bit of an impasse. The leverless is useful otherwise in traditional 2d fighters and seemingly in Tekken for me. Thanks again 👍
we give up jack HOW IS IT A CON? , i couldn’t care less about people making expensive controllers from their damn garage so what? so they can reach the same level as hitbox? oh spare me! if cheap competitive controllers exist on the market, you better become GOOD AT BUSINESS! to attract people that will buy your damn 100 USD controller made in the garage! competition makes for BETTER product “not an what we give up” how is this NOT AN PRO ?? this sounds like some weird socialist idea about grassroots business, sure “race to the bottom” as if i have some moral duty to buy the 100 USD made in an garage cuz no logical reason to not BUY the 55 USD one!
Yeah that was a weird point. Not to mention GP2040-CE is open source, so if a garage stick builder wants to use it for their business and save some bucks, they totally can!
