« Review - Razer Atrox Xbox One Arcade Stick »

Razer's interest in the console market has been limited to making products for Microsoft's Xbox brand. Despite the limited focus, Razer aimed for optimal quality with its peripherals much like its PC-based hardware and accessories. One of the company's biggest initiatives was getting into the fighting game scene with its Atrox arcade stick. Known for more general peripherals, Razer working on a product for a relatively niche community was something new.

Following a long research and development period, the Atrox arrived to be a worthy alternative to competitors Mad Catz and Hori. For mass-produced arcade sticks, the Atrox has contents that were ahead of its time. A detachable USB cable, anti-slip bottom pad and easy internal access were a couple of the things that made the Atrox unique. To catch up with the latest generation of consoles, the Atrox has come back as Razer's first peripheral for the Xbox One. Instead of bringing new features, the Atrox Xbox One stick isn't fixing what isn't broken. The Razer might not be an easy sell for those getting a new stick for the latest and upcoming fighters, but its existing features might be worth the money.

On the outside, the Atrox Xbox One model isn't different from the original Xbox 360 stick. The body, main panel and stick and button layout are placed the same way. The only differences are miniscule, such as the lack of a headset port on the rear and the USB port in the front changed. Regardless of the lack of change, the body is still well designed. The three-dimensional look is subtle yet distinguishable. Upon first glance, the Atrox seems too tall compared to other sticks, but when using it the height isn't intimidating.

While the body as a whole isn't altered, the special control panel has been overhauled. Now it only features the Home button and a lock switch to prevent accidental pauses mid-match. While the d-pad/left stick/right stick selector won't be missed much, the removal of Turbo is a good choice as it's not welcome for a controller made for competition.

Instead of the distracting artwork found on the original Atrox, Razer opted for a new style with well-complemented greens and blacks that's more pleasing to the eye. Of course if players still want to take off the artwork, Razer offers the ability to change it thanks to the supplied template. Unlike the Xbox 360 version—where Razer had to adhere to color restrictions with the face buttons—all of the Sanwa Denshi buttons on the Atrox Xbox One are now black, which works better with the color palette.

With the simple press of the button found on the rear, owners can open the stick. Much like the external layout, the internal end of the body hasn't changed either. The USB cable compartment and joystick lever compartment are among the things that remain inside. The main PCB's housing is bigger but nothing to distract players from mounting additional modding PCBs on the returning honeycomb flooring. I would have loved to see a slightly bigger USB compartment but at the least it's possible to create a bigger one and mount it.

In terms of modding opportunities, determined competitors have enough room to add more PCBs for multiplatform compatibility like the original Atrox. Take note that opening the main PCB will void the warranty. Those who just want to keep it simple and replace parts, it's just as easy as before. The provided multi-tool can efficiently remove the Sanwa Denshi JLF lever and replace it with a Seimitsu or Crown lever.

Taking out the USB cable from its compartment, the port to connect to the Atrox Xbox One stick is different from that of the original Xbox 360 version. This new cable uses a five-pin circular connection that can also be found on the Mad Catz Arcade FightStick Tournament 2. It also locks differently through a screw-in mechanism. As a curiosity, I tested both sticks' cables to see if they work with their competitor and the result was that they do. Different from the Mad Catz version, the Razer Atrox Xbox One has the USB cable braided for additional protection. In case it ever breaks, Razer should offer the USB cable as a replacement part in its store.

Using the Atrox Xbox One stick feels just as good as the original. The anti-slip pad on the bottom stays put on the legs as well as any desk like its predecessor. The weight is well balanced to avoid worry about the stick being too heavy or too light. When playing on the Xbox One, I was able to play Killer Instinct and Dead or Alive 5: Last Round with no apparent issues from the Atrox.

Razer taking a "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" approach is interesting, but at this point, is there anything to really add to the stick? With the PlayStation 4 possibly being the flagship platform to play fighting games this generation, Razer's ignorance of the Sony platform might be detrimental. With a $199.99 price tag, it might be hard for some players to take interest.

Regardless, the Atrox Xbox One stick does its job well for maintaining its best traits from its predecessor. It might only be for the Xbox One, but for those who are going to play Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat or any other fighting game for the platform or want an Atrox stick for a new modding project, it might be a worthy investment.

The Razer Atrox Xbox One stick is available now on Razer's official store.