Description
Introducing the Panzer Fight Stick 4
| Price Includes FREE WORLD WIDE Shipping! Please review production timelines detailed below before ordering. |
The Panzer Fight Stick 4 is here. It follows design influences from the original, launched in 2013, and has a little bit of something from every iteration between then and today. When you see it, you know it’s a JasensCustoms.com fight stick.
Revolutionary? I wouldn’t say so. It seems like a metal box. Uninspired and boring. I did this in 2013 with the original Panzer , and since then, others have followed suit. At face value I would agree; it might be seen as boring. Sheet metal isn’t sexy. Unless you invest tens of thousands of dollars in metal stamping equipment and specialized stamps, or cut a bunch of small parts and weld them together, it stays rather flat. Just because the design is rather plain at first glance doesn’t mean it isn’t wonderful and that’s what I strive for. My goal from the start was creating a fight stick that serves as a canvas for you to make your own from start to finish with choice in layout, buttons, levers, and art (or lack thereof!) just how you want it..
Like all my Fight Sticks to date, the Panzer Fight Stick 4 doesn’t have fancy opening clamshells with weak hinges that break. There are no thin panels that will rust out. No large gaps between the two halves of the case, and no plastic casings that feel cheap. I didn’t use acrylic panels with finger joints or T-nut style assembly, and there isn’t a single 3D printed part on the case.
What does it have?
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- A thick aluminum chassis (2mm!) powder coated with support for multiple layouts and swappable panels. They are strong, rust resistant, and lightweight.
- Countersunk screws on the chassis holding it together for a sleek, yet strong look.
- A removable top panel, common to the Madcatz TE, so both builders and modders benefit from the new production of Panzer 4 parts. Panels are cold rolled steel to add some weight to the final build.
- A custom EZ wiring system that works with all of Brook’s mainline fighting boards (UFB, PS4, PS4+, etc.) leveraging the PFS 2.0 and PFS 3 System of Systems and EZ BUILD concepts.
- A custom Auxiliary area that not only has all aux buttons (home, start, select, L3, R3, TouchPad Click, and Turbo) but also has LED indicators for Player and Turbo functionality! Each aux button is actuated with custom machined aluminum caps inspired by the work I did on the Panzer M and Unibody.
- A unique, premium bottom pad with pressure sensitive adhesive that feels comfortable on your lap but will also keep your stick in place when used on a table. These are the same pads I used on the Panzer 3i, just a different size and without holes for feet threaded insert access.
PRODUCTION INFO: I produce these in batches of FIVE. Meaning, as soon as FIVE OF ONE COLOR IS ORDERED I start making them. They ship about 18-21 days from production start. At the very least, they will be produced starting on the 15th of each month!
Example Build
Quick Jump to:
Color Examples (from the Panzer 3i Series) – Scroll through for examples.
The Panzer Fight Stick Legacy
I didn’t start making Fight Sticks with the intention of turning it into a business. In 2012 I built a SuperGun and needed a controller to use. Based off a build photo I saw on the NEO-GEO forums using a Hammond Enclosure, I broke out my tools, paint, and wiring skills, then got to work to replicate what I saw. It was functional and nice when done but it was labor intensive and prone to human error when drilling, sanding, painting, and wiring. As I worked on the project, I kept thinking there had to be a better way to do this… someone has to offer an arcade stick shell I can use for other builds. After a few days poking around on the internet, I couldn’t find anything that fit my needs, so I opened up CAD and designed my own. Once it was designed and the final case was built I knew it was going to simplify my future builds and I thought it was neat. I began showing it off to friends and forum members across the internet and the next thing I knew, people were asking me to make them one as well. Jasen’s Customs was born; and little did I know that 10 years later I would be still toiling away trying to find new ways to build functional, high quality all metal fight sticks that were accessible to everyone no matter what their skill level was with a screw driver.
All Panzer Fight Stick 4 Chassis orders include:
- The chassis in the color of your choice. Limited colors available during the first launch!
