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Eightarc Fusion and PS3 Onyx review by EventHubs

Posted by Nyoro — November 9, 2011 at 9:28 a.m. PST

Nyoro is reviewing Eightarc's Ebony Fusion and ISO PS3 Onyx today. Eightarc is looking to improve their presence among the fighting game community by offering a high-quality stick line that includes a dual mod arcade stick straight out of the box. Catalyst and SFilp also added their input into this review.

If you're willing to invest a stick of this level of quality, we recommend Eightarc foremost for their build dependency and product choices. This applies to the dual modded Fusion and those who have to deal with the hassle of switching sticks on the fly or to those who want the excellent wood finish of the Onyx.

Hit the jump to see the full review.

Overview

Fusion (Left) and Onyx (Right)

It's easy to get some of the Eightarc arcade sticks mixed up because a lot of them share similar components and styles but it's important to know how to separate each one if you're a curious about the products.

The Ebony Fusion is a dual-modded arcade stick that works on the Xbox 360 and PS3. It also can function as a PC device with its own separate drivers. This one is made out of a hard plastic, similar to the MadCatz TE.

The ISO PS3 Onyx will work on the PS3 or PC. This one has a case of solid wood.

Each stick has its unique qualities that separate it from each other.

Extras and Tidbits

If you're a fan of saving fancy packaging for later use then you will not be disappointed. Both of the Eightarc sticks come in a black double-covered box with a red velvet interior. It also has a reflective logo on the second cover and the fightstick is fitted very neatly into the box with Styrofoam fitting. Excellent presentation.

The arcade sticks also come with extra components as well. The Fusion and Onyx both come with a wipe cloth to remove fingerprints from the top of the stick and two button plugs to switch your stick from 8 to 6 button-mode whenever you like.

The Fusion is also packaged with a single-ear headset. This is important, as the headphone connector on the stick is larger than the Xbox 360's headset audio jack. Tests with the Fusion's headset proves that it's not a cheap knockoff and works well over Xbox Live.

Buttons and Joystick

All Eightarc sticks use Sanwa joystick and button hardware. For those unfamiliar with joystick components, Sanwa buttons are known for activating upon a delicate touch and are renowned for high quality and resistance to damage from mashing.

Removing or replacing either the joystick or the buttons is incredibly easy on either arcade stick. There's a lot of space to maneuver around inside and they took care to make sure all Sanwa buttons are installed at a certain angle so that it's easier to remove them using only your fingers. Even the quick disconnects which are attached to each button came off without extra wrangling.

When it comes to button layout, the Fusion definitely has the Onyx beaten. The Onyx annoyingly has the non-gameplay buttons on the sides meaning that you're likely to press them while moving the joystick around. The Fusion on the other hand has all the non-gameplay buttons on the upper part of the surface within a recess, meaning no accidental button presses.

It's easy to avoid pressing the Sanwa buttons on the side of the Onyx by grabbing the stick at the back corners, but it's still annoying that you have to remember to do that.

The Fusion's non-gameplay buttons are also non-Sanwa and actually require a nice amount of pressure in order to be depressed, meaning that the possibility of pressing a button during a match even if your hand slips is next to zero.

To switch consoles while using the Fusion, you merely push a indented switch at the top of the stick. It's that easy.

Size, Weight and Balance

If you're not accustomed to playing with a fightstick, these Eightarc sticks will seem large to you. The Fusion imposes an intimidating presence weighing in at roughly 10 lbs (4.5 kg) and with an area dimension of 15.5 inches (40 cm) by 10 inches (25.5 cm) The Onyx has the exact same dimensions and weight with the only exception being that the length is slightly shorter.

The sizes of the sticks come into play when transportation of them is necessary. If you're a person who travels to events regularly, be warned that you're going to need a well-sized bag to carry either of these sticks around. I was able to fit either stick into the EVO Stick Sack, so a reasonably large messenger bag should be good enough.

The weight doesn't seem to be that big of a factor even when playing on a lap though; this is probably due to the well-distributed weight of both joysticks. Also, the extra area gave my hands and wrists much-needed resting space, which resulted in more comfort than before.

