A New Era of Fighting Game Hardware
At Sony’s State of Play showcase on June 4, the company introduced a brand-new piece of hardware: Project Defiant, its first-ever wireless fight stick, developed entirely in-house. This marks a significant move in Sony’s broader strategy to expand its presence in the competitive fighting game community—especially as the company co-produces Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls with Arc System Works and holds co-ownership of the legendary EVO tournament.
Designed for PlayStation 5 and PC, Project Defiant is expected to hit shelves in 2026.
Built for Precision and Performance
Project Defiant sports a clean and modern design in PlayStation’s signature black-and-white aesthetic. On the left sits a classic joystick, while the right side houses a bank of mechanical action buttons engineered for fast and accurate response. The joystick itself supports tool-free restrictor gate swapping between square, circular, and octagonal gates, giving players versatile control options based on their playstyle or specific game.
Additional features include a touchpad (just like on the DualSense controller), PS, Share, Options, and L3/R3 buttons, along with a dedicated joystick mode switch for adapting to different game inputs.
Ultra-Low Latency with PlayStation Link
One of Project Defiant’s standout features is its low-latency wireless connection, made possible by PlayStation Link—Sony’s proprietary wireless standard previously used in its high-end audio gear. This technology now finds new life in fighting games, where frame-perfect input can determine the outcome of a match.
The controller also supports USB-C wired play, with a rear-mounted port for PS5 or PC use. Whether you prefer wired reliability or wireless freedom, Project Defiant offers both.
Thoughtful Design for Competitive Gamers
Sony has built Project Defiant with durability and ergonomics in mind. The controller features an integrated storage compartment for keeping extra restrictor gates and the PlayStation Link USB receiver. Each unit comes with a rugged cross-body carrying case, designed with an open-top structure to protect the joystick during travel.
Like Sony’s official DualSense controllers, Project Defiant also supports wake-from-rest mode on PS5 via the PS button—an increasingly standard convenience for console users.
Release Plans and the Road Ahead
Sony has not yet revealed the official product name, price, or exact release date for Project Defiant. However, the company confirmed the device will arrive sometime in 2026, with more details to come in the near future.
With this launch, Sony isn’t just expanding the PlayStation hardware ecosystem—it’s staking a stronger claim in the world of competitive fighting games, where precision and timing are everything.