- Colors during the launch period include: Black, White, Gray, Blue, and Red.
- The EZ Wiring PCB, Aux Area PCB, and wiring for both lever-based panels and the Hitbox/Shiokenstar panels. This will ensure you can use any panel at any time with your new chassis.
- 5x Light Pipes for the LEDs in the Auxiliary Area.
- 7x Machined Aluminum and anodized button caps for the Auxiliary Area.
- 4x plastic stand offs to use between the fighting board of your choice and the EZ Wiring PCB.
- 6x M4 screws to hold the panel of your choice in place. (Panels purchased separately)
- 4x Long 4-40 screws for the EZ WIRING and Fighting Board attachment.
- 6x Short 4-40 screws for the Auxiliary Area PCB fitment.
- 1x Bottom Pad.
What you need to provide:
- Any D-Size passthrough for the cable connection to your fighting board. Often this is just USB 2.0 by Neutrik or Switchcraft. They come in both black and silver. Switchcraft normally includes mounting hardware. Neutrik does not. Keep this in mind. These are common and the best quality connector that looks the best. I have used them for years and love them.
- Internal cable (USB most likely) to connect the Fighting Board to your Cable Connection. These can be short, perhaps 12” at the longest. Monoprice.com has the best pricing on these generally.
- The Panzer 4 Panel of your choosing, as well as lever and buttons for the layout of your choice. These are separate items to keep inventory tracking easy and to offer more options to the end user. Just because I like Sega Player 2 doesn’t mean you can’t use a hitbox!
Dimensions, Weight, and Hardware Sizes:
- 13.4” long, 8.3” wide, and 2” tall.
- Approximately 4lbs when built.
- Screws that fix the top and bottom halves are #6-32 flat head.
- Screws that fix the internal PCBs to stand-offs are #4-40 panhead, 1/4″ for the auxiliary PCB and 3/4″ long for the fighting board + EZ Wiring Adapter PCB.
- Screws that fix the top panel down are M4, at least 6mm long.
Confirmed Korean Levers by actual Panzer Owners:
Note: Most Korean levers are deeper than 2” and likely will not fit in the Panzer 4 chassis. The following have been confirmed to fit:
- Sanjuks V3 (Deneld, via Discord)
- Crown [Samducksa] SDL-301 Infiltration-QR Lever (JasSumal, via Discord)
Recommended Addons:
- Machined Aluminum Panel Bezel – Coming Soon!
- Printed Plexi Artwork
Manuel Fossa –
The Pfs3 was built like a tank, but was pretty barebone and obviously heavy. The Pfs4 is still built like a tank, but is far lighter, has a more modern look, great aux buttons and lights, swappable panels and great powder coating. On the connectors side, the EZ build of Pfs3 was great but a bit cumbersome when you wanted to do maintenance on buttons, the new Pfs4 ez build is miles better. The Pfs4 picks up where the excellent Pfs3 left, and improves in about every way, and being futureproof. Needless to say, I am impressed with it.
sheldontwitching –
A customer for over 10 years, ALL of my products have appeared in numerous online and offline tournaments and travelled with me across the world. Nobody builds reliability and future proofing like Jasen. I’ve tested everyone when the shop was on hiatus and nobody came close. Couldn’t be happier to have them back.
Tired of buying a new stick that costs a console’s price every gen? Do what I did in 2014 and invest in something that stands the test of time and hundreds of tournaments. Not one stick failure, every single item still as beautiful as the day they arrived. I stream 160 hrs every 30 days, compete and coach esports – these things can take a pounding.
DJ Shoko (verified owner) –
The Panzer Fight Stick 4 (PFS4) is a very reliable stick that’s easy to wire up. Jasen has always created some of the most reliable arcade stick chassis in the market. The PFS4 is a step up compared to the previous Panzers in my opinion in a lot of ways.
