Xboxaddict.com Article
SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller
by Brent Roberts
Features:Dimensions: L (168mm) x W (108mm) x H (53mm)
Ports: USB-C, Extension Port, 3.5mm Stereo Headset Jack
Thumbstick Layout: Asymmetric
Wireless Range: Up to 45 feet / 12m
Warranty: 1 year (12 months)
Weight: 280 Grams
Connectivity: Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C Cable)
Compatibility: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, Mac OS Catalina+, iOS 10+, Android 9+
Recently I did a review of a competitor third party Xbox controller which I openly claimed was the best Xbox controller out on the market today. Then I had an opportunity to review one of the latest releases from the controller giant SCUF, the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller. I decided that I was going to really put this controller through the paces and used it in games such as Undisputed, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (obviously), and Marvel Rivals. So how did it hold up? Let's go through the good, bad and ugly when it comes to the $229.99 SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller and see how it stacks up to what I regard is the best Xbox controller on the market. Can this unseat the king? Let's see.
First impressions of this controller were decent. You get a nice Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 box that has the picture of the controller on the front and a breakdown of what all the buttons do on the back of the box. Opening it up you get a SCUF folded box that feels thick and high quality, and opening it up you have a plastic tray where your controller is sitting. Underneath the plastic tray you get a cardboard sleeve that has your swappable components. $229.99 for a cardboard box, plastic tray and a cardboard sleeve with your other components. Anything to store them in? Like maybe a ballistic nylon case? Nope, just cardboard.
Hooking the controller up was a breeze using the USB-C cable. Batteries didn't come included and you'll need a rechargeable battery pack if you want to go that route. The feel of the controller is very solid. The magnetic removable faceplate shell is designed to match the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 theme and it does it very well. The plate itself is smooth whereas the grips on the sides and rear of the controller feel like they are too little to sustain extended play comfortably due to the areas of the faceplate that are down in the hands have zero grip and are smooth as glass. This forces the rest of the grips to work overtime to take the strain of the hands as there's no other grip anywhere to be found.
The A, B, X, Y buttons on the controller give a decent press and feel solid in their 'click' but the sticks themselves have an incredibly smooth feel and really provided amazing response in my gaming sessions. The Bumper shoulder buttons, and the Triggers also feel smooth and responsive, and the controller does support a latch on the back where you can toggle the triggers from a full press to literally an incredibly tight button click. The back also supports a couple of buttons that would normally take the place of the paddles, and if you're into using paddle buttons on the back then this could be beneficial to you because they are designed in a "V" shape where your finger would fit in the point and then be able to activate the buttons by shifting them from the left to right. Not really my thing so I deactivated them, but they could be useful to those who may enjoy using the paddles on the back and want more options.
When I was playing games such as Tekken 8, Undisputed, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the responsiveness of the controller was remarkably impressive. I was able to pull off long combos with relative ease on Tekken 8, and in Undisputed my thumbs weren't getting tired after several bouts. The sticks were so steady on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 that I was able to actually get more kills than using a standard Xbox controller. When you're needing the sticks to be smooth in a strafe line or when sniping, this controller has you locked in and when you need to open up cans of whoop***, the buttons will never let you down. One of my favorite elements of this controller though is the D-Pad, hands down. The D-Pad itself fits almost 100% flush with the face of the controller and feels so amazingly comfortable to use and operate, that fighting games were so enjoyable because my thumb wasn't feeling broken after several matches.
Now this controller may seem like it ticks all the boxes to become the new king of Xbox controllers but before you start the coronation let's look at a few things. This is where we literally stack this up against the best and see who's left standing at the end.Time to talk price. First off, the price of the PDP Victrix Pro BFG starts off at $179.99 so already you're saving $50 in your pocket as opposed to the $229.99 of the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller.
Now let's talk about presentation and controller storage. The PDP Victrix Pro BFG comes in an incredibly durable and professional looking ballistic nylon clamshell case where your controller sits with dedicated foam slots to house your additional D-Pad, sticks, gates, and more. The SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller comes in a sturdy box with a plastic tray and a cardboard/paper rectangular sleeve for your replacement sticks.
Future proof...? While both controllers offer ways to configure the controller, the PDP Victrix Pro BFG offers Hall effect modules that will eliminate stick drift entirely. To avoid this, the module costs a total of $39.99 so if we are keeping score, all in you're at roughly $220 and you never worry about stick drift again. Whereas the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller are not Hall effect sticks, so after time and severity of use, can and may develop stick drift which would cause you to have to take your $229.99+tax controller in for repair at an additional cost.
If you do need to do repair work, the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller is a breeze to work on, as taking off the magnetic faceplate will allow easy access to all components inside the controller. Literally everything. If though something goes wrong with the PDP Victrix Pro BFG then things can get trickier since the entire unit is solid and the only access into the controller comes through the two stick and button modules.
Overall performance. The PDP Victrix Pro BFG offers all around grip as opposed to the half grip/half smooth feel of the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller. The PDP Victrix Pro BFG offers a raised D-Pad that is easily swappable without removing the faceplate of the controller. The SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller offers an almost flush D-Pad that is smoother in feel to operate, but to make any changes you just need to remove the magnetic faceplate which is very easy to do. The A, B, X, Y buttons on the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller are larger in size and also smoother than the ones found on the PDP Victrix Pro BFG. The PDP Victrix Pro BFG controller does support Dolby Atmos whereas the this does not.
The PDP Victrix Pro BFG does offer a built-in rechargeable battery with USB-C cable and dongle for wireless play (bad side, if the battery dies, you need a whole new controller instead of just swapping out batteries). The SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller just comes with a USB-C cable and batteries are not included, so if you're looking to go wireless, you'll need to buy batteries or a rechargeable battery pack. Both offer headset connectivity but this has the Xbox ports on the bottom of the controller so you will be able to connect accessories to it, whereas the PDP Victrix Pro BFG just has a headset connector.
Overall choice:
If you're going to invest half the cost of a gaming console into a controller you're going to be looking into an investment of significant time and money, and you want the best return for your hard-earned cash purchase. After using both of these controllers I would go with the PDP Victrix Pro BFG for the following reasons:
- Cheaper investment cost even with the Hall effect sticks that can eliminate stick drift entirely.
- Full grip on the top, sides and back of the controller allow it to feel more secure in your grip.
- Professional feel. My controller, when not in use, can sit in a ballistic nylon case that is form fitted to the controller that protects and houses all the items for the controller (including screwdriver).
Don't get me wrong, the SCUF Instinct Pro Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition Controller has a lot going for it, and is a solid choice for those who want a high-end gaming controller, but for now it has to take a second place seat, though not by much. When you have a competing controller and ballistic nylon case combo on sale for slightly cheaper, the price point becomes the Achilles' Heel of this offering from SCUF.
