Experiments With Adaptive Gaming: Does This Budget Manfrotto Arm Work the Same as the Manfrotto Variable Friction Arm?

What’s up TR Fans and welcome back for another blog here on Technology Reviews! In this blog I’m going to be looking at whether this budget Manfrotto arm I got works just as well as the Manfrotto Variable Friction Mounting Arm which I reviewed last year, and which is better for the price.

But first, thanks for 30 subscribers to the YouTube Channel, ‘Phoebs Does Technology Reviews’, and if you like what you’re seeing and would like to see more, then head on over and hit subscribe, and if you help me get up to my first milestone of 50 subscribers, I will let you have the choice of whether I do a gaming video of your choice, or if I do a ‘What I Have On My iPhone or iPad’ video.

So what you’ll have to get if you’d like to use a budget Manfrotto arm for gaming is:

• The Manfrotto 196AB-2 Single Arm 2 Section – £39.95
• A Manfrotto Super Clamp – between £26 – £34.95
• Manfrotto Mounting Studs (the ones I got were £6 although prices vary) and;
• A small or large rectangular mounting plate – £20 through Inclusive Technology

The studs I ordered however, took a bit of time arriving, and after they arrived, I had to get help putting it together, but all was good after.

When the arm is put together, you’ll want to have the clamp at the bottom of the arm, with the rectangular plate on the other end. To move the position of the plate, you’ll be using the clamp as well as the circular star-like control on the arm, but a warning that this has only worked with switches for me, and I haven’t tried it with a controller.

But what are my thoughts on this budget Manfrotto arm overall? Well, the good news is, it does definitely do the same job. After trying it with a couple of games, I found that the budget Manfrotto arm slipped a bit more compared to the Variable Friction Mounting Arm, but it wasn’t too noticeable, and it could have easily just been my position changing, as I do slide quite a lot. So yes, it might slide a lot, but for some people, would you notice?

But in relation to the question, how does this arm compare to the Manfrotto Variable Friction Mounting Arm, I think it depends on what all you are looking for. If you can afford something way over £100 and you want that actual sturdiness, then by all means, go for the Variable Friction Mounting Arm. But if you’re a disabled gamer who is on a budget, or you live with someone who is on a budget, this is still a good arm. You can even buy each of the pieces over a couple of months like I did, depending on when you have more money, and you definitely won’t be losing out.