Review | Scuf Instinct Pro

Starting at $220 US before any customization, the Scuf Instinct Pro is not your average controller.  One of the few, for now, 3^rd party Xbox controllers that is capable of being used wirelessly, the Instinct Pro is Scuf’s Elite competitor.  Featuring four back paddles, hair stop triggers, a removable faceplate and more it’s a feature rich-kit, but how does it hold up over time?  After 3+ straight months of non-stop use in all of my Xbox reviews, pretty damned well.

Specs

Versions

For this review I had the Scuf Instinct Pro, there is a non-pro version that starts at $170.  Features wise the difference are the Adjustable Instant Triggers & Performance Grips offered on the Pro.  I went with about the ugliest design I could think of, and I love it but the final cost of my “color everything” approach was $253 US by the time I was finished.  For the price of a Series S you’ll get a fantastic feeling, and customized to your wants controller.  Is it worth it?  That’s entirely up to you, but the modding job that they did to the Series controller here is top notch.

You can customize the color/style of your magnetic faceplate, which pops off effortlessly offering up easy swaps depending on your mood.  There are thumb stick packs on sale as well allowing you to change out your thumb stick setup with relative ease if you decide to change things up.  None of this is cheap, and compared to an Elite Series 2 this controller is a luxury item.  The back buttons are setup in a way to allow use with a single finger on each side.  By default A and B are on the grips with X and Y further up towards the battery compartment. 

There is no built in battery for the Scuf Instinct Pro as well, meaning you’ll need a solid pair of rechargeables but there is no eventual e-waste worry over the internal dying.  The pro feels great in the hands and I have logged at least 400 hours of use with it so far, conservatively.  Unlike my two Elite Series 2 controllers both of my bumpers work just fine without any cleaning maintenance.  There is a front facing mute button for microphones as well which saves time when you need to sneeze while in party chat.

Accessories

Included in my review sample unit was the Scuf Instinct Player Pack.  This nets you a Universal Case, Gamer grip hand drying liquid (weird), 4 thumb sticks, and a 10-foot-long USB-A to USB-C cable.  The case is sturdy, the extra thumb sticks are nice to have, and the gamer grip is weird as shit.  By far my most used part of the pack was the thick braided USB-C cable.  It’s high quality, charged my phones and other devices quickly when plugged into their wall warts, and was great for using the controller on PC when I didn’t want to kill my batteries.

Unlike the Elite you cannot remove the back buttons, and there is an included profile switch on the back of the device.  This allows you to quickly swap between three internal profiles for the back buttons.  It’s not as customizable as an Elite but it’s what I’d expect from a third party device. The big extra accessory Scuf pushes are the different magnetic faceplates.  They have a ton of options on their site, including colors and patterns.  There was even a Barbie movie promo earlier in the year that included this controller and multiple faceplates.

Wrapping Things Up

The Scuf Instinct Pro is a great, incredibly expensive controller.  The modding done by Scuf on the controllers is top notch, with no noticeable gaps to be found.  It feels sturdy and the magnetic faceplate never moves unless you want it to.  It’s a huge ask pricewise, but if you’ve got the money and want something that seems sturdier than an Elite then it’s worth a purchase.

Recommendation: Buy if You’re Wealthy