Read our review of the new Scuf Gaming controller for Xbox One – SCUF Infinity1

After the huge success of the SCUF Gaming controller for the Xbox 360, the modded controller manufacturer came back with their answer to Microsoft’s newest console, the Xbox One. As we all know with a new console comes a new, upgraded and more innovative controller. This being said on the surface the controller offers the same array of features including two thumb sticks, an array of face buttons, and a pair of triggers and bumpers. As online and competitive gaming continues to increase in popularity, this is no longer satisfying customers and they’re looking for more ways to improve their performance.

Scuf Gaming controllers are used by the vast majority of professional gamers around the world belonging to some of the biggest teams such as OpTiC Gaming, Evil Geniuses and EnVyUs. Possibly the most famous feature about the controllers is of course paddles. They’re fully customisable and you can choose whether you’d like two or four paddles. They are located on the rear of the controller where your middle and ring fingers sit when playing normally. When ordering your controller you can decide which buttons you would like assign to the paddles. For our controller we chose A for the left paddle and B for the right paddle, so only two paddles.

If like us your a keen Call Of Duty player then this is quite a normal set-up. Having A and B assigned allows you to to concentrate more on looking around rather than having to remove your thumb to jump or slide/crouch. Something else this is very useful for is carrying out jump or drop shots. Instead of having to move your thumb to press A and then moving it back, you can now press A using the paddle as well as aim and shoot at the same time. It means to jump/drop much quicker than you would normally and it gives you a slight competitive advantage as you can move out of your opponents line of fire which makes it more difficult for their bullets to connect with you.

So what if you’re not sure what to assign to the paddles, but are certain that you want them on your Scuf One? Well not a problem, simply add in the optional EMR (Electro Magentic Remapping) tool that Scuf Gaming offers. In the box you’ll receive the EMR key which will allow you to remap the paddles to different buttons as many times and however often you want. You will have to pay a little extra money for the EMR feature, however if you play a variety of games, all of which need different button set-ups it’s a must.

Unfortunately there was a mistake with our order and it didn’t come with the EMR functionality, however we did manage to get our hands on another SCUF One controller with the EMR functionality. We had a play around with changing the paddle buttons using the EMR Key and can confirm that it’s a relatively easy process to complete.

Another ‘must have’ feature if you play first person shooters is the hair trigger mechanism. This fully patented system improves performance by reducing trigger and hand movement. The mechanism is completely concealed within the controller but can be adjusted to suit your needs using the included 0.9mm SCUF key. The trigger stops save precious seconds when pulling the trigger in games such as Call Of Duty and Battlefield, and also help to prevent further movement after the aim/shoot process has taken place. They’re also removable if you decide that you no longer wish to use them.

The next feature you can customise are the thumb sticks. They come in three different lengths regular, medium or long as well as having the option to choose whether they’re dome-shaped or concave. It is entirely personal preference on which sticks you choose, although many people prefer to change things up and go with a longer stick on the right-hand side as it provides more precision, especially when aiming. If you feel that you’ve become accustomed to using the standard Xbox One sticks, you can choose this option when ordering and you’ll receive the regular thumb sticks installed.

The last impressive feature that you can add to your control is a grip. Sweaty hands was a big problem before getting my SCUF One. Gripping bare plastic in your hands for an extended period of time will always cause your hands to sweat, and that’s exactly what happened to me. I found myself having to wipe my hands on my trousers before starting a new game which became quite annoying. Thankfully with SCUF you get the opportunity to add a grip which will help prevent this. As you can see on our controller below we went for the ‘White Pro Grip’ as we wanted our controller to look different and not just the normal black grip. We also thought it blended in well with the chrome silver.

Once you’ve finished customising your SCUF One you’ll be able to purchase some accessories. We got our hands on the braided charging cable and also a tube of the Gamer Grip, which worked wonders in drawing out the moisture in your hands to eliminate sweaty palms. Also on sale is a wide range of apparel including caps and hoodies, which if you’ve watched any MLG or similar events you should be familiar with.

Verdict

When first picking up the controller I was a little skeptical as the paddles felt a little weird and in my first game I found myself not using them. However after 5/6 games of forcing myself to use them I began to find them easier to use even if it wasn’t yet improving my performance. I carried on using the paddles and the rest of the features including the hair trigger mechanism for a couple of weeks and I’ve now seen a big improvement in my game. I no longer have to force myself to use the paddles and its just second nature to hit a paddle, aim and shoot at the same time.

The controllers are built off of the same Xbox One controllers Microsoft ship and therefore you can expect a top quality product. Nothing about them feels cheap. The paddles, custom buttons, design and hair trigger mechanism feel like they’ve always been a part of the controller and not something which has been added later.

I personally prefer to play first person shooters such as Battlefield and Call Of Duty and definitely saw the benefits of using a custom controller. However when switching to a game such a FIFA 14, I found no benefit of the paddles or even the hair trigger mechanism.

To put it simply though – every gamer should own one of these.

You check out these controllers and the wide vareity of designs they have at the SCUF Gaming website by clicking the button below!