Scuf One controller review

The market of custom controllers is niche, to say the least. It’s often a mixed bag of gimmicks and cheap tricks to try and make controllers stick out from the close-to-perfect vanilla flavours that come with the console in question. Needless to say, they’re expensive toys, and often not much else. But sometimes professional gamers demand a certain amount of control over their games of choice, and that’s where names like Scuf have really marked out their territory.

Scuf Controllers are one of the most recognised pieces of hardware around the professional gaming scene, although you’d have trouble telling them apart from a distance. Available now for the Xbox One and PS4, the only difference these specialised controllers bear on the surface is a custom paint job and thumbsticks. The Xbox One controller I got to try, for example, featured a clean, red matte finish with dome and concave thumbsticks, which cradled my fingers much better than the stock one Microsoft provides with the console.

Suc One review (1)

That’s all there is to it at face value, but the real magic happens on the other side of the controller. The first major improvement is the textured grip that ships with all versions. The messy rubber pattern looks a bit odd at first, but there’s no denying that it makes the controller easier to grip for longer, while making it extremely comfortable as well. If Scuf were producing custom controllers with only this addition, I’d buy a few in a heartbeat. It breaks my heart to have to go back to the slippery, sweat inducing original design after such luxury.

It doesn’t stop their either. The Scuf One comes with two noticeable paddles at the back, which can be mapped to two buttons in-game. This greatly improves efficiency, especially in fast paced shooters such as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Instead of removing my fingers from the thumbstick to hit jump, I can now tap the paddle and not sacrifice precious aiming time when it’s needed most. It’s the slight edge that professional players crave, and being able to customise the sensitivity of the paddles gives you full control over your playing experience.

Suc One review (2)

The other major difference is far less noticeable to the eyes. The actuation on both triggers (as in, the time it takes for the game to register a press) is greatly reduced thanks to some fancy hair triggers and a plastic stopping mechanism. The sensitivity of this can also be customised, allowing you to get shots off quicker and your eyes down the scope incredibly fast. The stopping mechanism is great for shooters where triggers are just checking for a press, but it messes with games where the amount of pressure delivered makes a difference in-game. Thankfully they can be removed with some included tools, and I found the entire process fairly simple and straight forward. Owning a Scuf controller doesn’t mean it’ll only be good for some games.

But does it make you better? There’s no overlooking the fact that these enhancements are aimed at the top tier of professional gaming, where the difference of split seconds becomes a major factor to take into account. Not being one of those gamers means I took away much less from the controller, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t help my performance in Advanced Warfare. Being able to map jump and melee to the back paddles gave me an undeniable edge in some duels, even though my shoddy aiming and slow reflexes meant I still died. A lot.

Suc One review (3)

The most noticeable advantage though came from the triggers. Having a faster actuation in shooters gives an unbelievable advantage, even if the difference is measured by a few millimetres. Switching back to the vanilla Xbox One controller during my time with the Halo 5 Beta made me feel a little sluggish at first, as I battled to get used to the slower ADS times. If a causal online player like me can notice a difference that massive already, I can only imagine what it feels like to the more professional players..

Of course, all of this love and attention comes at a price, and it’s a fairly high one. The cheapest Scuf One controller will set you back around R1660.00, while more intricate designs can push this up close to R2800.00. Is a controller worth such a high asking price? Personally I don’t play enough first-person shooters to justify a purchase, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying that this is something only professionals should look at. If you’re dedicating more than a few hours into online play every week, then a controller such as this starts becoming more of an investment, rather than an expensive accessory; especially with finger twisting games like Advanced Warfare and Titanfall out on the market already.

Suc One review (4)

I really enjoyed having my very own Scuf controller for the past few months, and I’m definitely going to miss playing the occasional shooters without it. The asking price is high, but what you get is an expertly put together custom product, with enough room for you to truly mould it into a powerful accessory you take online with you. It’s edge is undeniable, it’s design near perfect and comfort unmatched. If you have the money to spend and desire to up your game online, then you shouldn’t really look further than Scuf.

You can grab your own Xbox One and PS4 Scuf Controllers locally at evopoints.co.za.

Last Updated: January 12, 2015

Scuf One
The Scuf One controller is definitely expensive, but it's an incredibly versatile, must-have companion to anyone sinking hours of time into shooters every week.
Rad

52 Comments

  1. How much? Scuf that!

    Reply

  2. Quo Vadis?

    January 12, 2015 at 14:11

    Every second, a sucker is born 😉

    Reply

  3. Blood Emperor Trevor

    January 12, 2015 at 14:11

    But can you play Crysis with it?

    Reply

    • PsyChoPanthis

      January 12, 2015 at 14:21

      For the price of that thing, Can Crysis play with it?

      Reply

      • Norm (@e3zype3zy)

        January 12, 2015 at 14:28

        HAHAHA!

