Street Fighter 6 player shows off skills using rare one-handed retro controller

A Street Fighter 6 player performed a difficult combo one-handed by using an unusual retro PlayStation controller.

Combos have been a major part of competitive Street Fighter gameplay since they first appeared in Street Fighter II. Though born from an unexpected aspect of game mechanics, fans and developers at Capcom have embraced combos are part of the core gameplay.

Some combos are more complex than others, and many serious Street Fighter fans recommend the use of an arcade stick or similar controller to get the cleanest inputs. One player has just turned that advice on its head by using an extremely unusual controller.

Japanese Street Fighter 6 player Michi posted a video on Twitter/X where he demonstrates a drive rush combo as Marisa, using a one-handed retro controller from the PlayStation 1 era.

The controller used in the video was the PlayStation ASCII Grip V, an official controller that could be operated using only one hand. Roughly resembling a rounded-off TV remote, the controller features a D-pad, Triangle and Square buttons mirrored on either side, with the Cross and Circle buttons linked to trigger buttons on the rear.

The ASCII Grip V controller was designed for use with turn-based RPGs and was particularly associated with PS1 classics such as Final Fantasy VIII and Wild Arms. The theory was that it would be possible to hold the ASCII Grip V controller in one hand and consult a strategy guide, held in the other hand.

Despite the design philosophy, the ASCII Grip V is demonstrably a versatile device that could be useful as an accessibility controller. Though it only comes with a standard PlayStation connector, adaptors are available to make it compatible with USB ports.

This is also a second version of the ASCII Grip V which includes an analog thumb stick in place of the D-pad, opening up even more possibilities for what can be accomplished with only one hand.