Shoryuken Review: HORI Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa

HORI’s Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX arcade sticks are some of the most desirable sticks out on the market today. They’ve also been the ones that we here at Shoryuken have yet to get our hands on for a proper review–until now.

To end our HORI VLX review drought, the fine folks over at Arcade Shock have stepped in to provide us with a review copy of the latest edition of the VLX: the Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

The Basics

The Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa is the latest iteration of HORI’s VLX line of high-end arcade sticks. As most of you already know, the VLX part of the name refers to the fact that the stick is designed to reproduce the control panel of the Taito Vewlix arcade cabinet (in the case of the VLX Hayabusa, the red Vewlix F) used for many modern Japanese arcade games.

Despite being based on the Vewlix however, the VLX does not mount an actual Vewlix top panel. While this may disappoint some folks who’re thinking of mods, such as mounting the 2 player version of said panel, this is understandable considering the VLX’s already hefty size.

At a whopping 22.5 inches by 10 inches, the VLX is one of the largest home arcade sticks ever built, dwarfed in size only by certain 2-player monstrosities such as the Sega Virtua Stick and X-Arcade Tankstick. Were it made any larger to accommodate an actual Vewlix panel, then the thought of carrying a VLX around to tournaments and events would likely move from somewhat difficult to downright ludicrous.

This latest edition of the VLX features HORI’s Hayabusa line of arcade parts. The Hayabusa lever has already been around for awhile, the Hayabusa buttons, however, are a new addition, replacing their previous line of Kuro buttons.

Design & Build Quality

Similar to the original Taito Vewlix, and unlike most other home arcade sticks, the RAP Premium VLX line features a good amount of metal in its body, with the only plastic parts being the rear panel facing away from the player.

Next to the Vewlix based design, this nearly all-metal body is arguably one of the biggest draws of the VLX line. Aside from the sturdiness of the material, metal also adds a bit more weight than plastic. This added weight gives the stick a stability in lap play normally only seen only in wooden sticks or older, American style arcade sticks.

Like the Vewlix control panel that it’s based on (as well as many other premium arcade sticks), the VLX’s top panel opens to allow access to the stick’s innards. The top panel features a large metal hinge that spans the entire width of the stick. This large single hinge should help prevent issues with hinge failures–something that more than a few folks have experienced with older Razer sticks (including our own review copy).

As for the parts, while there were initial doubts about HORI’s own line of arcade parts when they first debuted, many of those have now been put to rest. The Hayabusa line is now seeing action in actual arcades and has proved a worthy competitor to the traditional Sanwa and Seimitsu parts.

The only weak point in the design seems to be the door to the cable compartment which seems to want to fall off almost on its own. Further inspection shows that the lever action of the door against the floor of the compartment when fully opened causes it to pop off the hinges. That said, the lid popping off is still a better option than anything snapping or breaking off.

Ergonomics

As with most retail arcade sticks these days, the VLX uses the now ubiquitous Taito Vewlix layout. However, the stick takes this one step further by using the exact layout used in the cabinets, and not just an approximation.

The good news is that this means that all the ergonomic advantages of the layout are maintained. With the buttons close to the center, the right hand falls naturally on them, with the thumb resting easily on the X button.

However, those who would prefer a wider layout will be somewhat disappointed. With the wider space allowed by the VLX’s design, some may probably wish that the lever was mounted a bit further to the left.

One advantage of the wide layout however is the fact that, despite having the Options/Start button on the face of the top panel, it’s far enough away that it’s not that easy to hit accidentally.

As for palm space, the VLX has the player rest their palm on the angled surface on the front panel. Players used to the original Mad Catz Tournament Edition (itself copying from the Vewlix) will likely by familiar with this arrangement. However, those used to newer sticks with a flat palm area may need time to adjust.

As previously mentioned, the VLX is a pretty heavy stick. While lap play with it is fine, the weight may mean that some players may feel the need to take some breaks every now and then. Additionally, the wide form factor means that folks who play on the floor may have a harder time finding a comfortable position with it.

As for the actual arcade hardware used, whether or not players will enjoy them depends on their preferences in sticks. The Hayabusa lever is unchanged from previous iterations, meaning that it still feels like a looser Sanwa JLF. Compared to the latter, the Hayabusa takes a smidge less effort to move which some players may like, while others may not.

The Hayabusa push buttons on the other hand are a marked improvement over HORI’s previous line of Kuro buttons. Many players felt that the plungers of the latter sat a bit high and that the actuation force required to depress them made them feel somewhat mushy or sticky. The new Hayabusa buttons address those with plungers that sit lower than on other push buttons. Additionally, the rims of the Hayabusa’s are lower as well, preventing fingers from scratching along their edges.

