FPS Freeks are a relatively new controller add-on created by KontrolFreek Gaming Accessories which are supposed to improve your accuracy when playing first person shooters. The FPS Freek (pictured on the right) is simply an analog extender that you snap onto each of your existing analog nubs of the controller. The result is a long analog stick which according to the KontrolFreek website “provides 40% more linear distance from full stop to stop.” As someone who plays shooters semi-competitively, I was skeptical these would do anything. Selling at only $9.99, I decided to buy a pair and give them a try.
Once ordered, it only took about a week before my Freeks arrived. I tested them out on two games: Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. Apparently, some Major League Gaming pro players use these in Halo tournaments so I decided to try it out on Halo 3 first.
The longer analog sticks take some getting used to as they effectively double the length of the analog. This increases the distance that it takes for your thumb to travel from analog to any buttons on the controller so if you use B to melee, your melees may become slower at first. The improved precision control may also actually decrease your accuracy until you are used to the difference. After about half an hour, however, I began to see a noticable improvement in my accuracy using long-range weapons. While before I found it difficult to achieve headshots while sniping, with the Freeks I would get headshots much more often and even pull off some amazing snipes that left even myself awe-stricken. I would say that my overall accuracy with the sniper rifle and battle rifle improved by about fiften to twenty percent. You probably won’t see any benefit to using spray weapons like the assault rifle, though.
So the FPS Freeks really do work but how do they work? It is hard to explain but they work because there is a greater range of motion with a longer stick. If you have a short analog and you move the top slightly, the bottom moves almost in a 2:1 ratio with the top. That is, the bottom moves faster than the top does since it has less distance to travel. Think of it like a curve on a race track. If you take the inside of the curve, you have less distance to travel and will come around the turn faster than someone on the outside. If the analog is longer, however, the bottom of the stick moves in a lower ratio to the top. So moving your thumb slightly with a longer analog moves the bottom of the analog (which is what connects to the controller to translate the movement onto the screen) in a 1:1 range. This gives you greater control over your movements and thus increases your precision and accuracy.
How much better can you expect to become? The answer is that it is probably different for each person depending on their play style. I would estimate that on average I had three to four more kills per game with the Freeks than when I did without. They are not something that will make you invicible nor will they make a bad player into a good player. They are simply an add-on that will enhance your current skills by allowing you more control to flex your skills. At a price point of $9.99, I would recommend them to anybody that plays FPS games online. They may look a little funny on your controller, but they will help you.
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