Everyone has probably heard about a Scuf controller by now. But have you ever tried one? Have you thought about trying one? Well, you should. Scuf controllers are game changers in this progressively more chaotic gaming culture, with higher levels of competition every year. The time is now to take your abilities to the next level.
I'm sure everyone has heard of a "Scuf controller" by now. Whether you are a fan of the Call of Duty, Battlefield, Overwatch, or Siege games, you have most likely heard the name be used once or twice. Maybe you watch E-sports and streamers, so therefore have seen fans asking if the really talented gamer is using one. They're nothing new in the gaming community, but really new to myself. A controller than is built for competition; so comfortable in your hands, yet so durable and practical that you wonder where it has been your whole gaming life. The experience I've had with my Scuf controller is an incredible one. I've always considered myself way better than average when it comes to any shooters, especially online against others. With roots from the original Halo and Call of Duty games, I've spent tens of thousands of hours combined, essentially practicing. It may soundscommercial the way I'm hyping this up, but believe me when I say within the first hour of using my Scuf controller, I felt dramatic changes.
You can check out the Scuf Gaming website here, or go directly to the Infinity 4PS Pro online builder here.
Paddle yourself to success
The first thing you need to know, is a Scuf controller can be made for any console of your choosing, and possesses a few features that make it completely unique and independent from other options on the market. Most importantly are the paddles on the back, that can be mapped to any of the basic buttons on the controller. Where your middle fingers would normally wrap the handles of the controller, along with your pinky fingers and ring fingers, they rest on and click these. When you get your controller made for you, you'll need to already have any idea what you want them to be. On the PlayStation 4 controller, I prefer my left paddle to be my "X" button, because that is typically the jump action for most games, and I made the right one "O" which is most often the crouch. You'll probably want to do the same, as most people do, because it's most important, and I'll tell you why. It's not permanent though, as Scuf allows you to remap buttons with a little electronic token known as an EMR.
When you play a shooter, let's take the semi-recently released Fortnite Battle Royale for example, jumping will give you new angles on opponents, as well as get you out of their crosshairs. If you're in a shotgun battle to the death, you'll not only be spamming the shooting button, but also the jump button. Now, how exactly do you aim when you're jumping? You lift your thumb off of the right analog stick, click the jump button, and then move it back over to the aiming analog stick. Those few split seconds will make usually determine that outcome. You can't aim right when you need to jump, you're a step behind. Now, I'm pretty sure Fortnite has a controller configuration where you can swap the jump button and map it to the top button, but either way you get the whole point I'm making. This translates to many other games too, with very similar situations. Call of Duty, especially before the whole boots on the ground return, and Rainbow Six Siege if your someone who consistently spams the crouch button to duck enemy fire.
It's somewhat strange of a change the first time you use it, and even after a few days, I have to spam my left triggers and the left paddle to readjust myself before I begin playing online. Use it enough though, it'll make a difference and feel second nature. Look how far the controllers have come since the old school Nintendo and Sega Genesis days. This is just another step in the evolution for controllers. If it ever feels overwhelming, want to give it a break, or simply stop using them, then you can always use the regular buttons. The addition of the paddles doesn't change anything to the regular functions of the controller.
Building Your Own Scuf Controller
There are several noteworthy features to include with your Scuf controller, but first, let me glance over the online builder for you. When you go to the website, and find which of the controllers are right for you, an online builder will allow you to build the controller however you want. This includes the color of the shell, buttons, triggers, analog sticks, if you want military grip, control disc, concave or convex analog sticks, etc. Again, there are several noteworthy features, and each one is important.
If you want everything to be easier, you can pick one of the color and visual designs from their library of options. I went with building my own though, and decided to keep it looking sleek with a mostly black design with pops of red. If there is another option I would go with, it would be the dragon scales look, which is badass beyond belief. If you dont believe me, go check them out. Of course, some of the other options will raise the bar in price, so you'll just need to be mindful of that.
