Think of yourself as a pro gamer? Maybe you’re just a video game addict who plays for hours on end? Whichever you are, you’ll know that in the past the thumbsticks on controllers eventually wear away, leaving you with little control or grip on those all-important movement sticks.
Protek have seen room in the Xbox One accessories market for the addition of Pro Thumb Grips for the Xbox One controller. Coming in a pack of four with two different sizes included; short attachments and higher stick covers, the thumb grips aim to remove the worry over wearing out your beloved Xbox One controller.
The attachments themselves are super simple to fit, just push them over your existing sticks and that’s about it. There’s not an awful lot to it but once pushed on, they don’t slip or slide and control isn’t compromised in the slightest. The longer of the grips give your stick a larger than average feel, and of the two, these are most definitely the way to go. They feel good, your thumbs grip them well and the design mirrors that of the concave feel of the naked pad. In fact, they are a great extension to your controller as long as your hands aren’t on the small size.
However, the other two grips that come in the pack, the shorter ones, take on a more domed effect and don’t feel anywhere near as good to use. With them both in place, you constantly feel that your thumbs will be slipping off the controller at the most crucial of moment. It’s all due to them missing the concave indent and even with the pronounced additional grips on the top, they still don’t feel right to use. I have to admit to not yet experiencing any slipping but whether I’ve been in a fast paced shoot out on Wolfensten: The New Order or goal hanging in FIFA 14, they have gripped well but not exactly inspired confidence.
There is one more issue I have with the Protek Pro Thumb Grips…..well not an issue with them as a product, but more of whether they are actually needed. The Xbox One controller is a massive improvement over it’s old 360 brother and whilst the pad on the Xbox 360 was prone to thumbstick wear, the fact is the Xbox One controller with its already sticky sticks, doesn’t really need such an attachment. In fact, the basic sticks on the One pad are so good, I’m not really sure they are ever going to wear out anytime soon.
If however you’re looking to keep your Xbox One controller in the most pristine of condition, then for £2.99 from Amazon, the Protek Pro Thumb Grips are not much of an outlay.
What’s in the box?
- 4 x Protek Pro Thumb Grips (2 of each size)
