The first thing you’ll notice upon picking up PDP’s Mortal Kombat X fight pad, is how light and comfortable it is. The Dualshock 3 and 4 feel sort of heavy by comparison, and normally I consider those controllers to be on the light side as well. It features an ergonomic grip, which provides better handling of the controller. Instead of following the DS4 and 3’s traditional button layout, the fight pad has an arcade style 6 button layout, with the L1 and R1 buttons in front, and a more traditional d-pad.

The share and option buttons are brilliantly placed at the top of the controller between the L2 and R2 buttons, keeping them out of the way to avoid accidental pausing, or going into the share menu when in an online match. Despite the controller’s small size, accidentally hitting the wrong buttons when playing never becomes a reality, thanks to their placement and the fact that they are bigger than those on the dualshocks. The face buttons are all micro-switches, providing the player with tactile and audio feedback with each press. Thankfully the clicks are not obnoxiously loud, unlike the many arcade sticks out there.

Having spent ample time using this product with both Injustice: Gods Among Us and Mortal Kombat X, I can gladly tell you that it works almost flawlessly. Executing combos is easier with the MKX fight pad compared to the PS4 and PS3 controllers, thanks to its more precise directional pad and super responsive buttons. I definitely feel like a better player using the pad, compared to the Dualshock 4. The arcade style button layout allows for better performance. With the throw and interact buttons, now placed next to the ones for punching and kicking, kombat just flows better. There were moments though, where my character would not perform a specific special attack, despite my hitting the correct command. Fortunately they have been very rare occurrences and do not warrant any major concern.

There haven’t been any instances of input lag and the fact that it is wired, means you won’t have to worry about the minuscule lag accompanied with wireless controllers when playing online. You also do not have to worry about batteries dying on you, during long play sessions. For those of you who prefer to play in ‘claw style’ (Claw grip), you’ll be happy to know that the fight pad’s layout supports it.

The MKX fight pad is backwards compatible with the PlayStation 3, so anyone who wants the game for it can still purchase this controller. One flick of the switch at the bottom and you are good to go. Simple and easy. PDP did good by allowing this; saves those who eventually upgrade to the PS4 version from having to buy a brand new fight pad.

While this is an impressive product, it isn’t without its problems. PS4 owners who want to play online and trash talk while doing so, will require a wireless headset. Sadly there isn’t a port for wired models, meaning you’ll have to play multiplayer without the ability to communicate. By comparison, Madcatz’ Street Fighter IV fight pads were compatible with wired headsets, but they were also bulkier so headset compatibility may have been sacrificed in order to attain its current size and weight.

Another issue involves the exclusion of the DS4’s touch pad. Though the touch pad serves no purpose during MKX’s gameplay, the option to go fullscreen when playing/spectating in certain online game modes is assigned to it, meaning you’ll have to play like this:

The severity of this issue depends on the player, their preference and the size of their monitors. Personally it doesn’t bother me at all, but it is something worth noting. Especially if you game on a smaller sized screen.

Final Verdict: If you are looking to step your game up in Mortal Kombat X or even Injustice, then pick this bad boy up. Unless you would find yourself insanely bothered by its very short list of flaws, I have a hard time not recommending this to you. The Mortal Kombat X fight pad delivers comfort and damn near perfect precision. Priced at $50, it is a really great alternate to the more expensive and heavier arcade sticks.

Overall Score: 9.0/10

RGN Rating: Gold Product

Manufacturer: PDP | Performance Design Products

Available: Now

Also available for: Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Price: $49.99

Review Product info: This fightpad was provided to RealGamerNewz by the manufacturer for the purpose of this review.