The PFS4 has a few changes that are very welcomed. The new auxiliary buttons on the top left corner using machined aluminum pieces, they feel premium and it reduces user costs as it doesn’t require the user to snag extra 24mm buttons. Bonus points that it cleans up wiring quite a bit. Jasen’s EZ Wire System definitely eases up the wiring a lot and these go cleanly into the buttons as well as the auxiliary buttons PCB on the top left corner. The light pipes and LEDs for the player indicators and turbo is also a nice touch as well, it helps with the overall presentation and getting the most out of the Brook PCB or Pico Fighting Boards.
Then the case takes MadCatz TE panels, so if you have a spare panel or you want to have a custom one then you can use either option. Another note on features, I’m glad Jasen stuck with the Neutrik cutout, I’ve noticed some custom cases likes to throw in a USB-B cutout instead, and I hope it stays since it’s flexible and some of us definitely likes using our sticks with retro consoles.
As for the build, traditionally the older Panzers used all cold rolled steel and they were heavy, durable, and great. The PFS4 switched to aluminum and the aluminum is over 2mm thick, the result is that they are much lighter. These sticks are still extremely durable and don’t feel like a downgrade at all in durability or strength compared to previous versions. These feel just as premium as other Panzers. The combination of aluminum case with the steel panels that the MadCatz TE’s or the one Jasen sells really makes this case have no compromises in durability and quality. The powder coating as usual is fantastic and top notch, it’s durable, it’s consistent, and it looks great so not much to say there. The rubber mat at the bottom was easy to apply and it’s very, very grippy. The Panzer will not slide easily with this new rubber mat and this mat is great for both desk, lap, and floor use. The new rubber mat is one of the biggest improvements compared to previous iterations of the Panzer Fight Sticks.
Personal hiccup during building, really it’s only that the that the EZ Wire System PCB didn’t fit perfectly with the Brook Retro Board since the RJ45 jack is a bit longer than the cutout at the end allows so I did dremel a bit of the PCB away to make it fit. If you throw in any other Brook PCB or a Integrated Pico Fighting Board then this will not be an issue at all. As of right now, my personal Panzer Fight Stick 4 uses a Brook Retro Board, Sanjuks V3 Premium, and Sunmulon Buttons with Cherry KWJ switches and I had no problems with using any of these parts in the case.
Overall the Panzer Fight Stick 4 is easily one of my favorite sticks, and this will almost certainly be my go-to stick for tournaments, locals or majors, this year. It’s beautiful, durable, at a solid weight, and it fits all of my needs.
Brian Shapiro (verified owner) –
I’ve had a Panzer Fightstick 3i since late Spring of 2018. Since then, it has been an absolute tank and survived miles of travel, plugging in/unplugging, button maintenance, lever maintenance, everything under the sun, and it handled it all without any trouble. It’s certainly a heavy piece, but I like that weight, it feels comfortable in my lap, and it’s still kicking. All that is to say that I don’t think I needed to upgrade to a Panzer Fightstick 4, but I wanted to. Everything that Jasen’s Customs produces has an unmistakable quality to them, and are as functional as they are beautiful. As of this writing, I have not built the stick out yet. I’m still waiting for the dress up parts and printed plexi to arrive before I dive in, but I’m very excited to do so. The case is light, the footprint is smaller than ever, but the quality is unrivaled. Another big win for Jasen’s Customs.
(As a brief, unfortunate aside, it does seem that FedEx took advantage of the packing, and opened the bubblewrapping, and some of the hardware, leaving a gouge in the underside of the case, and causing the screws to be displaced. Jasen and his team have made it right even though there was absolutely no need to do so. Their customer service is unmatched, and is just another reason why I trust them more than I trust any other chassis provider.)
spencercgood –
The Panzer is back. Who woulda thought? (Me – it was me who thought)
I haven’t fully finished out my build yet, but being that I’ve owned damn near every Panzer (Except the VT, when’s the reissue Jasen??) I can tell you the quality is on par with any other Panzer put out, but the innovation is better than ever. These sticks have been the gold standard for many people for years now, and if you pick one up, you’ll definitely see why VERY quickly.
