Scuf Infinity controller
Infinity dollars
PRICE S TARTS AT $ 219.95 bluemouthdirect.com/collections/scuf Scuf
controllers are good. There is no doubt of that. They are well constructed, comfortable and highly modifiable, but despite that they are something of a hard sell as they are hugely expensive, even before calculating in the costs of any parts for customisation. In the US there are a huge number of options for each controller when it comes to look and base parts, but because of the size of the Australian market, and our distance from the rest of the world, that is not the case here. In Australia the Scuf controller instead comes in a couple of base options and a couple of base colours. It’s a fair trade off for the most part, but given the price point for the controllers in Australia – between $220 and $320 (without any modifications) you’d hope for a somewhat more expansive range.
The Xbox One/PC version of the controller comes in two basic forms, Basic and Pro, each with a few colour and print choices. The major difference between the Basic and Pro models is the inclusion of tools for customisation of the controller, the first being a small magnet used for remapping the four paddles on the back of the controller. By default these paddles are locked to preset buttons, but by placing the magnet on a small spot on the back of the controller users can remap the paddles to different buttons. A tiny allen key is also included with the Pro. This is used to switch the triggers between having a normal pull length and being hair triggers. It’s a nice touch but the process is fiddly, and if you don’t have the best eyes, trying to find the tiny pinhole to insert the allen key is a task and a half.
On top of the basic options, there are deeper options for customisation, including different precision thumbsticks, long braided cables, and precision triggers and grips (to essentially upgrade a Basic model to a Pro). The Controller itself feels good and solid in the hand, and the paddles have a nice resistance and click to them, but despite that fact it’s a little hard to recommend the Scuf Infinity controller to PC users. It’s a controller aimed at and partnered with the pro gaming world, and in that venue it’s an excellent controller, but for PC gamers it’s an extravagance. It’s doubtful that a PC pro gamer will use a controller for anything, and for the games that a PC gamer might use a controller for, the level of customisation (not to mention
a controller aimed at and partnered with the pro gaming world, but for PC gamers it’s an extravagance
the price) is over the top. The fact that the Xbox One Elite controller has most of the customisation options of the Scuf (in Australia at least) and costs around $50 less than the cheapest Scuf Infinity option makes its place in the market even more niche.
The Scuf controller is good. It’s accurate and comfortable and solid, but at between $220 and $320, it essentially prices itself out of the controller market. Pro console gamers will definitely be interested, but your average punter would be better off looking elsewhere. DANIEL WILKS
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