Review: Scuf Instinct Pro, versatile and wireless

Scuf Gaming It is already a veteran of the field of controls for consoles although it was created only in 2011, but it has dedicated itself to innovating in the models it has been putting on the market. Especially because of the good operation and position of the cams on the back of the easily remappable controls, which is one of the most characteristic things. But in the InstinctPro From this analysis, a Bluetooth model for Xbox and PC, it has several additional things that make it very interesting.

Unboxed and features

command InstinctPro It arrives with a good presentation, in a box that makes it very clear that it is a product for the Xbox and that it is wireless. On the back, it provides a detailed description of the controller’s features, so it’s very easy to get an idea of ​​what to expect from it. After removing the cover, you have a black box with a good presentation, inside which you can see the remote control itself as soon as you open it. I’ll talk about him in a moment.

Under the tray in which the Instinct Pro arrives there is a small box with accessories, a safety information booklet, and another with instructions on how to use the remote. Accessories include: a 2 m USB type A to USB type C cable covered in black braided fabric and with orange-tipped connectors; two additional levers in black, one low and one high, both convex; and two AA batteries to power the remote.

The controller is practically the same as Microsoft’s for the Xbox, so personally It is the control design that I like the most. It has a slightly higher weight, around 280 g, so it does not feel excessively heavy. The model received is a customized version from the Scuf web configurator. In this case, the cover is black with a pattern that uses mostly blue but also red tones and that I love. It breaks with the sobriety of the Xbox controller or that of the Xbox Elite that I use regularly.

The layout of the buttons and levers is the official one: It is an asymmetrical design in terms of the levers, with a button panel in the upper right part, and a crosshead in the lower left, plus the Xbox buttons and the three quick actions including the share button. As an addition, there is a button to quickly mute the microphone and an LED to indicate which configuration profile is in use.

The cover can be removed and it stays fixed by three magnets, being quite easy to remove it. This also allows you to quickly change the levers for others as well as the crosshead. The company sells it with the classic four-way crosshead, but it can be customized with one that favors movement in eight directions.

At the top is the USB Type-C socket, the two additional action buttons, and the two triggers. In the rear, the first thing to note are the switches to change the travel of the triggers. If they are activated, each one can be done independently, the travel is blocked to a minimum, so they work like normal buttons and are therefore ideal for actions that require many clicks, such as shooting with pistols or bolt-action rifles, among other uses.

The battery cover can be quickly removed and is attached by two magnets, which I find much more convenient than Microsoft’s controller covers. On the back there is a button to switch between three different configuration profiles, which are mainly for the adjustment of the four cams that are there.

Those cams are of a type and have a position that seems very good to me compared to that of the cams of any of the Xbox Elite. They are in a very good position and I prefer them. The assignment of cam functions is done on the fly by holding down the profile button, and then you just have to press the button to which you want to assign an action and the button from which you copy the action. It is very useful to put the jump or reload in them, avoiding having to remove the right thumb from the joystick.

The buttons on the remote give a very similar feeling of use to that of the Microsoft controls, but the trigger also gives it. Scuf could have put mechanical switches on the keyboard, but he has preferred to go conservative to make the controller more pleasant to use with all kinds of games and not just action ones. The controller has a very good grip since the clamps have a roughness on the bottom that improves it as well as its sensation of use.

Differences from the Instinct

The company also sells a somewhat cheaper model, at $170 or €190, called instinct, which could also be of interest to other users. What this model loses compared to the Instinct Pro is the possibility of removing the travel of the triggers, the back of the handles has a smooth texture, and it loses the vibration. For the rest, what is said for one works for the other.

Personalization

For those who want an extra customization on their Instinct Pro exists a section on the company website where they can do it. The normal RRP of the controller, without changes, is 229.99 euros and it is available in several default color combinations: white, black, blue, red, green, orange, light gray and dark gray. Based on them, much more can be customized through the mentioned web application.

The changes that it allows cover practically all the elements, but each one has an additional cost compared to the base price of the controller. For example, you can change the front of the casing for some special pattern, which will cost between 20 and 25 euros, to choose from among thirty designs. A change of the back cover will modify the color of the special buttons of the Xbox controller and will add an additional cost of 8 euros.

