Scuf Envision Pro Review

If you’ve invested even a little into the competitive shooter community, then you’ve probably already heard of Scuf Gaming. Among console gamers its high-end gamepads have been a go-to choice for years; now, with the Envision Pro, it’s finally entering the world of PC gaming. And thanks to its new ownership by Corsair, it comes fully equipped with all the utility of iCUE and Slipstream Wireless, making it the most programmable gamepad I’ve ever laid hands on. In fact, it might just be the best controller Scuf has ever made. At $179, it doesn’t come cheap, but if you’re looking for something with significantly more programmability than the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, this is a great option.

Scuf Envision Pro – Design and Features

At first glance, you might mistake the Envision Pro for a DualSense controller. The overall look is largely the same with its symmetrical thumb sticks and face buttons, centered home key, and what first appears to be a touch panel in the center (it’s decorative only). Take a close look, however, and you’ll find that this gamepad has more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

While most Scuf controllers have been compatible with PC in the past (because what isn’t?), the Envision Pro is dedicated to PC and designed with that in mind. This means it has far more inputs and each is more customizable and programmable than anything we’ve seen from Scuf so far. Below the joysticks is a panel of five programmable G-keys that can be assigned anything from macros to launching whole programs, with much more in between. These buttons illuminate and have a tastefully subtle RGB strip just above the controller’s headset jack and battery indicator. And in case you’re wondering, Scuf explicitly told me that these controllers are for PC only and are not compatible with any console.

The additional row of G-keys and the programmability of iCUE is nothing short of game-changing for a PC controller. I created an entire profile dedicated to navigating Windows. With a tap, I could minimize a game to the desktop, change to that profile, launch a browser, and be in my email. With another, I could launch Spotify and be navigating a playlist. If you don’t need that row for in-game commands, it also makes a fantastic media-control cluster so you can control your music without swapping out to mouse and keyboard.

So, the experience is good. Sensitive SAX aside, it’s easily one of the best controllers that Scuf has ever made and a great debut of a PC-specific controller. Compared to the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 and just about every other high-end controller that’s compatible with PC, there’s significantly more programmability available, and that really makes this feel like a pro PC controller instead of a console gamepad that just happens to work.

All that said, if you’re playing competitive shooters, a mouse and keyboard is still the better choice. Any competitive PC player will tell you that a gamepad, even a fancy one like this, is simply less accurate. And if you’re the sort of player that’s interested in a $179 PC controller in the first place, you probably already have a gaming keyboard (maybe even a Corsair) that’s capable of many of these same features.

Of course, the biggest competitive category outside of shooters for a controller of this type is fighting games, and I see real merit there. The mechanical clicks and eight-way D-pad are perfect for them. The added programmability could certainly be useful as well.

By offering price parity with the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, Scuf is providing an alternative for action games and RPGs too – games where rear paddles make dodging and triggering skills feel more nimble and responsive. And easy access to keyboard commands and macros adds real utility for PC-centric games that may work with controller but perform best with a handful of keyboard commands at the ready.