PowerA have always made amazing accessories and I own a lot of their products. They’re known for making controllers and much more. However, ever since the release of the Xbox Elite Controller, gamers have been asking for a way to personalize their controllers and Microsoft haven’t given them an option. If you really wanted to you would have to buy another Xbox Elite Controller with the Gears of War 4 theme. Considering that the controller is still very expensive at retailers, changing your paddles and thumbsticks is the next best option. In my opinion however, it’s the best option because you can swap them out regularly. In the mood for a Halo 5 look? You’re covered? What about Killer Instinct? You’re covered.
So far I’ve seen three different component kits from PowerA. There’s the expansive Halo 5 one which comes with a variety of different thumbsticks and then there’s the Killer Instinct one which was announced at a major Killer Instinct event a few months ago. Lastly, there’s the new Gears of War one which cuts a great balance between affordability, customization and quality.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Halo 5 component kit many months ago and while I liked its atheistic, I was a little concerned about the quality and durability. Maybe it was PowerA’s first time making them so the fit and finish was a little rough around the edges. The Gears of War kit addresses all of my concerns. Everything is flawless down to the small grooves on the thumbsticks. The logos are amazing and incredibly detailed for something so small. Additionally, the paint is as bright and resistant as ever. PowerA really outdid themselves when it came to the Gears of War Component Kit. I’m glad they addressed the concerns because these are by far the best accessories you can buy for you Xbox Elite Controller out there.
The biggest reason why I’ve been interested in the PowerA kits are the paddles. The standard paddles that come with the Xbox Elite Controller are too large and unruly. You have way too many accidental presses and putting them on the back of you controller makes it hard for you to even hold it comfortably. PowerA have solved the problem by offering us broader but shorter paddles. They fit perfectly on the controller and clearly a lot of attention went into making them. I can finally use the paddles for all games and reap the benefits of having extra buttons. It truly changes how you play certain titles. For example, recently I was playing Mafia 3 and it made driving so much easier and more precise because you can drift easily now without letting go of the camera controls.
As you can see from the images, you get a lot of thumbsticks and all of them are gorgeous. You can configure your setup however you want. Want a large left stick and a domed right stick? You’re covered. The choices are much appreciated because each one of us has a different way we like to play. The fact that they included two D-pads is also a welcome addition because I prefer the standard plus one rather than the odd circular one. However, I’m sure there are plenty of others out there who would disagree.
I’m glad they didn’t overdo the number of thumbsticks found in the package because no one really needs that many. We already get extra ones in the Xbox Elite Controller case and I haven’t touched them. The Halo 5 pack was more expensive due to this so I would’ve preferred if it had less. The Gears of War Component Kit is significantly cheaper than the Halo Component Kit and comes in at $30. GameStop always has discounts and promotions going on so it might even cost you less. This is the right price in my opinion because you get a lot of accessories. While many might consider this expensive, I can say that the quality offered in the Gears of War kit is amazing and I think it might even beat the paddles that come with the Xbox Elite Controller from Microsoft. For me it’s definitely worth it and gamers who wish to use the paddles comfortably should buy this.
I somewhat wish that PowerA would sell the paddles separately. Many gamers are content with their thumbsticks but the paddles are what really bothers them. Hopefully the company will take this suggestion into account in the future and offer us such an option.
Summary
Overall, the Gears of War Component Kit is amazing and for the improved paddles alone is worth it in my opinion. They’re the perfect size and shape so that accidental presses and comfort aren’t impacted. The entire package is very high quality and a definitive step up from the accessories I’ve used in the past. If you’re a fan of the Gears of War franchise and want to play any shooter at a higher skill level, I would definitely recommend making this investment. You won’t regret it. You can buy the Gears of War Component kit at GameStop by following this link.
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Asher is a games journalist, former News Writer (Gaming) at Windows Central. They contributed 1110 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: wrote over 1,100 ICXM pieces on Xbox news, hardware reviews, and platform commentary before joining Future plc’s Windows Central in 2017.