SCUF Gaming has built a reputation for innovation and for pushing the boundaries of controller design. It’s the company that holds the patent on back paddles and trigger stops, two features that have become staples of Pro controller design.
The one issue is that its products tend to be on the expensive side compared to its peers — until this year, when it released the Valor Pro line for Xbox and PC. The first controller launched was the wired version for $99.99, and it’s an excellent value for the quality.
LOOKS THE SAME BUT ITS BETTER
Now, SCUF Gaming has followed that up with the Valor Pro Wireless, which carries over most of the design elements from its wired sibling, but it boasts better internals. The back paddles are expertly placed so they reach the middle and ring fingers without feeling crowded. Those back buttons offer gamers a key edge in competitive shooters because they never have to take their thumbs off the sticks to reload or jump. Elsewhere on the device, the right and left bumpers also flow effortlessly to the triggers, so that it almost feels like one piece, yet they’re distinct.
The Valor Pro has switches on the back that shorten the triggers’ actuation points, so there’s less travel and faster action. That’s ideal for first-person shooters. The bumpers have an even better feel with a mouse-button clickiness. They’re improvements over the wired version.
By far the biggest change and most notable one between the two versions is the technology behind the analog sticks. The Valor Pro Wired features Hall Effect thumbsticks, while the Valor Pro Wireless uses newer Endurance TMR technology, which resists physical wear and tear and offers greater durability. Like Hall Effect switches, they last longer because they lack mechanical parts that grinding against each other, causing the dreaded drift.
One of the bigger benefits is the feel and accuracy of the Endurance TMR. The analog sticks have a movement that’s closer to the stock Xbox controllers. It has a softness and give that makes it track finer movements better. The Hall Effect thumbsticks are stiffer and have a harsher movement, returning to center. The Pro Valor Wireless also includes two additional sticks — a convex one and a long version — that you can pop up and change.
SURPRISINGLY LIGHT BUT WITH AN ANNOYING FLAW
The Valor Pro Wireless comes in at a 295 grams, which makes it slightly heavier than a DualSense controller. Despite their similar weight, the newer controller has a legitimate 17-hour battery life, which lasts much longer than the PlayStation controller. It can connect to Xbox, PC and Bluetooth devices such as an iPhone.
The rest of the controller is nearly identical to the Valor Pro Wired. The controller has textured and rubberized grip. The directional pad is clicky and responsive. The scroll wheels on the bottom next to the headphone jack let players control the volume and balance between game and chat if they have a set of cans plugged into the controller.
On the software side, the Valor Pro Wireless has three built-in profiles so that players can switch among the tweaks they’ve made to the controller. On the fly, players can assign the back paddles to any of of thse face buttons, including the L3 and R3 buttons in the thumbsticks. If players want to dive deeper into customization and adjust the dead zone or sensitivity of the analog sticks, they can do so through the SCUF Gaming App, though it’s currently in beta.The program is easy to use, and it’s robust enough to tweak overlooked aspects of the controller, including the strength of the vibration. The last major feature is a PC-only one. Players can increase the polling rate to 1000 Hz, allowing it to respond faster than other controllers, creating a competitive edge against other controller users.
Overall, the Valor Pro Wireless is a great for gamers and improves on the wired version with thoughtful changes to the internals while keeping a solid form factor that includes changeable faceplates. The one issue I had with the design was the placement of the trigger-stop switch. They’re slapped on the back near the paddles, and they get in the way and can cause discomfort. Each time, players hit the paddles, with their middle fingers, they can rub up on the switch. The placement is a notable design change from the Wired and a step back.
If you can handle or adapt to that, the Valor Pro Wireless is an excellent pro-style controller that shows why SCUF Gaming sits atop its rivals. It’s not just the design but also the feel of the device that sets it a notch above.
SCUF Valor Pro Wireless
Three and a half stars
Platform: Xbox Series X and Series S, PC and Bluetooth
Price:$189.99
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