0 
0 Since I’ve been playing more VR titles for review purposes lately, I figured it was time to invest in some new accessories. And so when I was asked by Thumb Culture management if I wanted the opportunity to review the Quest Controller Grips from Maecker, of course I said yes! If you want to get your hands on a pair they are available to buy now direct from Maeckers website. At the time of writing they are on sale for £31 with discounts available if you by multiple accessories at the same time.
What’s in the Box
The box includes two rubber controller grips designed to fit your Quest controllers, two rechargeable batteries for each controller, a USB-C to twin USB-C cable, and a small instruction manual with installation instructions. As the Quest 3 and 3S use the exact same controllers, these grips will work with both set ups.
Installation
Installation was a breeze. Start by removing the battery cover from your Quest controller, then take out the existing battery and the wrist strap at the bottom. Insert one of the rechargeable batteries provided, ensuring you match the left and right batteries correctly. You’ll know they’re positioned properly because they have an edge that aligns with the controller handle. Once the battery is in place you’re ready to slide it into the silicon housing. Inside the grip is a small hook that will attach in place of the battery cover so you know you’ve aligned it correctly. And that’s all there is to it.
Initial Impressions
The first thing that stands out is the length. They’re quite a bit longer than the standard controller. I really liked this about the grips as I have quite large hands, it gives me a more comfortable natural hold of the controller. There’s a pull string at the bottom of the grip which you use to tighten the foam strap around your hand. To readjust or remove, you just press the button at the bottom rear to release the slack. The extra length is supported by an internal plastic shell. This makes the controller feel sturdy and it also houses the charging element with a USB-C port located in the bottom.
The silicon sleeve has cut outs for the trigger and grip buttons which align perfectly. The entire face of the controller is uncovered except for a small lip all way around the edge. The sleeve has an anti slip textured finish which when combined with the foam strap, does make the controller feel secure in your hand.
There is a decent length braded USB-C to twin USB-C charging cable provided. This allows you to charge both controllers from the same plug and is a nice addition. The bottom of the grip houses a small LED to indicate the charging status.
Testing
Everything looks and feels great, but how do they truly perform in VR gaming? To find out, I tested several different titles, making sure there was plenty of variety in gameplay to really get a sense of what they offer.
Beat Saber
I thought I’d jump right in and try these grips out with the game I was most excited about first. By this time, Beat Saber needs no introduction as it is one of the all time greats of VR gaming. I’ve often found during some moments of the harder tracks, I’ve struggled with hand comfort. Maybe due to my hands being a bit too big for the controllers, maybe because I’m gripping too tight. I was hoping these grips would fix that.
Straight away I noticed that the strap forces my hand to hold the controller slightly different to normal. This means from muscle memory the buttons and thumb stick wasn’t exactly where I was expecting. Not a massive issue, just one that needed some slight tweaking to sit right. I really liked having a longer handle to spread my grip out slightly and the anti slip texture worked well.
With the strap forcing the controller to sit upright in my hand, I had to bend my wrist down slightly more than usual to point the saber straight ahead. After a while, this caused some strain that I hadn’t experienced when playing without the grips. I tried loosening the straps to balance the controllers better in my hands, but this made them less secure. Without the wrist strap and with a loose hand strap, I felt less confident swinging them as fast as I wanted. This might just be a user issue and one that I can overcome, but it was my first experience using them.
Resident Evil 4
My experience was much better with Resident Evil 4. The hand straps really came into play for this title. I could release my grip when I wanted to let go of weapons and the controllers stayed in place. It nicely added to the immersion that I only had to grip something when Leon did. Throwing a grenade felt great as I could do an actual throwing motion and release my grip naturally.
Prison Boss: Prohibition
If you read my recent review you’ll know how much I enjoyed Prison Boss: Prohibition, and the Maecker Controller Grips worked perfectly here. Probably better than when playing Resident Evil as using room scale meant I didn’t need to use the thumb sticks. I could completely release the controller when my hands weren’t doing anything. Only engaging my grip when I actually wanted to use the trigger or grip button.
Final Thoughts
I was very happy with my testing of these Quest Controller Grips. There was an initial phase of getting used to the difference but in the long run it was definitely worth the adjustment period.
All in all I’m happy to give the Maecker Quest Controller Grips a Thumb Culture Gold Award
Disclaimer: Hardware was provided in order to write this review.
About Author
