喝彩

Here is my current Varmilo Kassai build. I've upgraded the stock Sanwa JLF lever with a Otto V5 kit and am using the 'Squircle' restrictor gate. I swapped out the stock black buttons and ball top to white ones to give it a little colour pop. I like the feel and response of the stock 1.5mm travel buttons and since I play a lot of Street Fighter 6, the main 8 buttons have developed a shiny smooth look due to being made from ABS plastic. Nothing wrong with that though, I like things that patina but I want to feel the smoothness of PBT buttons so I went ahead a ordered a set of the Eight Diagrams buttons which is currently on its way to me now. All the mods were simple to install and the finish looks super fresh and clean as seen in my pictures. I as well as my gaming mates would recommend this stick if you are in the market for a top tier quality fight stick. Perfect for SF6 and COTW due to the 2 extra bottom buttons. You won't believe how much of a difference this stick improves your response times and inputs till you have it available at your finger tips. Varmilo has delivered another high quality product with this stick.

I just received my Varmilo Kassai and for a price of over 360 USD you are receiving an outdated and older model. It does not feature the updated FN it still has the outdated, “Unused.” on the fightstick and no USB C port as featured on the Obsidian model. I bought this when that was announced but before it was mentioned that it was ONLY the Black Obsidian model with new features.
Do not spend the extra money for the pro version or gold limited as there’s no extra benefits or features. Mine is even missing the blank button cap. I’m really disappointed with this arcade stick. The only reason it’s still 3 stars is due to finish and joystick and minimal look. I’m not happy with it nor do I think it is worth the price or should be priced this high.
Please avoid this till it’s clear you’re getting an updated version. If you’re paying 300+ dollars this is disappointing. Hopefully other people have better experiences and get an actual V2 updated model for this one. I bought this under the impression the V2 updates would be available for their top of the line model but it’s not. You get a better model in other versions for less money.

The Kassai is a strong fight stick option in 2026. Here are categorized pros / cons and considerations.

TLDR: S tier stick 2026 with some considerations

Pros
- size / form factor and materials used
Aluminum alloy body, Sanwa JLF and induction switches are very premium.

- quick release shaft included by default this is a great choice for those who travel with their stick often or want to store in smaller spaces

- retractable cable is very nice to have in the V2 option you get the locking cable mechanism for usb c as well.

- included handle is great to handle your stick and included shoulder strap is nice for locals and moving around often

- button are very good 1.5mm stock throw and not too loud. Variable actuation and durability is very good

- back door hides the stick, extra buttons and converters

- includes extra ball top and buttons

Cons

- customizing button actuation requires internet and using their web driver. Firmware level control like gp2040 web config is superior

- limitations for button bindings within web configuration for additional buttons

- stock buttons are ABS not PBT abs material doesn’t age as well ( you can purchase PBT buttons from Varmilo and they are very high quality)

Considerations

- the plastic tab for the back door is well implemented but can be better designed

- locking cable should be included in the v2 by default

- I replaced my stick with a silent Sanwa TPML 2 but not all sticks will fit in the chasis

Conclusion

This is a very strong stick in 2026 the only option I can compare to with these materials and quality is the DOIO H08D/B and while that uses GP2040-CE and used mechanical switches I find myself returning to the Kassai everyday even though I’m mainly a leverless player.

The Kassai is an excellent arcade stick; the design is beautiful and it's quite comfortable to play with. It only has the following major drawback, I ordered the limited edition because I saw there was a new model (with a separate port), but they sent me the old model. I contacted Varmilo, but they replied that only the black version has been updated to the new model.

Buttons feel good. Case construction is excellent. Fgc2 is a nice touch fir seamless compatibility. Web configuration wasn’t the most intuitive but once I figured it iut it was smooth sailing.

I hope in future models the usb cable is removable. This should be standard for all arcade sticks at this point. Looking forward to more button cap options for customization. I purchased additional buttons and swapped the caps for a personal touch.

Overall a very good design. Keep it up Varmilo

It feels really confortable. The buttons have a great touch. The carcase is so great, solid and portable at the same time.
As a negative points, it should have more covers and less buttom supplies. In my case I don't need that much buttons, and I can't cover them.
On the other hand, the instructions to configure the stick are so messy, at least in english. Lucky there are some youtube guy to help on that.
With all this added could be a perfect buy.

I have a Street Fighter Spsnish twitch channel, and I use your arcade stick. If you would make a promo someday, I'm opened to it.

Thank you! It's a great stick.

Awesome product, premium in every sense of the word.

The shipping was fast and the product overall seems very well made but there are a few things that need to be fixed in the next version. First the back plate. The magnetic back plate is a great idea but it comes with a cheap plastic pull tab. At $300 this tab should be leather or have some sort of cutout, the plastic tab is both cheap looking and feeling. Next is the power cable. The spring design is interesting and a unique idea but this stick needs its own separate removable usb c power cable. As of now if the retractable power cord ever dies there is no easy way to replace it. The picture on the website shows that new versions should have this feature built in but it wasn't on my limited edition. Last there are no light up buttons so you cannot see the custom button art in the dark. The buttons don't even light up white. Again at $300 you would think think this feature would come standard as other cheaper sticks like the Qanba Q8 come out of the box with this feature. Overall this is a beautiful stick that works well with very responsive buttons but if these features can be fixed in newer versions it will be a perfect 5 stars.

I couldn't be happier with this stick. The limited edition gold is gorgeous, and it comes with a choice of balltops. I chose the natural wood one. The buttons look great with the planets on them, there is storage on the bottom with a magnetic closure, the stick pops on and off easily, the cable is retractable, and there is a handle and carrying strap. Great purchase!

Absolutely love this product i wish there was a compartment for the cable but everything is is top tier quality. Definitely keeping varmilo on my radar, will be order the HA10 soon.