Both the Fusion and the Onyx come with velvet covers on the bottom. This feature is great at creating friction between your legs and the base of the joystick, preventing movement during matches. Even though I am pretty rough on the joystick and buttons when I play fighting games, neither stick has ever threatened to fall off my lap once.

Players who place their joystick on the floor will like to know that the velvet covers on the bottom of each stick works as an anti-slip on carpets as well. There are also rubber feet for players who place their joystick on smooth floors. Once again, Eightarc covers all of the bases.

Catalyst's Input

I picked up the EightArc Fusion because I wanted a dual modded joystick for tournaments and other gatherings. I'd been playing on an original Mad Catz TE FightStick since the early days of Street Fighter 4. Even though the sticks are both Sanwa parts, they feel slightly different.

This might be the felt bottom and the base not sliding around as much as I'm used to, and the natural adjustments I was making to compensate for the sliding, though. After a few days, I got used to my stick not moving around as much, and my execution got back to the same level in short order.

USB Cable and Syncing

The Onyx comes with a detachable USB cord, unlike the Fusion whose cord is permanently attached. This detachable cord is an excellent feature which removes some of the hassle of shoving cords carefully into compartments or wrapping them around sticks. It also preserves the solid wooden construction of the Onyx.

The Fusions' cord is 8' 2" long (2.50 meters) and the Onyx cord is 10' long (3.05 meters). While I tend to play about six feet away from my TV, those who play farther away might consider this factor.

The Fusion has a large compartment to store its cable on the left side. While I am disappointed that it doesn't use the detachable USB cord feature from the Onyx series, it's still pretty easy to store the cable away since the size of the compartment is pretty big.

When it comes to syncing to consoles, the Fusion had no problems syncing to the Xbox 360 or the PS3. The Onyx synced to a PS3 with no problems as well. When you plug either the Fusion with PC mode enabled or the Onyx into a PC, each gets recognized as a separate game controller with its own drivers. The Fusion can also install itself as an Xbox 360 controller on your PC should you choose that mode before you plug it in. This is a really great flexibility factor that I appreciate very much.

Overall Review

If you are looking for the best dual-modded fightstick on the market right now, then there's nothing that can match the Eightarc's Fusion Ebony. The amount of flexibility it offers with control schemes and the excellent construction value coupled with the great price make it a fantastic choice. High quality hardware and easy moddability combine to bring this superb stick to the fighting game community.

If you're not interested in the dual-console feature or are searching for a cheaper Eightarc stick then the PS3 Onyx stick will work very well for you. It has better shell construction than the Fusion and is equipped the same high-quality features with a tradeoff between the detachable USB cord and the non-gameplay buttons being on the side instead of the top.

If you're willing to spend to get your dual modded stick, the Fusion is the cheapest and easiest alternative on the market with the bonus of having high quality. If you want the best PS3/PC fightstick out there then the Onyx should be your first choice.

Fusion Rating:
9.5/10

Onyx Rating:
9.5/10

The Fusion Ebony is sold out on the official site. They expect it to be restocked soon, so keep an eye out for it. The PS3 Onyx is available now.

• Fusion @ Eightarc.com — $189.99.
• Onyx @ Eightarc.com — $154.99.

Comments

MODOKKK said on November 9, 2011 at 9:39 a.m.

hopefully dual mod will become the standard

zores said on November 9, 2011 at 9:54 a.m.

it will never be the standard for officially licensed sticks like by microsoft sticks like madcatz until microsoft changes their policy

MaysTheCraze said on November 9, 2011 at 9:54 a.m.

Agreed. Damn, those sticks look sexy!

TEFightSTands said on November 9, 2011 at 9:55 a.m.

Been eying these since I first saw them, I would really like to get one soon. If only they had a dual mod in the wood case, Ive heard that one is really solid and should stand up to my rage attacks!

Cuban said on November 9, 2011 at 9:59 a.m.

Seconding the review. I bought the Fusion shortly after first hearing about it here a month'ish ago and it's pretty gdlk. I will agree that the button presses "feel" slightly different, but it's so minor it really isn't worth considering as responsiveness and such are still the same as a TE. I tried doing combos, SJC's and such in training mode and found the same consistency as I did with the Round 1 and 2 TE so yeah. Pretty much awesome, not gonna lie. I would but this stick 20 times before buying a TE just because of the dual mod let alone the other features (the felt bottom is awesome +1).

