Those looking for a better way to control their favorite PC games may be in luck with Great American Ideas' keyboard peripheral attachment, the MiniStick. When most PC gamers are playing their favorite first-person shooter or action games, things can get a little hectic with the usual A, W, S and D keys. Your fingers might slip, the keys might stick, or you may hit the wrong key at the worst possible time. This is where the MiniStick comes in handy. Or should, anyway.

Sure, the company promises improved "scores" and "control", but can a little plastic attachment really make all that much of a difference?

The attachment is easy to setup and use, as it comes with three self-adhesive pads that you stick onto the A, W and D or on the arrows keys on your keyboard (there’s a small piece on the bottom of the stick that pushes the S or down arrow key). The stick itself is secured via Velcro coating which guarantees a nice, tight fit that never loosened or disconnected even during the most strenuous of use.

Using the MiniStick does takes some getting used to, honestly, as the instructions recommend you practice playing around with it some by performing circular motions with the stick until you get a feel for it. Soon you’ll never have to worry about hitting the wrong keys or slippage again, as now you have your own mini joystick to help out during those intense FPS or third-person action battles. And when you’re done gaming, you just pull the MiniStick off the Velcro pads and set it to the side for later.

So how does it work? That's difficult to say conclusively, as each person will have to reorient themselves from pressing the keys normally to using a stick for their fast and quick maneuvers. And it also depends on what genre of game you're trying to play, as jostling through first-person shooters is worlds different than 2D/3D platformers, puzzlers, fighting games, and so forth.

My playtime using the MiniStick with first-person shooters proved anything but ideal, as the virtual analog control - which are a perfect fit for gaming controllers that nestle in your hands - felt unwieldy when flattened to a static keyboard. Platformers, on the other hand, definitely benefited from the precision on a 'real' joystick, opposed to simply punching on a few buttons - which was never the best way to play any platformer. Likewise, the PC world is popping with countless other puzzle, Flash-based platformers, and other games that just felt more natural with the MiniStick than standard buttons, so a bit of trial 'n error is required before either adopting or dismissing the Stick wholly.

A few caveats for those looking to make the MiniStick a permanent park of their repertoire: the pads don't come off easily, and some may not like having slightly raised surfaces on their A, W, and D keys, especially if they do a lot of typing. It’s not that bad if you try to get used to it, and there’s always the option of using the arrow keys instead. It also would have been nice if the set included some extra pads for when you might want to relocate the stick to other keys or even replacement keyboards.

If you’re looking for a better way to play and add precision to your favorite PC games, then Great American Ideas’ MiniStick attachment might be the product for you. While it may not live up to its promise to deliver improved scores or control with every game (first-person shooters were a bust), having a sturdy mini virtual joystick handy does help make games like platformers, puzzlers, as well as the countless free-to-play adventure and whatnot genres a lot more comfortable than merely clicking numbered or arrow keys. While it may bother some that you have to leave Velcro pads on the keys you place the stick on the effect isn't as bad as it sounds and the payoff of performing better is worth it. I recommend to give this strange hybrid controller a try, as once you get used to it, you’ll think twice about gaming without it.