These products are the FPSFreek (designed for first-person shooters) and SpeedFreek (designed for racing games). Both are made of plastic and rubber and fit tightly over the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3’s analog sticks. According to KontrolFreek’s website, the Freeks give the gamer “faster reflexes, greater sensitivity, and higher kill rates”.

Let’s first look at the FPSFreek. Once attached to each of your controller’s analog sticks, it extends them by approximately a ½ inch. Not only does this make your controller feel more comfortable, you will also notice that it is much easier to navigate your movement and aim while playing games. Since the analog sticks are increased in length, it gives you a larger range of motion which allows for more precise movement when you line someone up in your sights. I did not feel like I was overcompensating at all when trying to shoot targets when using this product. Having the FPSFreek attached to the sticks felt very natural and didn’t take long to get used to. The key to this product is how comfortable it feels when you use it. The increased comfort, along with the improved aiming functionality, should theoretically allow you to play better. Once you get past the initial awkwardness of having extender attachments on your sticks, you most likely will not want to go back to the stock sticks of either the PS3 or 360 controllers.

Initially I planned on only using the FPSFreek for shooters, but I soon realized that the benefits of the accessory don’t stop there. I have used it with a wide variety of games, from Crackdown to Batman: Arkham Asylum to Uncharted, all without any problems since the product feels so comfortable and natural. If you do not own an arcade stick, I would even recommend using it for fighters like Street Fighter IV. In my experience with the FPSFreek and SFIV, it was definitely easier to pull off Ryu’s Shoryukens, or Chun Li’s Spinning Bird Kicks, for instance. As you can see, the FPSFreek works universally for all of your games, which is quite convenient because it would be a pain if you had to continuously remove them when you play something different.

The other product made by KontrolFreek is the SpeedFreek. It looks like a mini half pipe. Unlike the FPSFreek, the SpeedFreek only goes over the controller’s left analog stick since that is the one that controls the steering in a racing game. Using it is simple; you place your thumb between the plastic sides and use it to steer like you normally would. However, the difference between the SpeedFreek and the normal stick is that this product only allows side-to-side movement of the stick. Your thumb will not slip off the stick or accidentally move it on an angle or up and down when the SpeedFreek is attached. The attachment is also very comfortable to use, like the FPSFreek. It definitely felt like my turns were more precise and less exaggerated when using it. I tested this product on Burnout Revenge. The SpeedFreek worked very well in this arcade style racer and I am sure it would work great for more realistic games as well.

I have been using KontrolFreek’s products for about 8 months now, so I definitely have enough experience to call myself an expert on them. I have recommended both the FPSFreek and SpeedFreek to many of my friends, though they are still reluctant to go out and purchase them because they do not think that the accessories will make much of a difference in their gameplay. They are wrong! Let me give you my formal recommendation right now: GO BUY THIS PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY! You won’t want to go back to using the standard controller once you get used to using the Freeks. In fact, after using them for this long, I believe that the 360/PS3 controllers feel gimped without them. Overall, I can not come up with a single complaint or negative comment to say about either of them. Additionally, I can vouch for the build quality of both products. They are made of high quality materials and feel very sturdy. Even after 8 months of use, I have yet to see any signs of damage or wear from either product.

Both the FPSFreek and SpeedFreek are listed on KontrolFreek’s official website for $9.99 for a pair or $17.99 for both. Go get them now!

FPSFreek Score: 10/10

SpeedFreek Score: 10/10

http://www.kontrolfreek.com/