You can change the color of the action buttonsboth the color of the letters ABXY and the background color of the button in a preset configuration, that of the triggers and main buttons, the joysticks, etc. Over the joysticks, you can choose the height and if you want the surface to be concave or convex. Gives the option to choose them for each joystick independently.

For the crosshead there is the option of using a standard or a hybrid for easy eight-way clicking -this change goes without cost-. Optionally you can completely remove the vibration, which for some reason will charge you 10 euros -it which can be disabled in console settings, but Well-. At the end there is the option of adding a rigid case for the console with some additional extras, in black or light grey.

Settings can be shared Hitting a button that is in the web application itself, which will generate a link with the specific code of the remote created. In the case that I customized for this analysis the link is this. I wanted to create something showy but also discreet, centered on my favorite color (blue), and I loved the result. This customization costs 306.91 euros, although there is a discount of 25 euros for orders over 250 euros with the code SAVE25 in the payment process.

Opinion

command InstinctPro from Scuf Gaming is one of high performance and high price. Its 200 dollars or 230 euros is a high amount for a controller, more than the 180 dollars/euros of PVPR that the Xbox Elite Series 2 has, so for the price it is missing that at least the cover would have been included. transport instead of selling it separately for 15 euros.

In fact this controller is very similar to the Xbox Elite Series 2 in all fundamental respects. The feeling of grip is practically the same, the feeling of clicking the buttons is almost the same and very good, a little more configurable travel for the triggers could be missing -a third position-, and some will prefer the paddles like those of the Microsoft controller and others the four buttons that Scuf has put on the controller. They are matters of taste.

The possibility of changing the joysticksone of the elements that wear out the most, is very positive and it is one of the few things that makes it different. The lower cams or buttons I like better than those of the Xbox Elite that I almost always have removed. I find that they are in a better position and are more comfortable to use. They can be quickly configured from the remote to remap the main keypad, for example.

You have to get used to your position a bit, but they bring more versatility to the command. It all depends on the game, but for those where you need to control the right stick while doing an action that is normally from the pad, it’s priceless. You can bring the jump action to any of the cams. For example, jump while maneuvering from the first moment in Halo either call of dutyor recharge without releasing the joysticks while you keep going. Those cams are increasingly sought after by gamers, and for good reason.

The travel limit for the triggers it will be very useful for non-automatic weapons, such as bolt-action rifles or those with a single bullet mode. The position of the switch to activate this limitation is easy to activate, but when you want to deactivate it, it is not so comfortable to do. Scuf should review the design of those switches. But I find this implementation more useful than the one on the Xbox Elite because basically the triggers become buttons with very little travel.

In general I notice it very precise, more than the Xbox Elite, Beyond that it is a command that I have used a lot. I like the vibration of the Instinct Pro more than that of the Microsoft controls, although I usually turn it off in some games because it ends up being annoying. The one with this command is more pleasant to me. I haven’t played a lot on the console lately, but to test it I went back to the usual ones red dead redemption 2, Halo Infinitesome Assassin’s Creed and above all I have spent many hours playing destiny 2. For this type of game I would miss mechanical switches for the keyboard with a faster response, but the ones included are good.

There may be discussions about the durability of the Xbox Elite, but I bought it in 2016 and it’s still working fine. I can’t speak about the Xbox Elite 2, which is the focus of the criticism in this field. I am not one to be stupid with the controls or to move the levers as if I wanted to break them as many do, or who press the buttons as if they wanted to plunge their finger into the control. The Instinct Pro gives me a better feeling in this section, but it is one that really until months go by you cannot say if it will cause problems or not.

The only real downer you can have with this controller is the price, something high, although for the times that run it is not that it is crazy. It’s not the most expensive controller on the market either, because everything is going up. But except for the Xbox Elite 2, it has no competition in the field of wireless controls for the Xbox, with the addition that it also works perfectly on Windows, macOS, Android or iOS. The cams, the triggers and their personalization on the Scuf website would be the elements that would make someone opt for the Instinct Pro instead of the Xbox Elite. The first two are powerful claims that are hard to ignore.

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