Quick Verdict: Do Thumb Grips Help?

If you just want to know whether thumb grips and thumbstick extenders help before diving into details, here’s the short version.

• Thumb grips do help with grip, comfort, and protecting your stock rubber. They feel very close to default sticks with a bit more control and less slipping.
• Thumbstick extenders help most with fine aim adjustments, especially in FPS games, by giving your thumb more travel for the same input.
• Neither one is a magic upgrade. They won’t fix bad sensitivity settings or stick drift, but they can make good habits easier and more consistent.
• They’re cheap and low-risk. Even if you end up going back to stock sticks, it’s worth trying a pack or two just to see what clicks for you.

Why Height and Grip Matter for Aim

To understand how much thumb grips and thumbstick extenders can help your aim, it’s worth looking at how analog sticks actually work. Every thumbstick is basically a little lever sitting on a sensor. When you move the stick, you’re rotating that lever around a pivot.

The higher the top of the stick is from the pivot, the bigger the circle your thumb travels for the same in-game movement. That bigger circle is why high-rise thumbstick extenders help with precision: your thumb moves farther for the same camera movement, making small corrections smoother.

Thumb grips, on the other hand, barely change the height. They feel almost like stock sticks but give you more friction and a slightly bigger, softer surface area to push against — which is where most of their benefit comes from.

If you’re not sure what kind of grip you naturally use, our controller grip styles guide breaks down the most common ways people hold a pad and how that affects comfort, control, and which accessories feel best.

What Thumb Grips Are (And How They Help)

Thumb grips are small rubber or silicone caps that sit on top of your existing sticks. You’ll see different shapes:

• Flat / low-profile — feels closest to stock sticks.
• Concave — your thumb sinks in slightly, which helps with control.
• Convex — rounded tops, often with aggressive texture for extra grip.

Most thumb grips are only a couple of millimeters tall, so if you’re asking “do thumb grips help aim?”, the answer is: indirectly. They don’t really change your aim curve, but they:

• Improve grip: Better traction when your hands get sweaty, so your thumb doesn’t slide off mid-fight.
• Improve comfort: Softer rubber means less pressure on a small hard plastic surface during long sessions.
• Protect your controller: The grip takes the abuse instead of your stock rubber, which helps prevent peeling and tearing over time.

If you want your controller to feel mostly the same but a bit more secure and comfortable, thumb grips are the low-risk option that almost everyone can use.

What Thumbstick Extenders Are (And When They Help Most)

Thumbstick extenders (often sold as “high-rise” or “FPS” sticks) clip onto the top of your existing sticks and make them noticeably taller. A typical extender adds around 8–10 mm of extra height.

That extra height does two big things:

• Increases precision for small movements: Because your thumb travels farther for the same input, tiny corrections while aiming feel smoother and more controlled.
• Changes how fast full turns feel: Full-tilt movements can feel slower on default sensitivity, because it takes a bit more thumb travel to push the stick all the way to the edge.

That’s why many players who say thumbstick extenders are worth it use setups like:

• High-rise extender on the right stick for aim.
• Mid or low-rise on the left stick for movement, or just a regular grip.

You get more control where it matters most (aim) without making your movement feel too strange.

Do Thumb Grips and Thumbstick Extenders Really Help?

The honest answer: thumb grips and thumbstick extenders can help, but they won’t carry you. Think of them as small quality-of-life upgrades on top of good fundamentals and smart settings.

Personally, I don’t really use thumb grips or extenders on my own controllers. I’m older, a bit stuck in my ways, and honestly not good enough for that last 2% of precision to change my life. My son, though, will sometimes throw a taller cap on his right stick for shooters because he likes the extra control. That’s really the point here — they’re cheap, low-risk experiments. Some players swear by them, some go back to stock, and both are perfectly fine.

How Much Do Thumb Grips Help Aim?

