Atlanta-based Scuf gaming’s made a name for itself with outstanding third-party controllers for Xbox One, Series X/S, and PlayStation 4. Now the peripheral maker sets its sights on the PlayStation 5 with the new Scuf Reflex line, a trio of high-performance PS5 controllers with four rear paddles, swappable thumbsticks and faceplates, and onboard profile switching. That’s a lot of extra functionality, but it comes at a steep price.
Scuf’s new Reflex line encompasses three different models. There’s the basic $200 Reflex, which comes with all of the bells and whistles Scuf customers have come to expect from its expensive controllers. It’s got four removable, programmable rear buttons, a very nice feature that’s rare on other controllers due to Scuf’s patents on it. There’s a button to switch between three different controller profiles for different games. Buttons can be remapped on the fly, without having to pause gameplay. Initially available in black, all Reflex models will support swappable faceplates and thumbsticks, short or long, concave or convex.
The Reflex Pro, which starts at $230, includes all of that plus a “high-performance grip,” which is meant to increase player endurance and comfort and apparently costs $30 or so to apply. Both the regular Reflex and Pro include the PS5’s adaptive triggers as well as vibration, reproducing the tactile feel of Son’s official DualSense controller.
The final Reflex model is the $260 Reflex FPS, Scuf’s first dedicated first-person-shooter gamepad. The Reflex FPS does not have vibration motors, making for a much lighter controller that’s free from distracting vibration. And both its triggers and bumpers are built to activate instantly, eliminating trigger pull. Why removing features from a controller makes it more expensive is beyond me, which is probably why I am not a controller salesman.
All three models of the Reflex PS5 controller are available now for purchase exclusively at Scuf’s online store, which likely does employ some sort of controller salesperson who might be able to help you figure out the Reflex FPS pricing thing.
Scuf makes great hardware. I used its PS4 controllers almost exclusively, and the Scuf Instinct Pro is my go-to Xbox Series X controller. They are strong, solid, dependable, and versatile. If those same adjectives apply to these new PS5 controllers, then I am in, once I scrape together a couple hundred dollars.