This Arcade Fightstick (AFS) plays very nicely. The poker is very pleasant to use. The buttons are of good quality and the device can take a beating. The 3 meter long wire can be neatly hidden in the device and the packaging has a handle, so you can easily take this AFS with friends.
The Hori Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai (RAP) has an analog input from the poker and 9 buttons on the top. The poker is very precise and accurate to use. The ninth button is the option button and it's in a bit of an odd place. After a tip from a friend, I discovered how nice you can place your hand in front of the 8 action buttons. You can place your hand in such a way that your 3 long fingers are directly above the 6 left buttons, so that you can easily switch between, for example, 'light kick' and 'heavy punch'. The RAP runs obliquely, as you also see with keyboards.
Due to the size of the device, this AFS lies very comfortably on your lap and you quickly forget that it is on your lap. In the end it's about not being limited by the device you use and the RAP succeeds very well in that. Despite the size of the device, it is not heavy. In addition, the bottom of the RAP has special material for where your legs should come when you have it on your lap, this prevents the RAP from slipping.
The RAP has no artwork. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on your preference. It does ensure that this black/grey AFS, with white tones, looks quite neutral. It looks very solid.
The action buttons are close to the stick and are also close to each other. I found this at first getting used to, but because of the aforementioned hand placement, these buttons, which give good feedback, are very pleasant to press.
You don't automatically become a better player by using an AFS, but this RAP does make it easier to become a better player.