        Reply

  4. Admiral Chief

    January 12, 2015 at 14:14

    Does it have the Scuf stuff?

    Reply

  5. Raptor Rants A Lot

    January 12, 2015 at 14:16

    Bah! I scuf at the idea!

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      January 12, 2015 at 14:44

      lol

      Reply

  6. Ghost In The Rift

    January 12, 2015 at 14:16

    Guess no PC compatibility??

    Reply

    • Alessandro Barbosa

      January 12, 2015 at 14:23

      It will work with PC, using a wired connection. The same way you’d use a normal Xbox One controller with PC 🙂

      Reply

      • Matthew Holliday

        January 12, 2015 at 14:46

        the previous xbox controllers do come with wireless versions, wireless dongle etc.
        although microsoft dongles are probably still using the 2009 firmware, i returned two of the 360 controllers because their dongles are useless, settled for a wired one, which is infinitely more difficult to find.

        Reply

  7. Gavin Mannion

    January 12, 2015 at 14:18

    I used one of these when we won the COD media tournament… they are so awesome.

    I keep stopping myself buying one because of that price, but hell they do make a real difference when you get to grips with it

    Reply

    • Raptor Rants A Lot

      January 12, 2015 at 14:20

      “when we won the COD media tournament”

      Had to slip that in there didn’t you 😉

      Reply

      • RinceThis

        January 12, 2015 at 14:30

        yup, then they had to let the winning prize slip out of their fingers and onto the floor *RUNS

        Reply

        • Guild

          January 13, 2015 at 09:53

          One mistake and it haunts you forever

          Reply

      • Gavin Mannion

        January 12, 2015 at 14:40

        Every moment I can get

        Reply

        • Raptor Rants A Lot

          January 12, 2015 at 14:43

          hehehehehe

          Reply

      • Matthew Holliday

        January 12, 2015 at 14:43

        and this one time, at media camp:

        Reply

        • Raptor Rants A Lot

          January 12, 2015 at 14:44

          bwhahahahahahaha

          Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 12, 2015 at 14:44

        Nothing to “scuf” at

        Reply

  8. RinceThis

    January 12, 2015 at 14:19

    Something I am sure Guild would love 🙂 Not that he would buy controllers without his wife knowing 0_O

    Reply

    • Blood Emperor Trevor

      January 12, 2015 at 14:22

      I thought the wife was the controller! tee hee

      Reply

      • RinceThis

        January 12, 2015 at 14:33

        oi! Family site!

        Reply

        • Raptor Rants A Lot

          January 12, 2015 at 14:34

          wife is a controller, husband a joystick?

          Reply

    • Guild

      January 13, 2015 at 09:53

      Lol she funnily enough saw it yesterday and said she doesn’t remember my controller looking like this.

      Reply

  9. PsyChoPanthis

    January 12, 2015 at 14:20

    R2300 for a controller?
    Let me say that again, Two Thousand, Three Hundred Randelas for a PS4 controller?
    Serias???

    That’s between 3 and 5 PS4 games depending on where and what you purchase. Even more if you go second hand market.
    That’s a third of my PS4 consoles price.
    That’s a metric F TON of pc games from steam and G2A.
    That’s a new headset, mouse AND keyboard.
    That’s a new graphics card.

    Long story short, THAT is not going to happen….
    R2300… pfft, please excuse me while I go work off my incredulousness…

    Reply

    • Guild

      January 13, 2015 at 09:55

      I bought one and it’s great. It’s become a necessity for playing competitive CoD. It does give you an advantage over your opponents that don’t own one

      Reply

  10. Ryanza

    January 12, 2015 at 14:20

    I’m sorry to say but the Xbox One controller just looks so ugly. Kinda reminds me of this:
    http://www.todojuegos.com/modules/coppermine/albums/otros/XboxOculto/xbox_controller.jpg

    I’m waiting for the redesign controller S version before I can buy one for the PC.

    Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      January 12, 2015 at 14:26

      dont support DRM

      Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      January 12, 2015 at 14:44

      The Xbox One controller is by far the most comfortable in this generation… in my opinion it’s the perfectly designed controller.

      Also that original one was awesome, clunky and not so useful but hell it was different at least

      Reply

      • Ryanza

        January 12, 2015 at 14:51

        Don’t push that comfortable stuff. We know the controller is made for hands to grip. I am talking about the look of it. Reminds me of Gears of War, thick necks and shoulders.

        Reply

        • Gavin Mannion

          January 12, 2015 at 14:55

          … who cares how it looks?

          also Gears of War is awesome so that was a compliment right?

          Reply

          • Ryanza

            January 12, 2015 at 15:02

            I care damn it. If no1 cared we wouldn’t have gotten the controller s which then lead to the xbox 360 controller. Nice looking controllers and functional. Xbox One controller, er, something just doesn’t look right.
            http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419KHKF5R4L.jpg

    • Matthew Holliday

      January 12, 2015 at 14:51

      i thought the same, but its grown on me.