If you’re wondering specifically “do thumb grips help aim?”, the answer is: they help indirectly. Better grip and comfort make it easier to keep your thumbs steady and relaxed, which reduces overcorrections and “slipping past” your target. The real gains come from consistency, not some secret hidden stat boost.

How Much Do Thumbstick Extenders Help in FPS Games?

For FPS players (CoD, Apex, Fortnite, Halo, etc.), thumbstick extenders help more noticeably. A high-rise right stick gives you:

• Smoother micro-adjustments while sniping or tracking players.
• A bit more forgiveness when making tiny corrections instead of over-aiming past the target.

The catch: you usually want to nudge your sensitivity up a notch or two so your full turns don’t feel sluggish. You’re trading a bit of raw speed for more control — which is usually worth it once you adjust.

Comfort and Protection vs Raw Performance

If your thumbs feel sore or cramped after a long night, grippy, softer caps are the better move. They:

• Reduce the pressure on a small, hard plastic surface.
• Help you relax your grip because you’re not fighting to keep your thumbs centered.
• Cut down on the “slip and correct” feeling that wastes micro-adjustments and energy.

Many modern controllers also have stick rubber that wears down faster than it should. Once it starts peeling, it gets uncomfortable fast. Thumb grips act like a cheap, replaceable layer of armor. You ruin the grip, not the controller.

When Thumb Grips and Extenders Don’t Help (Or Feel Worse)

Accessories get overhyped. There are definitely cases where thumb grips or extenders won’t help you, or even make things worse:

• If you already play on very low sensitivity: Adding a tall extender can make turning feel painfully slow until you adjust your settings.
• If you have very small hands: High-rise sticks might force your thumbs into an uncomfortable angle, which can hurt more than it helps.
• If your problem is stick drift: Grips and extenders don’t fix faulty sensors. They can make the controller feel nicer to use, but you’ll still need to fix the drift properly or replace the pad.
• If your sensitivity and deadzones are a mess: No accessory can save you from bad in-game settings. That has to be dialed in first.

If you’re curious about the hardware side and why some sticks drift more than others, check out Hall Effect vs standard sticks for a deeper breakdown.

How Much Thumb Grips and Extenders Help on PS5, Xbox, and Switch

The basics are the same across platforms, but there are a few small differences in how thumb grips and thumbstick extenders feel on each system.

PlayStation (PS5 / PS4)

On DualSense and DualShock controllers, the sticks are symmetrical. A lot of PS5 players asking if thumb grips help on PS5 are really looking for better grip and less slipping. A common setup is:

• High-rise extender on the right stick for aim.
• Low-rise grip or nothing on the left stick to keep movement feeling natural.

If you play tons of shooters, this setup gives you a more precise aiming stick without totally changing the feel of the controller.

Xbox (Series X|S / One)

Xbox controllers already have slightly taller, offset sticks. Extenders stack on top of that, so high-rise options can feel very tall. For many Xbox players, the sweet spot looks like:

• Mid-rise extender on the right stick for a balance of control and comfort.
• Simple thumb grips if they mainly want better texture and protection.

If you already like how your Xbox pad feels, consider starting with grippy caps before jumping straight to a very tall extender.

Nintendo Switch / Switch Lite / OLED

Switch thumbsticks are smaller and more fragile, especially on Joy-Con. For most people who ask if thumb grips help on Switch, the answer is yes — mostly for comfort and protection:

• Low-rise thumb grips are the safest starting point — more grip, a little more comfort, and extra protection.
• High-rise extenders on Joy-Con can feel unstable, especially in handheld mode, and may stress already fragile sticks.

If you mainly play docked with a Pro Controller, mid- or high-rise extenders make more sense and feel closer to what you’d expect from PS5/Xbox setups.

Thumb Grips vs Thumbstick Extenders: Which Should You Try First?

Instead of thinking of this as a “which is better” fight, think of grips and extenders as tools for slightly different jobs.