Cuban said on November 9, 2011 at 10:01 a.m.

Dual mod + wood case = Delicious!

If only...

mufnman said on November 9, 2011 at 10:11 a.m.

So is it octo gate or square????

WorstGiefEVER said on November 9, 2011 at 10:26 a.m.

Give me six buttons, and two buttons somewhere else ala Sega Virtua Stick High Grade!

GlassTop said on November 9, 2011 at 10:29 a.m.

This stick sounds delicious. I play my fight games on PS3. Too bad I love the pad more than a stick. And with all these pros winning tourny's and stuff(Wolfkrone and Hi Im Nasty most recently) it gives me confidence in just sticking to a pad. Only problem with the pad is that I have delicate hands and whenever I get to gaming, I get blisters really bad. Guess I need to find a glove or something that wont hinder my gameplay.

Lion_Jak said on November 9, 2011 at 10:49 a.m.

YAY!!!! These things are so sexy but damn I wish the fusion were in stock now!

#10

NMS84 said on November 9, 2011 at 10:55 a.m.

I got my PS3 Onyx two days ago and I have only good things to say about it. It looks awesome, it feels awesome and it plays awesome. I highly recommend it and agree 100 percent with the review. Also, I live in Sweden and was worried that it would take weeks before I got it or that there would be something wrong with it when it arrived, but it came after 8 days and in perfect condition. The shipment fee was a bit high (75$) but in the end, it was worth it. They also sent e-mails, giving information about payment, delivery and the status of the shipment. Excellent service, great company and awesome product. 10/10.

@mufnman: It has a square gate.

#11

mufnman said on November 9, 2011 at 10:57 a.m.

@NMS84: Alrighty then. Guess I have some minor modding to do lol

#12

okay said on November 9, 2011 at 11:06 a.m.

"If you're willing to spend to get your dual modded stick, the Fusion is the cheapest and easiest alternative on the market with the bonus of having high quality."

The Qanba Q4 RAF is only $149.99. The Fusion is a rebadged Q4 RAF for $35 more; it's $184.99 and not $189.99 like the review states. The only difference worth mentioning is that the start button has been moved to where the mode button was. For some, the difference may be worth it since an accidental pause may mean a DQ. Here is their thread on SRK http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?...

#13

xShonuffx said on November 9, 2011 at 11:07 a.m.

#2 Exactly, Microsoft needs to get off that mess.

It's funny, I sent this news tip to SRK.com like a week ago when 1up.com did a review and I did'nt see anything on their site (at least not yet). This is why I roll with Eventhubs. They look out for the small ontributions as well a the big ones.

nice to see someone checking out the stick. Duel Modded sticks is a must for tournament players.

#14

KingAdon said on November 9, 2011 at 12:09 p.m.

The Qanba Q4RAF is dual modded, and it's about $150 USD. It also has a carrying handle. The one downside is the Start button is near the gameplay buttons.

#15

GeeK said on November 9, 2011 at 1:33 p.m.

#2
Yeah. I love what Markman has done for the community and the TE is a solid piece of hardware, best stick i have owned so far, but they are really handicapped by MS on this matter.

Dual modding is a deal breaker for pretty much most of the people who are into this and personally i want to get one of this over any of the new TEs that are coming out soon.

To be honest Eightarc seems to have taken Madcatz standard and upped it by a notch and this is good. Now we have a good ol' fashioned competition and the ones who will benefit of this are the consumers.

#16

My25CentsUp said on November 9, 2011 at 2:03 p.m.

My next stick will be a dual mod for road games. As long as it has Sanwa parts, I'll buy the lower priced stick. I'll probably get a Qanba. I use a Hori for my PS3.

#17

kpxcho said on November 9, 2011 at 2:28 p.m.

MS will probably never change their policy nor make their security chip available to the public, too much money is made on "officially licensing" peripherals, and most likely in the future sony will start jumping on the boat for more peripheral security for newer generations of consoles. They have already had a few patches to not recognize certain USB devices for fear of hacking the console.

