Narrowed down to two choices, help me pick!!
hi folks, i know that it can probably be very annoying to get posts like "oo which one should i buy" but i have genuinely been stuck on this decision for over a week now, skimmed the FAQ and megathread several times and i just want to get a wide pool of opinions from enthusiasts who would be able to weigh in
it has been a very long time since i purchased a fightstick, my last one was some stock PS4 one that i used for dengeki bunko fighting climax ignition for maybe a couple of weeks before switching back to pad, but after frequenting a nearby arcade with a superturbo cabinet, i've just been itching to relearn stick and i wanted to try something new.
initially, i was just going to pick the Mayflash F700 Elite up. it's neat, customizable (even has PVC templates for custom art which is nifty), and has a lot of compatibility for many systems, so i thought it would be a fantastic stick to help me sink my teeth into owning and customizing a more generalized stick. i voiced this to a few friend groups and FGC groups and there were a few concerns brought up. notably, despite being compatible with the PS5, it seems that the F700 Elite is actually counted as a PS4 legacy stick by the system, so it might not be supported on certain titles that don't support legacy sticks.
my local FGC has also added that the current stick-of-the-moment is the Hori Fighting Stick α. it's a larger stick, apparently it's higher quality and more compatible too, but i haven't seeen it support systems outside of PS4, PS5, and PC. the moddability doesn't seem to be terribly different, but it seems like it opens up easier on a hinge which might make modifying and troubleshooting more accessible.
since i don't really know much about the further intricacies of the sticks, i figured i would turn to a place like this where enthusiasts gather and would therefore probably know a lot more about it than i do. the plan is, in the long term, to probably have both sticks down the line, since i live in a house with six adults who play games, but i've been holding off on this purchase for a week now because i'm stunlocked on which of the two i should get first. ultimately i play on PC more so the compatibility shouldn't be as large of a factor as it is, but i can't shake it from my mind.
sorry for word vomit, which should i buy first?