Choose Thumb Grips If…

• Your thumbs slide off the sticks when they get sweaty.
• You want more comfort but don’t want your controller to feel “different.”
• You play a mix of genres — platformers, action games, RPGs, light shooters.
• You mainly care about protecting your sticks from wear.

Choose Thumbstick Extenders If…

• You play a lot of competitive shooters or ranked matches.
• You’re comfortable tweaking sensitivity and deadzones.
• You specifically want more fine control while aiming down sights.
• You don’t mind a short adjustment period while your muscle memory catches up.

Not sure which way to go? Start with simple low-rise thumb grips. If you like that extra control and comfort, you can always step up to a high-rise extender later on your main aiming stick.

Quick Buying Tips (Without Overcomplicating It)

You don’t need to spend a ton to see if thumb grips or thumbstick extenders help you. A few quick guidelines:

• PS5 players: start with low-rise grips, add a high-rise if you love shooters. Look for sets that include different textures so you can test what feels best, then experiment with a single high-rise cap on your aiming stick.
  Browse PS5 thumb grips on Amazon  |  Browse PS5 thumbstick extenders on Amazon
• Xbox players: mix mid- and high-rise options. Xbox sticks are already a bit taller, so mid-rise extenders plus grippy caps are a nice balance for comfort and control.
  Browse Xbox thumb grips on Amazon  |  Browse Xbox thumbstick extenders on Amazon
• Switch players: low-rise on Joy-Con, extenders mainly for Pro Controller. Focus on grip and protection for handheld, then use taller sticks on a Pro Controller if you play docked shooters.
  Browse Switch thumb grips on Amazon  |  Browse Switch thumbstick extenders on Amazon

If you want full controller recommendations instead of just accessories, check out:

• Best gaming controllers (all platforms)
• Best Xbox controller
• Best PS5 controllers
• Best Switch controllers
• Best PC controllers

Tuning Your Settings After You Add Them

The fastest way to decide that thumb grips or thumbstick extenders “don’t help” is to slap them on and never touch your settings. Spend 10–15 minutes in a training range or private match and do this:

• Increase look sensitivity one or two steps if a high-rise stick makes your turns feel slow.
• Lower or fine-tune your ADS sensitivity if you feel jittery while aiming down sights.
• Adjust deadzones so your crosshair moves when you actually intend to move it, but doesn’t wander from drift.
• Give it a few sessions: your thumbs need a little time to rebuild muscle memory at the new height and grip.

If you’re torn between wired and wireless controllers in general, you might also like wired vs wireless controller for gaming, which breaks down latency, battery life, and feel.

FAQ: Do Thumb Grips and Thumbstick Extenders Help?

Do thumb grips actually improve your aim?

Thumb grips help your aim indirectly. By adding grip and comfort, they make it easier to keep your thumbs steady and relaxed, which can reduce overcorrections and wasted movements. They won’t turn you into a pro on their own, but they can make your aiming feel more consistent and less slippery.

Are thumbstick extenders worth it for FPS games?

For many players, yes — thumbstick extenders are worth it if you play a lot of shooters and are willing to tweak your settings. The extra height gives you more control over small adjustments, which is especially useful for long-range fights and precise tracking. Just remember to nudge your sensitivity up so you’re not stuck with super slow turns.

Do thumb grips or extenders fix stick drift?

No. They can make the stick feel nicer to use, but drift is a hardware or calibration issue. You’ll need to clean, recalibrate, or replace the controller. For that, see our full guide on how to fix controller stick drift.

Are thumb grips and extenders allowed in tournaments?

Most console and PC tournaments allow external thumb grips and extenders because they don’t modify the internal electronics and don’t automate inputs. That said, rules can vary by organizer, so always double-check the specific event rules if you’re playing in official competitions.

Should I put extenders on both sticks or just one?

Most players start with a high- or mid-rise extender on the right stick only for aiming, and either a low-rise grip or nothing on the left stick. That gives you extra control where it matters most without making your movement feel too strange. If you love the feel, you can always experiment with both sticks later.