Not to be a douche or anything, but I'm sort of tired of people saying "madcatz should dual mod! dual mod should be standard!" NO ONE IS ARGUING THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, EVERYONE WANTS DUAL MODS SHOULD HAPPEN, the annoying part is when everyone talks about it but doesn't really do anything about it.

Sorry about my rant, but every time I hear talk about wishes of "out of box dual mods", it just sounds like to me a stoner circle jerk of how marajuana should be legalized. Until you're going out of your basement and actively lobbying for these changes or trying to make it an issue, you're still just a stoner in your basement.

#18

Mabans said on November 9, 2011 at 3:17 p.m.

@1 Me too..

@18 What exactly can we do? I want there to be a standard dual mod stick but aside from making suggestions there really is much to do but support companies like eightarc. You make the weed comparison but there is something we can actively like vote.. You complained about it as well but offered no insight into where to go, how to approach etc. Good valid point, wrong subject to use it on.

BTW EightArc, has voting on subjects like this on their facebook regularly. They use taht a lot ot gauge what the community wants. I'm waiting to vote Pearl Fusion, the alternative till then do it myself.

#19

I_H8_UnitySnow said on November 9, 2011 at 4:38 p.m.

I HATE SQUARE GATE!
Games are 8 directions not 4!
It's been that way since the 80s and is the same NOW!!

#20

kpxcho said on November 9, 2011 at 4:39 p.m.

@19

Sorry I didn't add any ideas in order to try and make it happen, but I am not really a think tank nor was the point of that post about some sort of call to arms for change itself, it was mostly how I'm just sick of people "preaching to the choir" and saying the same things in a recursive loop. Its just a broken record to me.

I am COMPLETELY OPEN TO IDEAS, and if you wanted to bounce some ideas on how to force MS/SONY to stop limiting their peripherals, I would be more than happy to talk. I COMPLETELY agree with you that one of the solutions is to support companies like eightarc, but some things off the top of my head would be to petition or create huge discussion threads in xbox forums about the security chip (boycotting worked in removing restrictions on SSF4AE for PC edition, capcom listened). Either way, the main solution is to get a lot of support from the rest of the overall FGC and even just general gaming community.

#21

spambot said on November 9, 2011 at 4:52 p.m.

damn whats a guy gotta do to get an xbox 360 stick under $100
THAT HAS 8 BUTTONS, NOT 6!

not that i don't think these sticks are nice but im hesitant to pay so much for a stick with out having a lot of people to play against

#22

DarkBurialX said on November 9, 2011 at 5:19 p.m.

When is the eightarc fusion stick going to restock? I want to buy one since it's compatible with ps3, 360, and pc. Also, the stick looks awesome.

#23

Smorgasboard said on November 9, 2011 at 6:15 p.m.

Do we really need to pay an extra $180 to play fighting games?

#24

angrypeon said on November 9, 2011 at 8:01 p.m.

@24

A lot of people think its worth the investment. If you think it's too expensive you don't have to buy it.

If you think $180 is too expensive, you should see what some Starcraft 2 players shell out for their gaming gear.

#25

Mabans said on November 10, 2011 at 9:22 a.m.

@21 Boycotting did work but it was also a direct, clear plan of what to do. Not to mention the effort was sign a petition and threatening NOT to buy the game. Honestly I don't know if you have realized but we HAVE been actively doing things to show these companies what we want.. We've been dual modding for HOW LONG? Exchanging tutorials, tips, videos, pdfs with selling each other parts, services even. This is why companies like EightArc and Qanba (same company pretty much) are 1st to really jump into the market with their products and those are the companies that SHOULD be supported for giving us what we want. The next step is something a bit more reliable than Akishop's solution. It's great, I love the direction it is going but the lack of updates is killing me. I know it's easy to be like "F$%^& them!" We DEMAND and answer when the answer is quite clear. Don't' support akishop and support Paewang which offer a similar and in some opinions, better.

#26

Izagaia said on November 10, 2011 at 9:37 p.m.

If my memory serves me correctly, then I believe what really serves these fightsticks well, beyond the overall quality, is the fact that you can purchase seperate flexi panels for them directly off of their site. I assmue for modding purposes? Which I find rather beneficial since I can't say that I am huge fan of the company's logo blazing across the entire top panel. I myself, would rather see either no design or something of my own liking. This is good, IMO.

#27

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