SCUF’s Envision Pro controller feels so good, so clicky, so responsive, that I hate it. I know it’s not the controller but my stupid thumbs, and yet SCUF’s $180 device feels like a souvenir of all the years I’ve spent dabbling in online multiplayer to fail. The Envision Pro comes with so many extra paddles and bumpers that I inevitably press the controller too hard and click on one that I didn’t intend to. I’m dying. I fail. I curse my screen, my game, my controller. Inevitably I realize it’s none of those things. It’s me. I suck.
SCUF’s expensive high-end controller appears to be able to connect to the PlayStation 5, but that doesn’t work. It won’t work with that Xbox Series S/X either. It’s PC only. It supports both wired and wireless connections, but without complicated workarounds, the controller is designed specifically for PC gamers, particularly those players who are abandoning the once-dominant keyboard and mouse paradigm and joining the new wave of gamepad-first gamers want to turn to. Of all the controllers I’ve used over the years, few have been as responsive as SCUF’s. Unfortunately, all this precise engineering has proven that better controllers don’t make you a better player, they just expose your existing weaknesses.
SCUF Envision Pro has more buttons than most controllers
That’s not to say there isn’t a lot to like about the $180 Envision Pro. From the placement of the thumbstick to the level where you would normally see the PlayStation touchpad, it borrows heavily from the design of the DualSense, but also has a very Xbox-like shape to the grips. In some ways it is also inspired by the old Google Stadia controllers (before, like so many things, Google killed Stadia). The price is in the same range as that Xbox Elite Series 2 or PlayStation Edge Controller as a kind of super elite device for serious gamers. It comes standard with similar features such as a depth modifier for the two triggers for ultra-fast shooting in the game, as well as other customization options such as interchangeable thumbsticks. Unlike the Xbox Elite, you can’t select the rear bumpers or the D-pad. Instead, you get a set of RGB “G-keys” at the bottom that you can use to program macros or shortcuts.
But what really sets it apart is the click of the buttons on the front. My thumb naturally moved from side to side to quickly press the A and B buttons in a game like this Rocket League. The joysticks are heavy, without the toothpick feel you get from a cheap controller, and the triggers have enough resistance to feel noticeable. Of course, if you’re the real hardcore type, you’d set each to minimum travel to achieve particularly fast trigger pulls in an FPS. The controller was originally developed for the Call of Duty: Warzone Crowd of people, and it shows.
But I don’t play call of Duty. I’d rather take part in a few games Halo: Infinite to remember how shitty I was back then Halo 3 I’m trying to detect Snipe on an old Xbox 360 controller. I’ve played enough Psyonix Auto Soccer for several lifetimes. I’m so used to ranked 3v3 one-on-one matches that I can grab the Evnsion Pro and instantly know where to rotate when my two teammates inevitably shoot at the opponent’s goal, leaving ours unprotected. Play Rocket League Using a SCUF controller has never felt better. And yet all I’ve found is that I’ve reached the upper limit of how good I’ll ever be at heading and dribbling.
Envision Pro requires you to use some annoying software
The worst aspect of the Envision Pro is the position of the side paddles. They are located exactly where your index fingers meet your palm. So if you don’t have a high level of precision, you will inevitably hit it accidentally. In most games, the side buttons are mapped to your bumpers. In Halo: InfiniteThis meant that I would often accidentally fire grenades or equipment even though I didn’t mean to. Included are plates that cover the side buttons in case you tend to click on them. However, I wonder why they couldn’t be moved slightly back towards the triggers to avoid accidental clicks. Instead, I recommend that anyone using Envision Pro map their star or ping button to the side buttons. So if you occasionally click while shooting, you’re actually helping your teammates at the same time.
On the Envision Pro, you must use the iCue app to change the controller button bindings. Unfortunately, it’s not great software. There are certainly many options. You can adjust the dead zones on your triggers or the individual vibration intensity on each grip, but Remap buttons is a chore. Early users noted that the iCue app was prone to crashes and took the controller with it, but with the latest firmware and software I didn’t experience any crashes. The controller has wired and wireless modes, but only one dongle. I used both and didn’t notice any latency when gaming without a cable.
I would love to make the Envision Pro my one-stop device for all my gaming needs, but that just isn’t possible. It’s also strange that the inner rear paddles are removable, but the outer ones are physically connected to the controller. Compare that to the Xbox Elite, which has four fully customizable paddles.
Still, I would choose the Envision Pro over the similarly priced Xbox device any day of the week, at least if I play exclusively on the PC. I would pick it up and of course be disappointed, even if that’s not the controller’s fault.
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