If you’re asked to think of a colour that represents the Xbox brand, then chances are green will be at the top of your list. The original machine had a huge green logo at the forefront of its design, the game cases which house our beloved Xbox One blockbusters come with more than a green tinge and to many Xbox One gamers, there is no other colour which will do.
Blue on the other hand. Well, that’s all a bit Playstation innit.
So it’s a bit strange that I’m sat here, as an Xbox One gamer, pretty much loving the Edge, the latest Xbox One thumbsticks from KontrolFreek. The reason it’s a bit strange? Well, they’re blue.
But hey, what difference does a colour really make? And should we ever even think about dismissing the latest sticks from KontrolFreek on that point alone? Hell no, and to be honest, to the sane ones out there, the colour makes no difference at all. I can however guarantee that out there in that big wide world will be the most avid Xbox fan who would flat out refuse to adorn their beloved Xbox One controller with something in the hue of their number one enemy.
And that in itself would be a massive shame. Because the Edge thumbsticks for Xbox One from KontrolFreek are damn great.
Made from the usual sticky thumbpad material that KontrolFreek always deal with, both of the Edge thumbsticks come with an eight contact point design which is, without doubt, a joy to hold. The laser etched design is as good as you would find on any other KontrolFreek sticks and allows for a huge amount of comfort, control and grip. I’ve been using these sticks for a few weeks now, and not once have I ever felt like my thumbs would be slipping from either stick…even when participating in the longest, hardest, sweatiest sessions.
The left hand stick is of the convex low rise variety, coming in a little wider than normal and pushing that eight point design out brilliantly. This apparently allows for increased comfort and control, and I see no reason to dispute that fact, but whether or not it has helped with my killing sprees then I’m not at liberty to say.
The second stick, that which KontrolFreek recommend sticking on the right side of your controller, is however a taller high-rise hybrid that combines both a convex and concave feel, promising to give a boost to your accuracy and aim in the most competitive of situations. Of the two styles, I much prefer the one that sits pretty on the right hand side, but then, after many years of gaming with a multitude of KontrolFreek offerings, I’ve always been drawn to the concave or hybrid designs on at least a mid-rise stick. That’s not to say they are better, but on a personal level, that would be my preferred method of input.
As you would expect, the Edge sticks come with the usual three pronged forks that all KF additions utilise, ensuring the grip between add-on and standard controller never lets up. The black underside of this latest design lets them blend in well with the usual sticks too. Basically put, stick these on your controller and chances are you’ll be pretty pleased with how things look and work.
That is as long as you can look past the colour, because in an ideal world, we’d be looking at ditching the blue and dropping in to play with more of a green Xbox vibe. There is no denying that KontrolFreek are onto a winner with the Edge’s though and the combination of low convex and higher hybrid sticks works wonderfully, whilst the grip they deliver from that super sticky eight point ninja star design is right up there with the best of them.
I just wish I could buy them in green!
You can purchase the Edge thumbsticks for Xbox One direct from KontrolFreek for $14.99.
Related: Unboxing the KontrolFreek Edge thumbsticks for Xbox One
