Street Fighter 4's release date is February 17, 2009 in the United States for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A release date for the PC has not been specified, but has a release window of later in summer 2009. Street Fighter 4 has been playable in Japanese and some American arcades since 2008.

For many hardcore Street Fighter players, using a reliable controller is crucial to enjoying the game to its fullest. Though some players prefer pads like the Xbox 360 controller, most players use arcade sticks, which are imported from Japan or created from scratch according to custom specifications. For the release of Street Fighter 4, Capcom has teamed with peripheral maker MadCatz and arcade parts manufacturer Sanwa to produce a series of special arcade sticks to coincide with the release of the game.

The standard FightStick is the regular model, and features eight buttons and a special Street Fighter 4 design on the top. It is built so that it can be customized easily, with buttons that can be popped out for convenient replacement. It retails for $79.99. The Tournament Edition FightStick is a high-end model that is built entirely from the same parts used in Street Fighter 4 arcade machines. The Tournament Edition retails for $149.99 and is meant for competitive play. The regular FightStick is more suited for casual play at home.IGN: Mad Catz Street Fighter IV FightStick Impressions