Smaller than American joysticks, Japanese joysticks like Sanwa require less wrist work for response, allowing you to input motions with greater speed and comfort. Of these, Sanwa joysticks are among the most responsive, making piano inputs and kara throws easier than ever. They’re also excellent at returning to neutral. While lower-quality alternatives may snap back too quickly in the opposite direction—or, on the other end of the spectrum, require you to manually move them back to neutral—Sanwa sticks need just to be let go. In games like Street Fighter, which can be won and lost in one or two frames, Sanwa makes all the difference.