Tethered excellence
I have a lot of controllers. I mean A LOT of controllers. Most of them are standard OEM ones, but I have also tested a handful of premium controllers. Most of them are good to great, but I rarely find one that replaces my original controllers. Sure, they have better response, but it is normally minimal and their feel never hit the same way. The exception to this was my SCUF controllers, which I have for both Xbox and PlayStation. They seem to understand that design is as important as functionality a lot of times. The latest controller to come across my desk is the SCUF Valor Pro for Xbox. Once again right out of the box, this one feels good. The back paddles actually have been improved, and the weight is just right. But it has one big caveat that will likely frustrate some gamers.
Let’s kick off with what is in the box. We get the controller, which is a given. We get a nice, long USB cable to plug into the console. Yes, this controller is wired only, more on that later. A second set of analog sticks with a higher top, and two back button stoppers to disable clicking the innermost back buttons.
MSRP: $109.99
Platforms: Xbox, PC
Price I’d Pay: $109.99
Now, let’s break down the design of the controller. If you have ever held a SCUF controller, you know it feels like quality. The Valor Pro is no exception. Immediately after taking it out of the box and getting it into my hands, it felt expensive. The rubber grips on these controllers are second to none. The buttons have nice give to them, and the analog sticks feel just right with the perfect amount of travel. Also worth noting these are hall effect sticks, which is pretty commonplace nowadays.
There are four back buttons, and they feel fantastic to press. The motion to press them feels just right and I did not find myself hitting them by accident, which is normally my biggest issue. I normally have to disable them on premium controllers because I am constantly hitting them, making them more a hindrance than a help. Not the case with this one. There are also two dials on the bottom of the controller near the headphone jack, these are used to turn the volume up and down, mute, and slide between game and chat volumes. It is nice to have since it replaces the UI controls for these functions.
The faceplate is magnetized and easy to remove and replace. I am a big fan of this as it makes it easy to replace the faceplate as well as the analog sticks without having to dismantle the controller. There are also switches on the back to make the analog sticks instant button presses. The design of the shoulder buttons are also angled perfectly for sliding between the shoulder buttons and the triggers. They really nailed the design of this controller, and every little thing feels good. Heck even the d-pad is solid.
Let’s talk about the customization of the controller. I will always champion a solid PC or console app to customize my controller. The Valor Pro comes with three profiles built in out of the box. These are shooters, sports, and racing. They do the job, but I definitely wanted to make my own. This is where things get complicated. In order to re-assign buttons, it requires a series of button presses and holds to remap the controls. It is complex enough that I had to read the directions every time I wanted to do it. Thankfully they are stored in memory, but if I ever have to come back to make changes, I will definitely have to look it up.
OK, time to tackle the elephant in the room. This controller is only wired. I get it, the response time on a wired controller is faster than a wireless one. This is a competitive controller and it makes sense that it has a wired option, but not having any sort of wireless functionality, for those that are OK sacrificing the extra milliseconds of lag is disappointing. I tested this with the game I have played the most, Overwatch, and I definitely could feel the faster response time, but not sure it was worth having to be tethered to the console at all times. Thankfully the cable is long enough that I didn’t have to worry about extensions or sitting too close, but it does feel designed with playing with this controller in a more of a desk type environment.
The SCUF Valor Pro is one feature away from being the perfect controller. I loved playing with this controller. Its design is stellar, every little detail is perfect. It feels great to hold in your hands, and every function works flawlessly. I just wish it had a wireless option. I get it, this is a performance controller. The extra response time is great but at least give me the option. Still if you are OK with a wire attached to your console, this is by far the best third-party controller currently available for Xbox. It nails every single feature and function, and the design is stellar.
Review hardware provided by publisher.
