Hori Fighting Commander Octa

Japan Built the Best Fighting Game Pad. Here's What It Costs to Get It in India.

Let me tell you upfront: this is not a general-purpose gamepad. The Hori Fighting Commander Octa has eight face buttons arranged in an arc, a D-pad that is arguably the best on any gamepad at this price anywhere in the world, and analog sticks so small and vestigial that you should mentally treat them as not present. If you play Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, or Guilty Gear, this is worth serious consideration. If you play anything else, it isn't.

Why the D-pad is the whole conversation

In fighting games, the D-pad is your primary input device. You're executing quarter-circles, half-circles, charge motions, and precise diagonals hundreds of times per session. On a standard gamepad - even a good one - the D-pad is built as a secondary input. The Xbox Series controller's D-pad is decent. The PS5 DualSense D-pad is better. The Hori Fighting Commander's D-pad is better still, and it's the only input here that the engineers clearly cared most about.

It has a slightly wider dish, positive click feedback on diagonals, and a resistance curve that lets you feel when you've hit the corner without looking. After using it for motion inputs, going back to a standard pad D-pad feels imprecise. That difference is what this pad is selling.

The eight-button layout mirrors the button arrangement on Japanese arcade cabinets. For SF6, the full face button row is mapped to light/medium/heavy punch and kick directly. No button combinations required. That's a real execution benefit for players transitioning from pad to stick, or who just want the arcade button feel without buying a full stick.

PC and PS4 compatibility

On PC, it connects via USB-A and is recognized as an XInput device in Windows 10 and 11. No driver installation required. PS4 compatibility is officially listed - useful if you play on both platforms. Note that this pad does not have PS5 native support; PlayStation 5 users would need to use PS4 legacy mode.

Buying in India: import duties and price variance

This is where it gets complicated. Hori is a Japanese brand and the Fighting Commander Octa is not manufactured for the Indian market. Every unit in India is an import, which means pricing is tied to the yen-to-rupee rate and import duty calculations. The ₹4,499–4,799 range I've verified is current for June 2026, but prices have historically moved ₹300–500 depending on the season and stock levels.

Games The Shop is the most reliable retailer for Hori products in India - they import officially and are your best protection against counterfeits. Amazon India also carries it, but check the seller carefully. A Hori pad sold by a third-party marketplace seller with no brand authorization should raise a flag - Hori products have been counterfeited in Asian markets and some of those units reach Indian listings.

GST is included in the prices I've listed. There are no additional charges at checkout on major platforms for most buyers. Tier-2 and tier-3 city buyers should check delivery availability before ordering from Games The Shop specifically, as their logistics network is thinner than Amazon's.

The build and the tradeoffs

The pad itself is well-built for the price - solid shell, good button quality, proper braided cable around 1.5 metres. The absence of full-size analog sticks is a design choice, not an oversight. There are small stub sticks on the pad for games that require analog input, but they're usable only for basic directional input. You cannot play a third-person action game with this pad. Do not try.

There is no wireless version of the Fighting Commander Octa. Wired is intentional for fighting games where any input latency matters.

Who should buy this

Fighting game players - anyone who seriously plays SF6, Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, Guilty Gear Strive, or similar titles and wants better execution than a standard gamepad allows without the cost and desk space of an arcade stick.

Who should skip this

Everyone else, honestly. If you play open-world games, shooters, platformers, or any game that needs full analog stick control, this pad will actively annoy you. It's also not suitable as a family or multi-use controller - the 8-button layout confuses people who expect a standard gamepad. And if ₹4,500–4,800 is your budget for a general gamepad, the Logitech F710 is a far better all-rounder at a similar price.