      Reply

  11. DrKiller

    January 12, 2015 at 14:29

    “It doesn’t stop their either”

    Do they know about this? 😛

    Reply

  12. HairyEwok

    January 12, 2015 at 14:41

    Scuf one…. so thats for xbox one. Scuf four would be a PS4 one then?

    Reply

    • house_hero

      January 12, 2015 at 14:50

      makes sense… I definitely want a Scuf Four then.

      Reply

  13. Hammersteyn

    January 12, 2015 at 14:47

    The front looks like cheap rubber (like the one my dad used) but once you see the back then makes sense. This controller is made for gaming

    Reply

  14. CypherGate

    January 12, 2015 at 15:09

    Wow that controller costs the same as an Xbox 360.

    Reply

  15. Aries

    January 12, 2015 at 16:16

    Would buy one for my PS4 but the price

    Reply

  16. Seightan

    January 13, 2015 at 13:50

    I actually bought one at Rage for R2400, after which I realized that the paddles are not configurable.
    Buying straight from Scuf online, you can get one for around R2700, that is configurable and has 4 paddles, instead of just 2, including shipping. I just wish the ones you buy locally would have different configurations, or allow you to reconfigure, especially for the high price we pay for them. I would much rather have a X & Y config, for reload and swap weapons in the middle of a firefight.

    Reply

  17. Yann Danis

    June 16, 2015 at 00:33

    All I have to say about this company is that their customer support completely sucks!
    I’ve bought a almost full loaded SCUF FPS hybrid controller which ended up costing 171.70US$ before taxes.
    This is a wireless controller with trigger stops and 4 re mappable paddles.
    Within the first 14 days of receipt I tested them and everything was very awesome until I detected that it wasn’t fully compatible with Perfect Dark Zero has the right-trigger stop was just not working with the game…

    I contacted SCUF technical support by email which entailed a conversation that would be ongoing during the next 9 days before they tell me that effectively it is not normal and I have to send it back for repairs.

    So I decided to trust them and send it instead of simply resending it to cash-in a refund.

    So 8 days later I got my controller back and tested it immediately to find out that hey surprise surprise it is still having the same defect…

    Anyways, I contacted them again and asked for a refund which they refused saying that it does more then 14 days that I received the item.

    Now I’m disputing the purchase trough Amazon and awaiting their response but dam I’m very disappointed about SCUF and wish that I would have bought 3 normal controllers instead of one from them…

    I got all the conversation emails with timestamps for the ones that have a hard time believing this.

    At the following link there is one guy that comments about repair and I read it before buying my controller and just decided to dismiss the review thinking he exaggerates but now I’m believing it!

    http://mp1st.com/2013/08/21/scuf-hybrid/#.VX9RZEZ_xCA

    I think the problem I have is related to the stop triggers so if you buy one of their controllers I highly suggest that you do not get the stop triggers…

    Reply

  18. Jordan Guidry

    August 4, 2015 at 00:04

    We ordered two controllers from them. Totaling over $300. It took OVER A MONTH to get our order in, and then we get it in and one of the controllers in non-functional. So I attempt to contact them to get it repaired, it took over an hour just to speak to someone and since it was within warranty they fixed it for no charge. After waiting ANOTHER month to get the controller back it got back and worked, for now. Then around another month went by no problems, then the left thumb stick started moving up in game by itself in game. So i attempted to contact them again ,which took OVER AN HOUR again, and sent it to them for an estimate. since the controller was out of warranty it was going to cost ANOTHER $50 to fix my TWO MONTH OLD $150 controller. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! yes they have cool products, but half the time they do not work, their customer service is CRAP, and the make/repair time is almost a month.

    Reply

  19. Jordan Guidry

    August 4, 2015 at 00:04

    We ordered two controllers from them. Totaling over $300. It took OVER A MONTH to get our order in, and then we get it in and one of the controllers in non-functional. So I attempt to contact them to get it repaired, it took over an hour just to speak to someone and since it was within warranty they fixed it for no charge. After waiting ANOTHER month to get the controller back it got back and worked, for now. Then around another month went by no problems, then the left thumb stick started moving up in game by itself in game. So i attempted to contact them again ,which took OVER AN HOUR again, and sent it to them for an estimate. since the controller was out of warranty it was going to cost ANOTHER $50 to fix my TWO MONTH OLD $150 controller. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! yes they have cool products, but half the time they do not work, their customer service is CRAP, and the make/repair time is almost a month.

    Reply

  20. ControllerZone_com

    October 11, 2015 at 03:46

    Scuf’s controllers are amazing! But their price tags are insane. That’s probably why a lot of their customers are pro gamers.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Xbox Series X Restock Update Today: Track on Twitter, Walmart, Best Buy and More

New consoles are on the horizon, and while Sony and Microsoft have spoken plenty about wha…