The pre-order green my case came in is SICK!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FrScwMWXoAEGbkn?format=jpg&name=large
conorgreenegm (verified owner) –
I cannot stress how incredible of a deal this is. I am a first time stick builder that’s been interested in making my own for a long time, once I saw the pre-orders open for this chassis I immediately had to get one. The comprehensiveness of the build guide and the absolutely insane ease of the Panzer EZ wiring system allowed me to build it in under 20 minutes! It took me longer to lay out all the parts on the workbench!
The chassis is beautifully smooth, extremely solidly built, and way way lighter than I ever though it was gonna be!
The EZ wiring system alone is an insane deal, now that bundled with a sturdy aluminum chassis with a beautiful finish all under $200 is crazy!
I cannot recommend enough and if you’ve made it this far – go ahead and get yourself a Panzer 4. Trust me!
Shay Ockey (verified owner) –
When I first got my hands on the aluminum chassis I knew it was gonna take some getting used to. Now, even fully built out, I love the lightweight aspect! This is my new traveling fighrstick for sure. Without a doubt this was the easiest car to build out of that I’ve dealt with in a long time. The EZ wiring system streamlines what can normally become a rats nest of screw terminals and messy routing of small wires, and the control panel being built into the chassis rather than extruding out from it means that layout panels can be switched out having to gut your whole build. Without a doubt these cases are a dream to work out of and play on, Nobody does it better than Jasen!
Zap (verified owner) –
So coming from the Panzer 3, I can say with confidence that this fightstick is a huge improvement but it might not be for everyone.
To provide context: the Panzer 4 is much more lightweight compared to the P3, is slightly smaller, does not come with an LS/RS/DPAD and ‘kill’ switch, and does not have the 4 rubberized feet on the bottom. Instead, you are receiving a still-extremely-sturdy case, with all the accessory buttons consolidated onto one convenient panel on the top left of the face plate (as seen in the above pictures). The bottom comes with a rubber pad that covers the bottom face instead of the rubber feet.
I LOVE my Panzer 3 because of the weight; it makes the stick feel sturdy. But one thing I’ve noticed especially when traveling is that the stick can become extremely cumbersome to carry on for long periods of time. With the P4, I still feel the sturdiness of the stick but now I don’t have to worry about the somewhat-annoying weight. I know some people like the weight of the stick because of how it sits on their laps, but with the rubber pad I can say that the P4 will not move any more or less than the P3 does.
Another thing I love about the P4 is the customimizability; Jasen offers different plates depending on if you’re a Hitbox player (Standard vs shiokenstar layout) or a stick player (Namco Noir, Sega Player 1 and Player 2, Taito Vewlix). You can also buy a printed plexi (the picture is printed onto the plexi itself, which gives more emphasis and color to the plexi), bezel for the face plate, and a bezel for the passthrough port. Are these necessary? Not at all. But they can add detail to an already amazing stick. Plus, if you really wanted to, you could add weights into the empty space of the stick to simulate the P3 weight. You can add whatever buttons, levers, LEDs, and whatever else you want. One note: note that some levers (most Korean levers specifically) might not be able to fit into the case without modding. However, even Jasen makes sure to note this in the product’s description.
Overall, the P4 is an amazing purchase. As Jasen himself said, it’s hard to make aluminum sexy. But I’d say this is pretty damn close to that. An amazing case at an affordable price with a high customization level is what you’re going to get. For any service members, he will also ship to APO/FPO/P.O. Boxes! Personally, Jasen has helped me from fix a shipping error when I inputted an incorrect mailing address AND adjusted costs due to incorrect import fees my country charged me (an error Jasen was not responsible for but he helped me anyways!) He also gave me an 2 aux panel PCBs because one of the PCBs had some buttons mixed around; both PCBs were functional, but one required custom wiring rather than working with the included wiring. I was not charged for this mistake. All of this, bundled with Jasen’s amazing communication and transparency, makes finding a better deal anywhere almost impossible.