KIWI design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips Review

KIWI design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grip Covers for Meta Quest 3

design

Remember when everyone had a Nintendo Wii and the craze that shortly followed where everyone raced out to grab silicone Wiimote covers in every colour they could? Well things have come full circle as the KIWI design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips are a very similar concept for the Meta Quest 3. There’s no outlandish colours here though, the KIWI design G4 Pro Grips are only available in a simple black finish but look suitably grown up as a result.

The KIWI design G4 Pro Grips feature the Made for Meta badge, an official certification from Meta handed out to products they feel meet their quality, design and experience standards. It’s a nice box to tick for KIWI design and speaks to the overall quality of the G4 Pro Grips. The silicone that neatly wraps the body of the Quest 3 Touch Plus controllers is soft and pleasantly textured, offering far more grip than the hard plastic of the controller itself. The silicone outer layer also offers some protection against accidental bumps and knocks, a bonus more than a feature but certainly a welcome one.

You’ll find a large hinged flap built into the side of the G4 Pro Grips which closes securely and flush to the rest of the body so was equally as comfortable and I never noticed it in use, though there is channel a couple of millimetres wide that I worry will be an absolute magnet for dust and gunk. You’ll need to replace the original plastic battery panel for an included one featuring a cutout in the side to make this work but it’s perfectly shaped and lines up with the shape of the controller perfectly. Each panel includes a rather basic set of plastic strips that help with popping out the single AA battery in the Quest 3 controller. I can’t argue they work, though they do feel like cheap film and I’d have preferred a more flexible fabric ribbon for a premium touch.

The nylon strap however, is lovely. This is a noticeable upgrade on previous versions of KIWI design’s knuckle grips and really helps the G4 Pro live up to its name. The material is soft and flexible, with styling and a secure velcro fastening that closely resembles an Apple Watch strap. The way it joins the main grip body is also greatly improved, with a far more flexible top joint and a seamless merge into the controller at the bottom.

performance

I must confess I’m not usually a VR controller grip kind of player, I tend to just made do with the wrist strap on the Meta Quest 3 and had never really felt like I was at risk of throwing them across the room. That said, the wrist strap always goes on and always gets properly tightened up before playing so the KIWI design G4 Pro Grips felt like a logical evolution.

First impressions are excellent, the KIWI design G4 Pro‘s moulded silicone cover provides a noticeable boost in comfort and hand feel, it’s a little softer and more assured than the bare controller. The textured surface also made it far less prone to slipping during fast hand gestures and it’s quite nice to be able to release your grip and stretch out your fingers occasionally without having the Meta Quest 3 controller go swinging wildly and smacking into your wrist.

There are considerations here though depending on the kind of games you play. While the KIWI design G4 grips are comfortable, they do make you hold the controller in a very specific position and angle. In games like Beat Saber and Walkabout Mini Golf where the rotation of the controller is less important this didn’t cause issues, I actually much preferred playing Walkabout with the KIWI design G4 Pro Grips installed.

But in other games like iB Cricket and Eleven Table Tennis where the angle of the controller is everything, I ended up taking the G4 Pro Grips off as it just didn’t line up properly and ended up being more uncomfortable and awkward as a result. This isn’t the fault of KIWI design or the G4 Pros however, it’s not a design failing or quality issue – those games just don’t lend themselves to a pro controller grip full stop.

A quick note on controller tracking performance, it’s a common report from some users that any cover like the G4 Pro Grips can cause issues with interruptions to tracking. This can often be hard to replicate and there’s a few factors at play so I can’t speak in absolutes, however I didn’t experience a noticeable tracking difference when playing with the grips on and with the standard controllers alone. The KIWI design G4 Pro Performance Grips do include a number of considerations designed to combat any tracking problems and in my testing these all seem to be mighty successful.

summed up

If you’re in the market for a set of knuckle controller covers for your Meta Quest 3 then the KIWI design G4 Pro Performance Grips are a sound choice. Carrying official Made for Meta certification, they offer a sleek, comfortable design with soft silicone and a rear strap Apple would be proud of.

It all combines to make them a quality accessory that lives up to KIWI design’s strong reputation in the VR world. The K4 Boost Battery Strap is my Meta Quest 3 head strap of choice and other accessories like the Vertical Charging Stand are easy to recommend too.