Qanba Dragon Arcade Stick Review

Not all joysticks are created equal, as is always true of hardware and equipment. The disparity between low-end, mid-range, and high-end top-of-the-line technology is quite prominent in the gaming industry.

Assessing the price of hardware generally tells you how many features you will receive. The pricier tech will always have more features and better performance than the less expensive equipment.

The Qanba Dragon Joystick is a top-of-the-line arcade stick, as it is commonly referred to. The gaming industry always produces new, high-end products.

For those who pursue total perfection in their gaming experience or are always willing to experiment with new tech, the Qanba Dragon arcade stick offers new possibilities and satisfying features.

This enthusiast-level product has long excited us with its possibilities. For a few years, the Qanba Dragon has been one of the main ruling forces in the market. We will examine some of the reasons for this.

Unboxing of Qanba Dragon

The Qanba Dragon joystick comes in a standard PS4-themed box with a blue-accented colour scheme. The box includes PS4 themes, product logos, specifications, and other advertisements. The top slides off, and afterwards, the box opens like window doors, upon which you are greeted with the user manual and the Qanba Dragon resting in protective foam.

We love to have this in our collection; once you get it, you will know why we loved it.

The fight stick comes in reasonably standard packaging—nothing ordinary here. Consequently, the joystick itself is separately encircled by protective foam. This thoughtfulness was a nice touch, which we appreciated.

Design

The first thing everyone will notice about the Qanba Dragon joystick is that it is a big boy. It is one of the largest, if not the largest, arcade sticks on the market today. The fight stick weighs about 11.6 lbs and measures 20″ x 12.5″ x 5″ (all in inches).

The Qanba Dragon joystick feels top-class, but it also feels highly durable and sturdy. It has a braided wired USB cable that can wrap around two shiny posts at the back of the Qanba Dragon. The moment you pick it up, you will feel its presence, literally.

Most of the design concept is black and silver with some red accents. You get a complete line of eight Sanwa OBSF- 30 buttons. You get a shiny, critically acclaimed JSF joystick with a square gate and buttons.

The buttons are 30mm and of the highest quality on the market. The joystick sports a chrome ball at the top, adding to its appeal and class. The top area of the joystick is covered with a shiny black pixel glass sheet, and the LED panel is at the very top.

The screw holes of the pixel sheet are also covered so they don’t stand out. There are also LED lighting effects on the sides of the joystick. The unnecessary or seldom-used settings buttons are located at the centre of the LED panel at the top.

The base of the Qanba Dragon is made of metal, but the big thing to notice is that it sports two large rubber anti-slip mats. These mats can control lighting effects, game functions, and various other aspects. They also enable the large joystick to stay on a table during intense gaming sessions. The joystick’s frame is made of high-grade aluminium.

The Qanba logo is situated at the bottom of the black pixel glass sheet, covering most areas. It makes this feel and look high-class and enables the Qanba Dragon arcade stick to dwarf all other joysticks you may have seen. A 3.55mm headphone jack is also at the front near the bottom. Underneath the LED panel, you can find a touchpad. You can use this touchpad to control the Consoles.

Quite possibly, the best feature of the Qanba Dragon joystick is that it is very easily adjustable. The device can be modded incredibly easily by just flipping open the joystick. It can be opened with one move, after which all the buttons and the joystick will greet you in a transparent plastic container. You can quickly open the container to remove or replace buttons or the joystick.

One particular thing to notice about this is that such a modification does not void the product’s warranty, as you work around anything that could do so. Secondly, the cable management of the buttons is remarkably well done. No extra cable is left dangling from the buttons, and you can swap buttons quickly at any time with one motion.

The space here is large enough to store your extra buttons, headphones, or snacks. We liked the storage or modding area because the base was covered with what Qanba calls the aluminium dragon scale interior. What this interior does is that it saves anything you put inside from damage. It is elegant indeed.

All in all, we liked what we got here. It is a well-made machine designed to match its price tag of about $300$. It is eye-catching and stunning in all aspects. The designers considered most of what you see on the joystick. Everything was done with some intentions behind it. It was deliberately made to be significant.

The Braided cable gives a very premium feel. Some people may have liked a compartment for the USB cable instead of wrapping the cord. Some may even like the cable to be detachable to enable portability and quick replacement of a worn-out cable.

Shifting unnecessary buttons to the top and out of the way is also a good improvement. However, considering its large dimensions and about 5 kg weight, this is probably not a portable joystick. You won’t like to carry something this heavy or oversized, even if you can find a bag big enough. You don’t want them getting in your way when you are gaming.

Perhaps more rubber padding could have been added, as this is a large joystick and can sometimes slip on slippery surfaces. The availability of modding is also effortless in the Qanba Dragon arcade sticks for arcade cabinet machines, as explained above.

 Features and Modding

The PS3 and PS4 support the Qanba Dragon Joystick, but it also works flawlessly with a PC. Via the buttons on the LED panel, you can switch between PS3, PS4, and PC modes; you can also turn the LEDs off or on. The PlayStation consoles can quickly identify the product upon plugging in, and once you install its drivers, it will run seamlessly on a PC.

