Scuf Vantage review | TechSwitch

Between the Impact and the Infinity 4PS PRO, premium peripheral manufacturing unit Scuf Gaming has been no stranger to extremely personalized PS4 controllers. Building one from the bottom up, nonetheless, is decidedly new territory. The finish result’s the Vantage ($199, about £156, AU$276), a high-end modular formally licensed gamepad with glorious really feel and a slew of customization choices, all of which firmly positions this high quality accent forward of equally priced pro-controller choices. That stated, a number of bothersome drawbacks in the end forestall Scuf’s newest innovation from attaining the perfection it’s striving for. DesignWhen you get your fingers on Scuf’s Vantage, there’s no doubting the unmistakable ergonomics at play. Simply put, it simply feels proper. The total construct is barely bigger than Sony’s official DualShock 4, and very like the PS4 pack-in controller, Scuf’s peripheral rests comfortably in your fingers, making use of some properly textured, rubberized deal with grips. The Vantage’s bulk (between 256 and 287 grams) can also be just like, if not a bit heavier than, the DualShock 4’s, nevertheless it’s noticeably lighter than the Razer Raiju Ultimate. You can really take away both or each vibration suggestions motors to regulate the Vantage’s mass at any given time, and it’s so simple as popping off the faceplate and releasing them by hand from the handles—no instruments wanted.In related style, nearly every thing on the Vantage is adjustable or customizable: The analog sticks, that are offset like an Xbox One gamepad and forgo the normal PlayStation format of Scuf’s personal Impact controller, could be modified between concave, convex, tall, in addition to a collection of completely different colours. Various distinctive magnetic faceplates could be pulled off and swapped out on the fly, together with a restricted version Black Ops 4 variant, although you’ll want to purchase an entire separate restricted version controller to partake in that one (you’re really higher off shopping for the LE after which buying further faceplates to swap out). Magnetic d-pads may also be switched, both between cross-shaped or disc-shaped. Moving to the highest, shoulder buttons possess a pleasant quantity of give, and the springy again triggers can have their stress, journey and even button lengths adjusted, by which you’ll merely snap plastic items on and off. Then you’ve obtained your multi-functions: Wedge-shaped proprietary Sax buttons adorn the perimeters of the Vantage, whereas the ever-present Scuf paddles, 4 to be precise, are located on the bottom of the controller. The final on-board function is probably the best and most sensible: An built-in audio touchpad, which could be slid to regulate quantity and hard-pressed to mute your stay microphone. The solely draw back right here is that the headphone jack will solely work whereas the Vantage is in wired mode. Also, observe that whereas the Vantage does have a kind of customized Scuf-themed mild bar up entrance, you’re unable to make use of the controller with the PlayStation VR.EfficiencyIn wired mode, the Vantage performs brilliantly, with virtually zero hiccups or latency points. The included 10-foot braided micro-USB cable permits for loads of distance between gamer and tv and may accommodate most leisure middle setups. Bluetooth mode, which shortly pairs to both PS4 or PC and is activated with the straightforward flick of a swap, isn’t flawless however works leagues higher than the identical mode on Razer’s Raiju Ultimate. As anticipated, there’s some miniscule, albeit noticeable, enter lag. Most of the time, it falls into what could be thought-about acceptable territory, although swapping in a DualShock 4 will readily illuminate the tiny delay. Luckily, a lot of this appears to have been remedied with the newest firmware replace, so should you’re experiencing points, make sure that to go to Scuf’s help web page for the newest obtain.The analog sticks really feel completely nice … that’s, after they’re working accurately. Control sticks getting caught, one thing that’s been a pesky recurring difficulty with Scuf’s previous controllers, is sadly nonetheless an issue with the Vantage. It appears to be straight associated to the swappable anti-friction rings, analog sticks and faceplates, and relying on how each bit was minimize on the manufacturing unit, management sticks can both transfer completely freely or sometimes get jammed in any variety of instructions. The predicament can normally be resolved by switching out the defective ring, stick or faceplate in query. It’s actually a guessing recreation, however when you isolate the issue space, it’s comparatively straightforward to repair. On one other management observe, the disc-shaped d-pad feels fairly strong, minus an odd springiness that may generally distract from gameplay. But the cross d-pad, however, is means too inflexible, nearly to the purpose of being unusable. Fighters are subsequent to unattainable whereas its outfitted.Multi-function button mapping is achieved by way of a handy swap alongside the underside of the controller, and whereas a affirmation vibration or a companion app like that of Razer’s Raiju Ultimate would have each been good, the on-board customization works swimmingly. The Sax buttons are a love or hate factor, particularly relying in your fashion of play. They’re designed to be accessed by way of prolonged index fingers, which isn’t essentially the most pure place, so your mileage might range. The again paddles, however, really feel glorious and are extraordinarily straightforward to faucet within the warmth of gaming. It’s additionally very uncommon to by accident hit one.Lastly, the Vantage’s commonplace 1,000 mAh battery is okay, however a bigger charging capability would have been enormously appreciated.Final verdictUntil Sony decides to leap into the pro-controller area and launch its personal premium gamepad, Scuf’s Vantage is a strong selection to succeed in for within the meantime. Yes, it has its share of points—together with a barely prohibitive value—nevertheless it’s an formally licensed gamepad, and its Bluetooth mode works means higher than Razer’s equally priced Raiju Ultimate, which makes the Vantage one critically powerful premium accent to disregard.