Accessory Review: Custom PS4 Controller from The Controller People

Modded controllers and accessories from such companies as KontrolFreek are all the rage at the moment and for good reason, because if it enhances your gaming experience, then why not?  Some of us opt for such controllers as the Xbox One Elite or even the Razer Raiju and the Nacon Revolution for PlayStation 4 players.  But what if you’re on a tight budget and you’re on the lookout for something with a lower price point?  Well thankfully, the folks at the Controller People might just have you covered.

I had a modded PS4 DualShock 4 controller sent out to me from the Controller people and overall the experience was quite beneficial, though judging from the controller that I was sent, it’s clear it was designed for the 1^st/3^rd Shooter genre.  If you try to use this controller on let’s say a racer, then you will likely fail.  But the controller was deliberately designed in this way, so don’t take that as a negative, but I thought this point needed to be made.

The DualShock 4 that was sent out to me had three main modded functions, Spring Stop Triggers, an Interchangeable Analogue System and more notably, ClickSticks.  Having once owned an Xbox One Elite Controller, I felt naturally at home with the Spring Stop Triggers (S.S.T for short).  What this in essence achieves, is that it reduces the travel distance on the triggers more commonly used for aiming and shooting in games such as Destiny and Call of Duty for example.  This may not seem like a big deal if you’re yet to experience triggers such as S.S.T’s, but that extra split-second advantage that it gives you, could be the difference in downing your opponents before they get you.

Out of pure intrigue, I tried the controllers on DiRT 4 and that is not recommended at all, but for the benefit of my review, I was curious.  If you wish, you can alter the travel distance of the S.S.T’s by twisting the studs located in the centre of the triggers or if you really wanted to use the controller to play games such as DiRT 4, you can remove the studs completely.  By removing them, it will set the travel distance to that of a standard DualShock 4, but you will also still gain the benefit of the Interchangeable Analogue System (I.A.S for short).

One of the benefits of having a controller such as the Xbox One Elite was that it came with multiple analogue sticks, each with varying heights with the choice of having a dome or concave grips.  I’m also a big fan of KontrolFreek’s Thumbsticks (which can’t be attached to the analogues provided by the Controller People).  The reason being is that having that extra height on the analogue sticks, helps provide that little more accuracy and response time, and this is what the modded controller from the Controller People had to offer.

Granted of course, the I.A.S’s is not to the quality of the various Pro controllers on offer or even the KontrolFreek Thumbsticks.  But they do serve their purpose very well and truth be told, while they don’t have the same level of comfort as the official DualShock 4 analogue sticks, they did provide an advantage when playing online as the analogue sticks provided a similar benefit as some of the more expensive controllers on the market.  The controller that I had to review came with a choice of three different analogue stick heights (standard, medium and tall) with a total of eight attachments and two grip textures.  All the analogue sticks are changeable very easily by simply un-clicking the analogue stick and clipping in the one of your choosing.

Finally we have what is quite possible the best advantage that this controller had to offer and they are the ClickSticks.  To compare, the Xbox One Elite Controllers have a total of four flat paddles at the back of the controller, giving you the choice of having any number of 1-4 or none if you wish.  Once you got use to these extra paddles, you also gained an extra split-second advantage with shooters especially, and they even offered a benefit to games such as Forza Motorsport.

The alternative paddles that the Controller People have to offer are not flat like the ones found on the Xbox Elite Controllers, which as a result, can easily be pressed by accident as they are more like sticks then paddles (hence the name ClickStick).  It may take a while to get use to their placement and design, especially if you’re more used to other controllers, but once you get used to them, they can offer yet another advantage due to their natural placement.  Again, just like the S.S.T’s, I would strongly recommend using the ClickSticks for shooters only.

The mods from the Controller People are created by a 3D Printer, which helps keep costs low for the seller and buyer.  For the purpose of my review, I can only comment on what I have experienced, so here’s a quick rundown on the prices for the controller that I was sent. To have the Spring Stop Triggers fitted starts from £10.50 and it’s the same price for the Interchangeable Analogue System.

To have ClickSticks fitted on to your controller is £25.  If you don’t want to send a controller to be modded, then you can have a controller sent to you complete with the ClickSticks from £60 onwards, which isn’t that bad considering that it also includes the price of the controller (at this time, this service is only available for DualShock 4 controllers).  The Controller People claim that this option can be up to 70% cheaper than some of the other competitors.  They do offer a remappable service, but at this time, it’s at this time are not available on the DualShock 4 V2 controllers, only the first generation of DualShock 4’s.

In conclusion, while the controller modifications that I was provided are not to the standards as some of the more expensive options, they do offer a great alternative for those on a tighter budget, such as myself.  Perhaps one benefit that my controller had over the likes of the Razer Raiju and the Nacon Revolution is that these modifications were made to an official DualShock 4 and in my opinion, nothing beats the quality of the official controller.

You can find out further details on what services are available over at thcontrollerpeople.com, you can also keep updated with all their product offerings via their official Facebook and Twitter social media pages.