The share option, settings button, and L3 and R3 buttons are also situated simultaneously. The turbo feature is available and can be turned on via its switch. With this, you can do big combos and button-mashing without too many hassles and play more effectively.

The Qanba Dragon does not have built-in games but is compatible with games on other platforms like PS3, PS4, and PC. The importance of an audio jack cannot be overstated; you can plug your headset into the 3.5mm jack on the Qanba Dragon instead of the game platform. You can enjoy online communication in any game without getting a larger wire or resolving to less optimal means.

Speaking of headphones, they can be stored in a massive compartment under the Qanba Dragon joystick. The button and joystick chamber, protected by a plastic cover, are easily accessible. You can remove the plastic cover, swap the buttons or joystick to whatever kind you want, and put it back. It is perhaps the best feature of this particular model.

The cover protects the already installed equipment from damage and allows you to store additional buttons or anything else you want without worrying about damage. You can also modify its pixel glass sheet simply by removing it and replacing it with one of your choices.

However, it is a personal choice that can also be challenging. Adding buttons or joysticks of your choice has never been easier. Now, you can add LED buttons or your preferred buttons at your leisure.

Performance of Qanba Dragon Joystick

With the Qanba Dragon, you get what you pay for. Since you are paying the highest premium for one of the most expensive arcade joysticks, your performance is tailored to match that fact. The machine offers perfect pro-level responsiveness. The Sanwa buttons are very effective and provide the proper pushing-down or binding effect.

One reason people buy such products is to take a more hands-on or physical approach to gaming. The Qanba Dragon delivers 100 per cent on that front, as you get the appropriate response from the button presses and joystick movement. Games like Streetfighter and Tekken 7 worked exceptionally well; there was no noticeable input lag, and using the Qanba Dragon felt rewarding.

Old arcade fighting games, such as King of Fighters, also delivered the appropriate results. The JSF Joystick and the Sanwa OBSF-30 buttons ensure the best performance and equipment durability. The world’s best technology goes into making this an excellent arcade stick.

Size of Qanba Dragon

Although we loved the Qanba Dragon’s large size, we believe it might be too big for some people. It might also not be feasible for some people to use this heavy device for long gaming sessions on their laps; remember, it weighs about 5 kg or 11.6 lbs.

A table might be required in such a case. No matter what games we tried, we did not lack any move execution. The joystick was also fantastic to use. There are no issues in this regard; the Qanba Dragon is almost too good to be true.

Qanba Dragon vs. Qanba Obsidian

Naturally, you will end up comparing this joystick with the Qanba Obsidian. Not only are they from the same manufacturer, but they also offer similar specs in platforms supported and their size. You can think of the Obsidian as the predecessor to the Qanba Dragon.

The Qanba Dragon is 20 x 12.5 x 5 inches, and the Qanba Obsidian is 18.1 x 10.2 x 4.7 inches. So, it can be seen that the Qanba Dragon is much larger in all dimensions. The Qanba dragon is also significantly heavier than the Qanba Obsidian, with about a 5 lb. difference between their weights. There is a noticeable difference in the shape as well.

The Obsidian is more simplistic and box-like in shape, while the Qanba Dragon is a sleek, mean, and stunning machine. The most significant difference is their prices. The Qanba Dragon is about $100 more expensive than the Qanba Obsidian, which is nearly $200 more expensive.

The Qanba Obsidian arcade stick might be more portable because it weighs less than the Qanba Dragon. However, both are straightforward to customize.

The Dragon, however, takes customizability to another level due to its one-touch access to the storage panel, which contains buttons, etc. Lastly, the Obsidian has a longer USB cable than the Qanba Dragon. The Obsidian’s cable is 8.8“, whereas the Dragon’s is 8.5“.

Top-of-the-line Sanwa Denshi buttons. The Dragon looks more stylish and modern and offers better customization abilities. With better Sanwa products installed, it delivers a more satisfying gaming experience.

Final Thoughts

The Qanba Dragon is an all-around top-of-the-line product that offers prominent fight sticks. It introduces new features, such as the compartment and the ability to modify easily. While this is an expensive product, we feel its price is correctly reflected in its kind of product.

The product is durable and looks stunning, but I do not have any real direct issues. The buttons are incredibly satisfying to use and press, and the joystick feels sublime and works to expected efficiency levels. The buttons are 30mm, and all eight are top-of-the-line Sanwa products.

The only drawback would be that the Qanba Dragon is not realistically portable. You would probably not want to travel to tournaments with a 12 lbs. arcade stick holding you down. It is big and heavy, so it is best suited for home use. If you have the bank to spend, go for the Qanba Dragon. Keep in mind its lack of portability. It is better than the Qanba Obsidian.

If you can afford to spend that much more for the Dragon, you should. If you are not interested in regular modding, storage space, or other specific differential features on the Qanba Dragon, you can switch to the Qanba Obsidian. If you go after top-of-the-line, high-end, premium products, then the stellar Qanba Dragon is the one for you.

We believe the Qanba Dragon is the flag bearer of this particular industry as far as joysticks go. There is no real equal; it is a beast that offers extremely pleasing visuals and perfect performance. It holds features that are second to none, and its performance is exemplary. The Qanba Dragon is one of the best, if not the best, and will continue to be so for years.