Developer: KontrolFreek
Publisher: KontrolFreek
Platform: Xbox 360/PS3
Tested on: Xbox 360
KontrolFreek FPS Freek CQC Signature for Xbox 360 – Accessory Review
Previously we’ve reviewed the KontrolFreek FPS Freek Galaxy thumb grip, or stick extenders if you want to call it that, for PS4. They proved to raise the player’s comfort levels while providing an enhanced grip of the sticks. At the same time, your controller looked much more fashionable with its unique galactic design. We now get to review the FPS Freek CQC Signature thumb grips for Xbox 360 controllers, which has an entirely different design and feel.
The FPS Freek CQC Signature features a simple green and black color scheme that fits the black Xbox 360 controllers perfectly. While the green is not entirely the same green as the “A” button, it not noticeable from a reasonable distance making the slight color difference a futile observation. The thumb grips themselves feature a simple design and those who live by the saying “less is more” will certainly love it. If you are however a more “less is a bore” kind of person, you might find the plain design monotonous and uncreative. As for the design itself, the KontrolFreek’s trademark logo is in the middle of the thumb grip on top of grooved diagonal stripes. We’ll be honest, compared to the FPS Freek Galaxy, this design feels heavily unornamented.
Comprised of a newly formulated rubber compound, the CQC Signature feels different to the touch than the previous model we tested. The combination of this compound and the simplistic design of the thumb grips result into a smooth surface, causing your thumbs to “slide” off more easily than the original sticks did. The grooved diagonal stripes are simply not enough to provide excellent friction. Nonetheless, a book should never be judged by its cover and this goes for the thumb sticks as well since the grips do end up having a good amount of friction during gameplay sessions.
Not only is the FPS Freek CQC Signature comprised of a new rubber compound, they also feature a unique combination of concave and convex design. The outer ring falls slightly inward, featuring the concave design, while the convex form is in the inner circle.
Unlike the FPS Freek Galaxy, the FPS Freek CQC Signature pack comes with two sticks of the same height and raises the height of your analog stick with roughly 6.5mm, making these thumb grips a perfect fit for people with smaller hands such as myself. At the same time, these sticks are a great match for gamers who don’t want to spend too much time adjusting to changes in their setup. It will still require some time to get used to them but not as much as it will take when using high-rise sticks.
Installing the thumb grips – or stick extenders – wasn’t quite as easy as the previous thumb grips we’ve tested. Instead of sliding over the original analog sticks, you had to forcefully “click” them on. The result was that the original sticks were slightly damaged by either of the three clips that latches the grips onto the original sticks. Luckily the damage was minor but it did feel like these thumb grips would not prolong the lifetime of my analog sticks. Once installed, the extenders are incredibly tight around the analog stick. In fact, they’re so tight that you cannot “twirl” them slightly to make sure that the logo is in fact straight.
As the name FPS Freek CQC Signature already suggests, these sticks are meant for first person shooters, especially those where Close Quarters Combat is heavily used such as Call of Duty and Halo: the Master Chief collection. However you don’t have to be a shotgun-wielding super commando to enjoy the comfortable and enhanced thumb grips. Any type of close combat games, such as Mortal Kombat X or Dark Souls 2 are suitable too. Of course, you can use them in any other type of games. We can even admit with all certainty that these were a blast in the episodic adventure games from Telltale Games, at least when it came down to comfort levels.
The science proves that KontrolFreek’s thumb grips decrease resistance and force needed to move the sticks which leads to increased precision and accuracy, especially in shooter games. However the same science also mentions that the precision and accuracy gained with Xbox controllers isn’t as high as PS4 controllers and this is truly noticeable. While providing great comfort, the improved accuracy that the CQC Signature grips should provide was difficult to notice.
Conclusion
The FPS Freek CQC (Close Quarter Combat) Signature is perfect for bringing the comfort levels of your Xbox 360 to new heights and the minor height difference makes it a perfect fit for small hands. However, the sticks don’t seem to provide an increased accuracy, at least not to a quite notable point. At the same time, they don’t seem to prolong the lifetime of your analog stick as they chafed the original sticks upon installing. Nevertheless, when it comes down to comfort and fatigue, these thumb grips are great during extensive gameplay sessions.
KontrolFreek FPS Freek CQC Signature for Xbox 360 - Accessory Review,
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