KontrolFreek Performance Grips for PS4 – Accessory Review
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Developer: KontrolFreek
Publisher: KontrolFreek
Platform: Xbox One/PS4/Switch
Tested on: PS4

KontrolFreek Performance Grips for PS4 – Accessory Review

Good: Comfortable, removes sweatiness, good grip, adds edginess to your controller
Bad: Does leave some traces of glue behind, smells bad
User Score
8.5
(4 votes)
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Rating: 8.5/10 (4 votes cast)

There are many ways you can customize a controller, especially the visual design but spraying a controller does not increase the accuracy or the comfort levels. KontrolFreek offers a range of products that can change the looks of your controller whilst providing comfort, performance, and durability. It has been quite some ago that we reviewed the KontrolFreek EliteShot Armor and Grips, click here for the full review, but this time we’re taking a look at the KontrolFreek Performance Grips for PS4.

KontrolFreek advertises their Performance Grips as advanced controller grips, utilizing a combination of advanced materials that give gamers better grip, support, and comfort. There are two main materials in the grip; a polymer outer layer and a foam cushioning layer. It is good to know that these grips are antimicrobial, resistant to oil, grease, and water. Additionally, the grips are free of latex, PVC, and VOC; so, anyone with an allergy to the aforementioned materials should still be able to use the grips. But enough about the official description, let’s dive into the actual review.

Although there are a few application instruction steps, installing the performance grips was a walk in the park and only takes a minute or two. The first step is rather obvious as you need to clean the surface (in this case your controller) with either KontrolFreek’s very own CleanFreak wipes or some regular household mild soap and water before drying the controller.

We used a CleanFreak wipe and the grime came off like it was just a speck of dust. Curious about what other surfaces it might clean, we decided to test it on a black keyboard and mouse. The wipe cleans quite well and picks up most of the dust and grime the peripherals collected over the weeks and months, but it does leave stripes behind.

The second step in the instructions is identifying the right grip, which at first glance isn’t easy as the two grips have an odd shape not even resembling a controller. Luckily the right grip has the KontrolFreek logo on them, so they’re easily identifiable. The third step is to simply align the grip and apply it slowly to the controller, smoothing out the wrinkles as you go by applying soft pressure. If you do happen to have a wrinkle and it refuses to smoothen out, you can gently peel back the grip and re-apply it. Once the grip is wrapped neatly around your controller, you can start your comfortable gaming session.

Something irritable is the unpleasant and penetrating smell coming from the grips. It’s not something you’ll notice right away but once you’re playing with the grips, you’ll start smelling it. And the foul smell sticks to your hands which is rather undesirable. Honestly, we’re not sure what it smells like, but we can only assume it’s the polymer layer. After airing it for several days, the smell is still faintly present but much more bearable.

The honeycomb design in the outer layer isn’t deeply etched but the design does provide a good grip. The foam layer ensures that the grip feels soft, much softer than the plastic shell on the controller, which provides excellent comfort. It is also warmer to the touch, so you can start your gaming session without touching an iceberg. Notable is that the combination of the layers means the grip is quite thick, we’re talking about 2 millimeters here.

As for general comfort, we didn’t have to deal with sweaty hand palms anymore as the material wicks away any sweat and moisture and we had an excellent grip during the gaming sessions. There is one nuisance that will occur with people who have smaller hands, and that is that the fingertips will rest on the edge of the grip. It will take a few sessions to get used to the feeling.

Removing the grip is not as straightforward as you would think. You’ll need to carefully peel it off, any sudden movements will result in patches of glue remaining on your controller and the edges of the grip will leave behind sticky residue. Therefore, it is not advisable to use these grips on a limited edition controller.

Conclusion

Despite adding thickness to the controller, the performance grips do provide comfort and grip in the form of softness and a honeycomb design. Some may not like the looks of it, but the grips can add a certain edginess to an otherwise boring controller, but it wouldn’t be wise to stick it to a limited edition controller as the possibility of leaving residue behind is much greater than advertised. Overall, it’s a good product and recommendable for anyone with sweaty hand palms.

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Rating: 8.5/10 (4 votes cast)
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Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
KontrolFreek Performance Grips for PS4 – Accessory Review, 8.5 out of 10 based on 4 ratings
Drydwen


Hi! I'm Jess and I’m a writer, dreamer and gamer at heart since the early ages. I primarily game on PC but occasionally also on PS4 and Xbox One. I have a tiny obsession for World of Warcraft and caterpillars but you may also claim I have a devoted passion for the gaming industry in general. If you want to hit me up, find me on twitter!

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