The technology luminaries at Sony certainly know how to make a quality, state-of-the-art game console, including its peripherals. So when they were eventually happy with the design of their DualShock 3 game controller for PlayStation 3, just before they released it to the general public they must have been absolutely convinced that their product is perfect; there is nothing to improve, nothing to take off and nothing to add.
PlayStation 3 game controller with the original, factory-fitted triggers (top), and with the adjustable ‘Pro’ Hair Triggers from Trigger King (bottom). The transformation is radical.However, Trigger King, a small American start-up specialising in high-performance triggers for video game controllers, begged to differ. They have listened to gamers who weren’t entirely satisfied with the built-in triggers the PS3 controller comes with, and, after some research into the subject, designed more gamer-friendly, fully adjustable triggers that can be simply fitted on top of the original ones.
The reviewed ‘PS3 Combo Pack’ package contains two pairs of triggers – Trigger King PS3 Classic Triggers and Trigger King PS3 Pro Triggers. Both were originally released separately and now come in a convenient single pack containing both Classic and Pro versions of the triggers.
The installation of the Trigger King’s Adjustable Triggers is fairly simple: the new triggers are basically attached onto the underside of the original triggers, then rotated slightly up and away until a distinct ‘click’ sound indicates that they have snapped into place. Once installed, the minuscule screw at the top of each trigger enables adjusting the individual triggers to the desired hair trigger setting (a tiny complementary screwdriver is included in the package).
Once attached, the new Trigger King’s triggers transform the, rather rudimentary, triggers that come with the PS3 controller into more ergonomic, and frankly, more trigger-like, triggers. While the ‘Classic’ version of the triggers is only marginally better than the original one, the change after outfitting the game controller with the ‘Pro’ version of the triggers is really noticeable. Basically, you won’t see that there was anything wrong with the original Sony-provided triggers, until you have installed the Trigger King’s fully adjustable and ergonomic ones, that provide for a better grip and higher sensitivity. Then you likely won’t want to return to the rather blunt original ones.
The Trigger King’s Adjustable Hair Triggers most definitely improve on the original product design, however, at the price of $19.95, for what are essentially four small pieces of plastic, they are slightly overpriced. Should the manufacturer reduces the price to a more reasonable, let say $9.95, and comes with versions of the adjustable triggers for the eighth-generation consoles (PS4, Xbox One) as they have promised they would, they might be onto something.
26/09/2015
