Review: L2-R2 Grip for PSVita

Today I’m here to provide you a full review of the most wanted add-on for our beloved handheld console from “Mom” Sony. I’m talking about the L2-R2 Grip for Ps Vita manufactured by the Japanese company Joetsu Electronics.

Thanks to my friend Dessel, and courtesy of Mr. Fujikawa, I’ve had the opportunity to try it before everyone in the west sees this awesome accessory.

Be sure to check out the interview of Mr. Fujikawa, of Joetsu, provided by Dessel here.

As you can see from the photos, the product is available in two colors: black and white. It is also currently for the Slim model only (PCH 2000 for the nerds like me). Nevertheless, the possibility of other colors combined with various models of PS Vita already on the market are always a possibility but this is up to you, the consumer. In fact, according to Mr. Fujikawa, the introduction of the product in the West depends on the sale of the accessory through import.

The design and materials are excellent for a third-party accessory which is very pleasing for me as a hardcore gamer. We all know that a controller or a console generally needs to be comfortable to hold for several hours but also should be light and pleasant to the touch.
This is the first point in favor of Joetsu against large companies, such as MadCatz, specializing in accessories for gamers.

In the gallery, you can see how the PS Vita fits perfectly into this accessory, duly produced in a way that it can be left on the console even in normal use. In fact, you can see the space for the memory card slot, headphone jack, the charger connector and the camera lens. Obviously, it also has an open space on the back for the touchpad, making it possible to use other functions such as L3-R3.

But how does it work? Simple! On the back of the grip, there are two touch sensors that are going to interact directly with the rear touchpad to notify the PS Vita we are “tapping” that point.

Now after this brief explanation, we can move on to the practical use.
At the time of this review, I had the chance to test it on a few titles but I ultimately chose Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes because I’m not a huge fan of the FPS type games. 🙂
The video is not focused on the gameplay because we’re not talking about the game but how effectively the grip is doing its job and we can also note that the key response is almost identical to the Dualshock 4.

Now I should say something…

Many of you, if addicted to games like me, should know that the recent software update for PS4, 2.51 called “Yukimura,” has introduced the possibility to remote play at 60fps on Ps Vita and the remapping option for controllers. Well, you should also know that remote play doesn’t permit you to configure the controls as you like (yeah I know what you’re thinking).

The problem is that we don’t know if this feature is unavailable due to Sony or the developers have chosen to “lock” the possibility to change the controls. You can say “what’s the problem?” but in my tests, I found almost impossible to use the grip on Mortal Kombat X because the default settings of the touch controls put L2 and R2 on the front touchscreen and L3 and R3 on the back. The bad thing is that in game options doesn’t permit you to assign L3 and R3 as buttons so the grip is virtually useless. In other cases, like Infamous Second Son, the controls are swapped between L2 and R2 on Ps Vita and L1 and R1 on the grip.

I repeat, this is not Joetsu’s fault but a technical failure imposed by Sony itself.

BUT, if some of you, like me, love to play old PS One classic on Ps Vita then you have found the best accessory ever made for this console.

As you can see in the video, the compatibility with said games is 100% because of the remapping option present in the ps vita/psone emulator. You can find the configuration panel by holding down the PS button while playing.

Conclusions

Nothing else to say except … Buy it!

Seriously, this accessory is a candidate to become a must have for all owners of PS Vita and PS4 if you love to replay the old PS One classics or the remote play functionality.
My personal experience with this L2-R2 Grip was very pleasant. The feel is very comfortable, like holding a joypad in my hands! The keys answer nearly instantaneously but are obviously bound to the wifi in the case of Remote Play.

If you’re interested, you can find it at PlayAsia.
L2/R2 Button Grip Cover for PCH-2000 (White)  Price: US$ 39.99

You can read our review of the 1000 model L2/R2 grips here.

L2/R2 Button Grip Cover for PCH-1000 (Black) Price: US$ 39.99

That’s all folks!

I want to thank Mr. Fujikawa for giving me the opportunity to try out this fantastic accessory and, of course, my friend Dessel for making contact with Joetsu Electronics.

Leave comments below and, as always, I invite you to follow me on Twitter darkamon for further updates and more news.

See ya!!