Customization

As is standard for most premium level arcade sticks these days, the VLX features an opening top panel. More precisely, the VLX pioneered this feature for arcade sticks in this current generation.

Unlike the offerings from Mad Catz and Razer however, the the VLX’s top panel doesn’t open with the simple push of a button. Rather, the top panel is secured with three hand twistable thumbscrews. These screws, which PC builders should be familiar with, are located in the wire compartment and can be unseated by hand. However, using a screwdriver still makes the job much easier.

Take note that the top panel is quite heavy and, since the hinge has no locking function, there’s a risk of inadvertently letting it slam shut on unsuspecting fingers (as is what happened to us during the course of this review).

Once open, the VLX provides access to all that’s needed to remove and replace the Hayabusa lever and buttons. The package itself comes with two button plugs which we promptly used to seal up the last two buttons to make this a true 6-button stick. The buttons that were removed were then attached to the spare button mounting clips built into the stick.

As for the lever, the mounting bracket provided will fit not only the HORI Hayabusa, but also the Sanwa JLF and, with the use of alternate mounting plates, competing offerings from Seimitsu and even Crown. However, as with most Japanese based arcade sticks, mounting an American or European lever wont be as easy, if possible at all.

One thing that the VLX doesn’t do that other sticks allow is the easy swapping of top panel art. To be as close to the arcade as possible, all VLXs have their top panel art printed on a laminated sticker stuck to the metal top panel. Those looking to change their art will either have to find a acrylic cover or buy a replacement top panel with its own printed art.

Performance

As with all native PlayStation 4 arcade sticks, the HORI RAP Premium VLX Hayabusa has a switch that allows it to be used on PlayStation 3s. Switching is simple enough with a toggle on the top panel. In addition to the PlayStation consoles, the VLX Hayabusa is also recognized by the PC and should work with most PC games barring any compatibility issues.

As for lag, we tested the VLX Hayabusa against a Mad Catz TE2 by wiring up a single button to both controllers. Using this method, we found no significant lag difference between controllers. Using Street Fighter V’s Ryu and his standing jab as a base, we recorded more trades with only a couple of counter hits in favor of the HORI.

That said, we did run into an annoying issue where both controllers would keep logging into the same account and not allow the player to log in as someone else. As a workaround, we were forced to run the tests in legacy mode, so results may vary in native PS4 mode.

Value

The VLX has always been an expensive stick to obtain. The Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa that we tested is currently only available in North America as an import-only item from Arcade Shock with a hefty $299.99 price tag. It shares that price with the only other VLX available in North America at the moment, the older RAP4 VLX Kuro.

Feature for feature, many cheaper arcade sticks stack up quite well to the VLX. The question now then is whether or not the extra level of over-engineering and aesthetic attention to detail is worth the price of entry.

The answer to this likely comes down to personal preferences, and whether or not someone looks at arcade sticks as not just controllers, but as works of art and engineering worth admiring and collecting.

A better comparison would be towards one off bespoke, custom arcade sticks. Many of these will surpass the level of detail and engineering seen in the VLX, however these come at a premium and many will go for prices above that of the VLX. HORI might just have hit the sweet spot between your everyday consumer arcade sticks and high end, bespoke customs.

Conclusion

Let’s cut to the chase, the HORI Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX Hayabusa, as with all HORI VLX arcade sticks, isn’t for everyone. Aside from the steep price of entry, not everybody will require this kind of over-engineering or this attention to detail.

However, as a specialist premium item for enthusiasts, the VLX Hayabusa is hard to beat. The level of engineering and detail here is unsurpassed in the realm of consumer arcade sticks. The only way to get something similar to this would be to commission a one-off custom.

It is these high-end customs that are, in truth, the VLX’s real competition and indeed, it provides decent value for money against those and may be the perfect gateway for any would-be collectors and aficionados not yet willing to shell out more for these.

Pros

• Metal casing provides a level of sturdiness not seen in cheaper arcade sticks.
• Weight makes it very stable.
• Easy open top panel allows for quick access to the internals.
• Official Taito license brings the closest you can get to an actual Vewlix arcade cabinet on your lap.
• Hayabusa buttons are a marked improvement over Kuros.

Cons

• Large size makes it hard to carry around to tournaments and events.
• Steep price.
• The looseness of the Hayabusa lever may not be for everyone
• Can’t easily change top panel art.