The triggers, while can be changed between several basic color options, have a special design to them that allows you to change the trigger pulls distance. You can allow them to squeeze the full pull, or rotate a small plastic piece underneath, which will stop the pull midway, allowing you to shoot your shoots quicker. This leads to a more responsive pull of the trigger, so I don't imagine why anyone would avoid changing to the midway point. Another nice feature to the triggers is using optional trigger extenders. They almost double the length of your triggers, which is good for those with bigger hands, and also to simply keep your fingers from slipping off while pulling.
You may also notice a colored ring around the analog sticks. This is a locking device that allows you to swap out different analog sticks based on your game style. For years now I have had to purchase analog stick covers so that I can get the right height and curve to them, and it added up in terms of cost and stress, because anytime I traveled or stuffed the controller somewhere, they would always rip off and get lost. With this option, you're able to very quickly unlock, switch analogs, and lock back up. There are two different heights, medium and tall, as well concave and domed shapes.
The military grip, which is placed on the back of the shell is a feature that offers unmatched gripping ability. Forget those gel and rubber wrap around grip covers that make your controller feel bulky and arguably less grip-able. Initially I was worried that it would easily flake off, but the little bubbles you see on the back are all built into the whole back base, instead of scattered grip ontop of plastic. After playing with it, and then trying out the OEM Dualshock 4 controller, it just felt slippery. It's of course going from one extreme to another, but if you could feel this military grip, you would agree 100 percent.
A lot of these features like height and shape of analog sticks, hair trigger system, military grip, buttons colors, etc, are all optional. If you wanted to buy a controller for simply just the paddles, then you're looking at about $130. If you go all out with colors and features, you could be pushing $220. There is a large selection of pre-designed controllers, some with really awesome looking skins, that you can shop by category and will have varying prices. You can look at all of those options here.
Conclusion
There's no debate about it, Scuf controllers are just unmatched in terms of build quality, performance, and practicality. I'm not going to be able to sit here and genuinely say I've never heard bad things before, because I have heard a few negative stories over the years about a button having issues working, or the paddles on older models breaking. I firmly believe though that Scuf has really put a lot of effort in the Infinity 4PS Pro controllers. Everything about it feels solid, responsive, and comfortable. I've played a massive amount of hours on mine, and have had no issues. The attach and detach functions all work as advertised, and are easier than I expected. The military grip option is so unmatched in terms of practicality, that I don't feel comfortable anymore using normal controllers. The price may be out of some people's budget, and that's ok. If you have the money to throw at one, it is worth it though. There may be some users out there who have had something go wrong with the controllers in the past, but my experience with the latest Infinity 4PS Pro has been nothing but perfect.
Pros
Cons
+ Highest quality build possible
– It might not fit into everyone's budget
+ Paddles are truly game changing
+ Dozens of features, accessories, and fine tuning
Word of warning: the thumbsticks wear out quickly. The rubber on mine out after 5 months of not so heavy use. I was told but customer service that this was normal, not exceptional at all. Paint had already started to scuff off after two months. Their shipping costs are also ridiculous and make no sense at all. It costs 20$ to ship 6 double-packs of replacement thumb sticks in 2 orders, but 25$ to ship 4 double packs in 1 order.
My experience is that this is a great product, but sadly not backed by a great company. Only buy it knowing that 200$ is the start of what you’ll pay, not the end.
anon
This isn’t a review. This is copy paste marketing directly from Scuf.
Jean-Michel
Word of warning: the thumbsticks wear out quickly. The rubber on mine out after 5 months of not so heavy use. I was told but customer service that this was normal, not exceptional at all. Paint had already started to scuff off after two months. Their shipping costs are also ridiculous and make no sense at all. It costs 20$ to ship 6 double-packs of replacement thumb sticks in 2 orders, but 25$ to ship 4 double packs in 1 order.
My experience is that this is a great product, but sadly not backed by a great company. Only buy it knowing that 200$ is the start of what you’ll pay, not the end.