Review of KontrolFreek's FPSFreek for XBOX and PS3
A while back I did a short review of these for 2old2shoot in their forums. Now that I have had them a while I am extending that review to the rest of the 202p community. Simply put, these are stick extenders for the XBOX and PS3 controllers. A nice concept for the XBOX, which has very short sticks.
This is a great investment for the gamer who wants a little something to help their game out, but does not want to dish out a lot of cash. Many of my clan mates use these, although some do not like them, some use just one, and some use both. For me they are now a must. I find it hard to play without them. For under $10 you get a pair of stick extenders that they claim will help your aim in FPS games. At first it sounded odd to me, but after reading the explanation of how they work, it made sense, and i made the purchase.
So how does extending the stick slightly help you aim? Simple: The small increase in stick length gives you a 40% increase in stick travel. That means you have to move the stick further than you did before. It also means that it is a bit easier to get into that sweet spot that finds you aiming at the enemy's head instead of being off to one side or the other. For some people this means they can turn up the stick sensitivity in games. For others it simply helps you lock on to the enemy.
The installation process is simple. Just unpackage the Freeks, and press them firmly onto the existing stick. They will clamp down firmly onto the knob of the stick, and should have absolutely no play at all. It should feel like one unit, not two connected ones. Here is a word of warning: Be careful when installing and uninstalling these guys. They clamp down very firmly, and CAN tear the rubber of the existing stick. I have applied and removed mine several times, you just have to be careful in doing it.
They take about an hour to get used to, so play campaign while you adjust to them. I found that indeed I had better control over my guns. While it did not enable me to increase my sensitivity much, it DID improve my aim and kills slightly. Enough to easily justify the ten bucks I spent. After a few weeks, I took them off to see the difference. It became very hard to game without them. I wasn't horrible (any more than usual lol) but I definitely missed the extended sticks, and felt like I didn't have the level of control I used to. I went back to many of the wild gun movements I used to do when I most needed fluid control and my life was on the line! After I put them back on, I stopped flailing, and started bringing my gun under better control. The best results i found was in Halo Reach, where I started going positive k/d more often than not, and even found myself on top of the game score list after quite a few matches.
Is this cheating? Those of you who know me also know I abhor cheating. I will not play with turbo controllers, or autofire buttons etc. The FPSFreeks are completely tournament legal, so I feel completely justified in using them.
For ten bucks these are certainly worth the investment. At worst you will certainly find someone to take em off your hands, and at best you will find you always want to play with them on. For those of you who want "a little bit more," they also make Halo and Black Ops versions of the FPS Freek, with Halo or Black Ops logos on the top od the control knob. They also sell the Speed Freek, which also attatches to your control stick or FPS Freek. Supposedly they allow you better control of driving games because they add support for your thumb. I haven't tried these, but I hear they work well, especially if you need help in entering a corner and executing a smooth, high-speed turn.
If you are looking for a cheap edge on the competition, or simply want to give yourself any advantage you can get, these are definitely worth the money. No, they won't turn you into Robot Hands, but I bet they will help your FPS performance a bit. Available at www.amazon.com and at www.KontrolFreek.com. Expect to pay more for the Halo and Black Ops versions.
Now for what you have been waiting for -- the pics