Sanwa JLF vs Seimitsu LS-32

The Sanwa JLF and the Seimitsu LS-32 are the two levers you'll find in most high-end sticks. Both are excellent. They just feel very different, and the right one depends on how you move.

At a glance

Sanwa JLF

The JLF is the default lever in Japanese arcades and in most fight sticks. Its light spring lets you move the lever with very little effort, which makes fast circular motions and quick direction changes feel effortless.

The trade-off is that the lever is easy to over-push, and its longer throw means a little more distance between directions. Players who like a firmer return often fit a heavier tension spring, a cheap and reversible change.

Seimitsu LS-32

The LS-32 is tighter. A stiffer spring snaps it back to centre, and the shorter throw means each direction registers with less travel. It rewards small, deliberate movements and makes it harder to hit a direction you didn't mean.

The trade-off is effort: long sessions of fast motions take a little more strength, and some players find it less forgiving of loose technique.

Which is better for Tekken?

Tekken asks a lot of the lever: back-dashes, crouch dashes, sidesteps and just-frame motions like the EWGF. Both levers handle all of them, so think about your style:

• Choose the JLF if you like a light lever that you guide with your wrist, and you want fast movement with little effort.
• Choose the LS-32 if you like the lever to snap back to neutral, which helps when a motion needs a clean neutral, like the n in f, n, d, df.

Whichever you choose, the gate matters too. A square gate makes down-forward easy to find and hold. See gates in our full guide.

Try before you decide

If you can, try both at an arcade, an event or on a friend's stick. Feel is personal, and five minutes in hand tells you more than any spec sheet. If you're still unsure, the JLF is the safe default, and it's easy to stiffen later with a different spring.

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