Back in 2010, HORI shocked the world (or at least the part that cares about arcade sticks) with the release of their Real Arcade Pro Premium VLX. Modeled after the control panel of the Taito Vewlix arcade cabinet, the VLX pioneered a number of features, such as the flip open top panel, that have since become standard in premium arcade sticks.
Now, in partnership with Arcade Shock, they are bringing the VLX back with the Real Arcade Pro 4 Premium VLX Kuro for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. This stick will see an extremely limited release, available through Arcade Shock, HORI USA, and HORI Japan.
As with the previous VLX peripherals, this collaborative project is modeled after Taito’s Vewlix design (this time, the black Vewlix L cabinet), and brings with it the same easy open top panel. Additionally, the VLX Kuro uses HORI’s own line of arcade parts–the Hayabusa lever and Kuro buttons–found in some Vewlix cabinets.
One new feature not available in earlier models is a new touch panel attached to the back of the stick. Similar to those featured in the HORI RAP.4 Kai and RAP.V Hayabusa, this allows players on PlayStation 4 to use features that benefit from the touch panel, such as text input or menu navigation, without having to switch to a seperate controller.
The HORI RAP 4 VLX Kuro will be available for $299 on May 1, with pre-orders open now. While the asking price may seem steep, this is actually quite a steal considering that the original, mint condition Red and Diamond VLXs now command prices as high as $550 in the collectors market.
Be sure to follow the links above and grab one before they’re gone!