AlwaysGaming

My name is Brad Tramel. I'm a video game journalist and college student, but I find time for all this social stuff, too. If you like what you read, follow this page to see all of my editorials, reviews and previews. You can find the entirety of my writing over at Gameblurb.net or by following @bradtramel on Twitter.
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Review Of The FPS Freek Analog Stick Extensions

The online gaming community is always looking for ways to get an edge over the competition. Well, here’s your answer.

The FPS Freek brand of analog stick extensions were made with competitive gamers in mind. I was heavily into first person shooters for years, but unfortunately I’ve only had these extensions for about four months. Over that time I’ve definitely been convinced of their worth.

First Impressions:  I bought the FPS Freeks after reading on their website that the accessory “improves both accuracy and decreases thumb fatigue,” hoping to get an edge over other Call of Duty players. I was attracted by not only the boasted performance increase but the price as well. They cost me only $10 and would arrive in under a week. After I received them in the mail roughly a week later I immediately put them to the test with some Black Ops multiplayer. Snapping on the extensions was no problem, and the tight fit doesn’t wear away your original analog sticks (Although, my friend tried the FPS Freeks out on his third-party Tron themed controller, which resulted in his analog sticks being slightly damaged.) The increased height feels very awkward on the thumbs, initially. After getting somewhat comfortable with the feel I jumped into a game of Black Ops multiplayer. I did no better than usual and I didn’t find that the sticks benefited me much, only made it more cumbersome to go from analog stick to the A,B,X,Y buttons. I continued to use them, as they were getting more comfortable after every game. After 3-4 games or so I felt completely comfortable playing with the FPS Freeks attached and even found it easier to aim.

Current Impressions:  After roughly four months of use, I really can’t go back to the standard Xbox 360 analog sticks. I’ve grown fond of the extended range of motion, the vastly improved grip, and my ability to play on higher sensitivities while maintaining accuracy.

Do they really help?  From my personal experiences the verdict is a simple yes. The Kontrol Freek website claims that the FPS Freeks provide a 40% wider range of motion, increased grip, and less thumb fatigue which should in theory improve your kill/death ratio online. This is what I experienced:

  1. Improved Grip-  Without a doubt the FPS Freeks increase the grip over standard analog sticks. As seen in the picture, there are 12 bumps on the FPS Freek extensions compared to the meager 4 bumps on the standard Xbox 360 analog sticks. These bumps make it easier to control and prevent your fingers from slipping off when making quickchanges in direction.
  2. Decreased Thumb-Fatigue-  First of all, I never have experienced thumb fatigue from playing a video game. So I didn’t notice any difference in this category. Seems to me like this was just something that they threw in there to promote its usefulness.
  3. Increased Accuracy-  Don’t be fooled, this product will not make you a Call of Duty juggernaut overnight. The idea of it actually increasing your accuracy is silly, because it only helps you aim. The accuracy of your aim is determined by you and you only. The raised sticks give you a 40% wider range of motion, which makes it much easier to aim on high sensitivities. Because of this, if you move your thumb too much you won’t over-aim as easily.

Overall, for the price of $10, the FPS Freeks are an absolute steal. This price point makes it easy for people curious of the product to go ahead and make the purchase without the risk of losing a wad of money. Being an above average player when it comes to first-person shooters I highly recommend this product to anyone who wants an edge over their competition.

A Few More Details

  • They are available for both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3.
  • There are many other variations of analog stick accessories made by Kontrol Freek, including ones geared towards those who prefer racing games or sports games.
  • For those of you interested in buying these, the ones I own are the “Vipr Ultra FPS Freeks.”

If you have any questions about something I didn’t cover in this review feel free to ask!

  1. bradtramel posted this