If you’re a fan of Call of Duty, then there’s a good chance that you’re also an avid console gamer who can’t do without your trusty gamepad, be it a Dual Shock 4 or an Xbox Elite controller. If you play as much as I do, then there’s also a good chance that you’ll have worn down the rubber on the thumbsticks of your controller—or controllers, if you’ve had to replace them more than once.
Enter KontrolFreek, the company that makes its name on thumbsticks and controller grips. I recently had the opportunity to play with KontrolFreek’s latest Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare-branded “SCAR” thumbsticks. As far as thumbsticks go, they’re solid—and they look cool in their dark blue/grey color.
Both left and right concave thumbsticks are of equal, elevated height (some of KontrolFreek’s other thumbsticks have varying heights) and feature the stylized skull emblem of Infinite Warfare. Though hard, they’re comfortable on thumbs for long periods of use and offer a good grip, so I never had to worry about repositioning my thumb at any point while testing them out in Destiny on the PS4.
When I first started using KontrolFreek’s thumbsticks, I was worried that the rubber would wear off after a few weeks of use. I’m happy to report that the older Black Ops 3-branded ones have lasted me well over six months and have only just now begun to slightly peel—and this is with almost daily use in a humid environment. Needless to say, these things seem built to last. I wouldn’t game on the console without them.
The SCAR thumbsticks retail for $17.99 and are available directly through their online store for both PS4 and Xbox One controllers. A unit was provided for the purpose of this review.
