SCUF Impact PS4/PC Pro Gaming Controller Is A Customizable Masterpiece

I’m not a pro gamer. I never knew pro gaming controllers existed or that 90 percent of pro gamers choose SCUF Gaming. Up to now, my urban camo DualShock 4 has served my PS4 gaming duties just fine, but the people of SCUF Gaming disagreed and sent me a review unit of the SCUF Impact, the company's flagship controller for the PS4 and PC.

The SCUF Impact controller’s unique features are obvious at first glance. Compared to Sony's DualShock 4, which weighs 7.7 ounces, the Impact is slightly heftier at 8.5 ounces. The SCUF Impact is also about an eighth of an inch wider to mimic the ergonomics of the Xbox One controller. And while the Impact's overall button and thumbstick positions remain identical with the DualShock, the similarities end there.

Hours of exuberant gaming will take a toll on most controllers, but the SCUF Impact has that under control—a military-grade, non-slip surface behind the grip is designed to withstand sweaty hands and a Cable Retention System makes sure the USB charging cable stays secure when you’re playing and charging at the same time. Thankfully, I’ve never suffered from sweaty hands, so grip has never been an issue. That said, the quality of the braided cable is really great and feels more robust than any charging cable I’ve ever had for my DualShock.

The Impact also offers thoughtful customization features that accommodate a variety of preferences. The thumbsticks are interchangeable among four options: short domed, short concave, long domed and long concave. Trigger buttons can also be modified with trigger stops that reduce movement, adjustable hair triggers that improve latency, as well as trigger cover extenders for gamers with larger hands.

My review unit featured the short concave thumbstick option, and its grippy gel material combined with the dimple of the concave surprisingly lent more control and feel compared to the dry, flat texture on the standard thumbstick of the DualShock 4. While the stick’s axis movements feel almost identical with the DualShock 4, pressing down for L3 and R3 felt more precise on the SCUF.

Trigger stops are easy to mod. I used the SCUF Impact mostly for shooters during my review, so I adjusted the stops for the least amount of movement. However, gamers who plan to use the Impact controller for racing games can adjust for increased movement to achieve better accelerator and brake input and feel. Finally, the hair trigger feature took the longest for me to grasp, but is unexpectedly useful—SCUF offers a micro-sized 0.9mm hex key that can be used to adjust when the weapon trigger engages, which could be way before the trigger is fully depressed. I found my sweet-spot to be a quarter rotation before the trigger function engages by itself.

The real stand-outs, and what drew me to the SCUF Impact’s design in the first place, are the four paddle buttons and electro-magnetic remapping (EMR) technology. By adding extra paddles to the back, the Impact offers new customization options without rearranging the DualShock 4’s original button layout.

The game I played the most on the SCUF Impact controller is Rainbow Six Siege. I’ve been an avid Siege player for more than a year and while my game has improved over time, I’ve also picked up some bad habits along the way.

Maintaining cover is critical for staying alive in Siege. When aiming-down-sight, clicking L3 or R3 enables the player to lean around a corner or out of cover. However, L3 and R3 are also the buttons for melee, which I often hit by accident when I panic in nail-biting, must-clutch situations.

With SCUF's EMR Mag key, I remapped L3 and R3 to the rear paddles and experienced an instant decrease in input errors and big improvements to my game. I don’t know how I ever gamed without the paddles, but now I can’t go back—it has made the Impact my go-to controller for first-person shooters.

The SCUF Impact delivers a great combination of thoughtful ergonomics and customizability. However, the controller retails for $139.95, or double the price of the DualShock 4. Although it can be difficult to justify that sort of investment, the SCUF’s military grip and cable retention system stands to make it more durable than the average controller. What’s more, players who want interchangeable thumbsticks, tunable triggers and programmable paddles will find the SCUF Impact is worth every penny.