When getting the Quest and Quest 2, one thing I wasn’t to keen on with the controllers was the size of the part in your hand. As someone with larger hands, that is used to the Vive Wands and Index Controllers, I just wished they were a bit longer. This is where Kiwi Design have come into the equation again, with their new grip – I have been testing them out, so what did I think?
What’s in the box?
Inside of the box you get the extended controller grips, that have a battery cover and the Knuckle Straps already connected, Velco covers for the Knuckle Straps for comfort, protector for the rings and wrist straps (if you still want some on for extra safety).
Attaching them to the controllers
Getting them onto the controllers is easy, and should take you no longer than five-minutes. All you need to is remove the current battery covers and batteries, and place the controller into the KIWI grip cover. Then place in the battery – remembering to put it on top of the little plastic strip for ease of removing the battery when it needs replacing. Then fit the top part over the face of the controller, and use the connectors at the back to keep them in place. Now just adjust the Knuckle grip to your hand size and you are ready to go.
Benefits
For me the main benefit of the product that will suit a lot of VR users is that Knuckle Strap and the extra grip if gives the controller. I personally find the Knuckle Strap the most comfortable and best way to keep a controller on your hand, and also gives that extra immersion of being able to open your hand without the controller dropping. If you find that you still wouldn’t like that extra security of the controller not flying off your hand, you can do this by using the supplied wrist straps.
Now, the one benefit I really found a massive use, was the battery cover being part of the cover. This allows you to easily change the battery without having to remove the cover first, so much more convenient than other straps and controller covers on the market.
Then as aforementioned, one thing I found with the Quest controllers, is although they fit in my hands, I much prefer a longer controller. These grips extend the controller perfectly for people with larger hands. Personally for me making them a lot more comfortable to hold, especially in longer sessions.
Testing the product
When testing them out, I did this without the Wrist Straps and the Index Controllers really have built my confidence in not needing them. As always when testing these sort of products I like to do this across a number of genre of games, to give them a full stress test. The games I used to test the durability, comfort and performance were After The Fall, Smash Drums, FITXR, Zenith and Blade and Sorcery,
Even testing over different genres, some with rapid hand movements and some with more casual slower hand-movements they passed every test, not once did I feel like they were going to come off my hands even when getting right into Smash Drums and Blade and Sorcery. They felt really comfortable on my hands in each game, and gave me that extra immersion mentioned previously.
Switching the battery in and out is simple, but make sure to use the plastic tab they have attached to the grips. For testing purposes I didn’t use this on one controller, and although I could get the battery out with the grip on, it took a lot time and effort than just pulling the tab.
The final bit of the testing, and one the excelled in every game tested was that extra comfort for my larger hands. I really found the controls seemed much more comfortable in my hands, especially for those more active games. However, if you are thinking these sound great but I don’t want my controller extended, they do provide a version without the extender.
Reviewed using Meta Quest 2
For the purposes of transparency, this review was created using a sample provided by the company or their respective PR company. The use of a press sample does not affect my judgement of the product.
Review Overview
KIWI Designs originally released some Knuckle Straps for the original Quest/Rift S, and where these worked they weren’t perfect. With this latest version of the grip with Knuckle straps they really have nailed the design, comfort and performance of the product – with the added bonus of the easy interchangeable batteries with the battery cover. If you are looking for more immersion in VR the Knuckle strap does bring that extra benefit – and the extended grips are perfect for people with larger hands. I would highly recommend getting these, or the non-extended version if you are looking for a way to improve the Quest controllers. This is another solid product by KIWI Design, and really cements them as the company for Quest accessories.
