Last year’s Xbox Series X|S launch didn’t offer tremendous evolution on Microsoft’s existing controllers. More evolutionary than revolutionary, they were joined by the usual third-party accessory line-up, including PowerA’s FUSION Pro 2 and Spectra Infinity.
Competing at the high-end with the Xbox Elite, Scuf Gaming’s now bringing us the Instinct PRO and for anyone looking at enhanced customisation, there’s a fantastic controller here.
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Read More: PowerA Spectra Infinity Enhanced Wired Controller For Xbox Series X|S Review
Optimised Customisation
Mostly, Instinct PRO is a familiar design. All standard functions are here, mapped out like you’d expect but several quality-of-life improvements take this a step further. Utilising a geometric disc-style d-pad, Instinct PRO offers instant triggers for quickfire shooting, a mute button for voice chat - though this only works with a wired headset – and anti-friction rings around the thumbsticks. You’ve got three choices of length (short, medium, long) for your thumbsticks and two shape options too, concave and domed.
As for controller customisation, Instinct PRO includes a few additions. On the back, we’ve got four remappable buttons around the grips, configurable to 16 different inputs and for convenience, you can save three configuration profiles for different gameplay styles. By offering an easily removable magnetic faceplate, switching designs and thumbsticks is pleasantly simple too and upon ordering, Scuf Gaming offers different button kits, giving players that extra degree of control over the final design.
A Small Price To Pay
Having tested it for over a week between my PC and Xbox Series X with FPS games, RPGs, other genres, I found it incredibly comfortable in my hands. For competitive players, those instant triggers offer advantages in online games requiring quick reflexes, locking them into different positions as necessary and for wider gameplay, I appreciated the customisability.
Visually, I was taken with the Instinct Pro too, offering a great range of colour options for your faceplate, triggers, shoulder buttons and more. It’s equivalent to Xbox Design Labs - which currently doesn’t support Elite - featuring 45 different faceplate colours, four options for your bumpers, rings and centre buttons, 2 D-Pad types and more. You can see my chosen design above and I’m very happy with the result).
Sadly, this comes with one major disadvantage. While PRO’s RRP is $199.99, that can hit $265 if you’re feeling generous on customisation. Even with the “default” options, that’s higher than Elite and the SCUF Instinct ($169.99 RRP), though the latter choice lacks PRO’s adjustable instant triggers and “high-performance” grip. Though I can’t entirely judge how Instinct feels by comparison, for those with money to spare, I’d otherwise call this a fair trade-off.
Verdict
If you’re searching for a high-end Xbox/PC controller, Scuf Instinct PRO is a fantastic option worth looking into. Though the higher price might seem off-putting to some, especially when compared to rivals, there’s a highly customisable controller here that’ll suit your requirements. Suitable for competitive play and implementing quality-of-life features over the standard Xbox Elite controller, Scuf Instinct Pro comes recommended.
4.5/5
Review copy provided by Corsair