Scuf Gaming's new controllers could be a great alternative to the PlayStation 5 DualSense for PC
That pricing is a real worry though.
Scuf Gaming has released its highly anticipated range of PS5 controllers. The Corsair owned company received praise for its PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S series of controllers and we're big fans of the company's Instinct Pro controller. Gamers have been eager to see what the company would offer once it jumped into the PS5 fray, and now that wait is over.
The three Scuf Reflex controllers offer a lot of features, but they also come with very steep prices, to put it mildly. We wouldn’t normally cover a dedicated console peripheral, but the new Reflex controllers are Windows compatible too, so we're all good. There are three different models. The Reflex, Reflex Pro, and the first-person shooter optimised model, the Reflex FPS.
Oh, did we mention the price? The Reflex range begins at $200.
At that price, you'd expect some serious build quality and functionality. By the look of things they deliver. The range features four directly programmable and removable rear paddles. These can be programmed on the fly, with no need for software and can be switched to suit different games. The Reflex is designed to improve upon the comfort of Sony’s DualSense controller with improved grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and anti-friction rings. Of course, they feature Bluetooth compatibility, USB Type-C recharging and a headset mute button.
Best gaming mouse: the top rodents for gaming
Best gaming keyboard: your PC's best friend...
Best gaming headset: don't ignore in-game audio
The Reflex Pro adds some further features including a ‘high-performance grip’ though we’ll need to test it ourselves to see if it’s worth the $30 price premium.
The Reflex FPS sells for a whopping $260. It’s Scuf’s first dedicated first-person shooter gamepad. It omits the potentially distracting vibration motors while making the controller lighter. Its triggers are designed for rapid activation, eliminating trigger pull. We can see the appeal of the Reflex FPS for console gamers, but it's hard to beat the good old keyboard and mouse combo when it comes to PC first-person shooting.
The Scuf Reflex controllers are available via the Scuf store; however, it appears as though the first batch has already sold out. Some gamers will find a nice surprise in their Christmas stocking this year, but the rest of us will have to wait until at least January to get a Relex controller in our hands.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Chris' gaming experiences go back to the mid-nineties when he conned his parents into buying an 'educational PC' that was conveniently overpowered to play Doom and Tie Fighter. He developed a love of extreme overclocking that destroyed his savings despite the cheaper hardware on offer via his job at a PC store. To afford more LN2 he began moonlighting as a reviewer for VR-Zone before jumping the fence to work for MSI Australia. Since then, he's gone back to journalism, enthusiastically reviewing the latest and greatest components for PC & Tech Authority, PC Powerplay and currently Australian Personal Computer magazine and PC Gamer. Chris still puts far too many hours into Borderlands 3, always striving to become a more efficient killer.