Mouse Control for the Console: SplitFish FragFX Review

I've played a lot of Resistance: Fall of Man on the PlayStation 3. In fact, several of us at Tom's Hardware Guide have spent several days' worth of game time with the title in online multiplayer mode. And the sad thing is, that even after all that time, I'm really no better at Resistance than I was when I first played the game a few months back. Sure, I've improved some; I can actually jump into a 40-person multiplayer death match and score more than one or two kills before it's all over. But I'm still not very good, and I probably never will be.

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Why? Probably because I'm a PC gamer at heart, and for me, nothing beats a good mouse and keyboard. I don't mind the PlayStation controller for God of War, for example, but only the most exquisitely designed shooters have pleased me on the consoles. Like most gamers, I prefer the precision of a mouse to target my weapons instead of trying to balance the thumb sticks with my exhausted, aching digits.

However, SplitFish's new controller, the FragFX, has given me a glimmer of hope. The company paid a visit to the Tom's Hardware Guide lab recently to demonstrate the FragFX, which essentially is a mouse and keypad system designed to replace the console controller for gamers like myself. The FragFX is the PlayStation 3 version of the company's EdgeFX controller for the PS2.

SplitFish's new PS3 controller, the FragFX

Here's how it works. The FragFX comes with a mouse and a small laptop mouse pad, as well as a connected left-hand grip controller that looks similar to the Wii Nunchuk. Imagine being on your couch for a second: the mouse pad sits on your lap, and you control the perspective and targeting on the screen with the mouse, while using left grip's thumb stick to move forward, backward, left and right.

There's more, too. The FragFX mouse has a set of PS3 controller buttons on the left side of the device, as well as a zoom button for targeting, and a start button on the top of the mouse. Plus, the left hand grip has a small button pad below the thumb stick. Best of all are the speed dial and "Frag button" on the grip - the speed dial can actually slow down or accelerate overall gameplay, while the Frag button allows players to lower the sensitivity of the mouse.

But does it actually work? That was my question when I first saw SplitFish CEO Francisco Schipperheijn and vice president Jason Johnson demonstrate the new controller. Once I got a chance to sit down and give the FragFX a try on Resistance, I got my answer very quickly: yes, it works quite well. Like any new controller scheme, it took me a few minutes to get the gist of the FragFX, but once I did, I found the controller was extremely easy to use.

Hit the jump for more of the FragFX review

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