Closer Examination

If you've been looking at the previous SCUF controller reviews, such as this SCUF Prestige, and thinking the new Envision Pro looks much tamer by comparison then it's on purpose. SCUF will have custom designs for the Envision line but has currently decided to keep things simple with a choice of "Steel Gray" seen above or white. I do like this finish with the orange accents, gunmetal gray, and black all working together. The form factor of the controller is quite similar to a typical Xbox controller although you will immediately note the thumbsticks are placed next to each other similar to a PlayStation controller. This means the D-pad is at the top left corner and the ABXY buttons retain their usual spot in the top right. We also get dedicated buttons for view, menu, start, profile on the front with good tactile feedback throughout. A look from the sides reveals a grippy texture on the underside and subtle branding in addition to side buttons for further use/customization. The top gray surface has a soft-touch plastic composition which seems fairly resistant to sweat and dust, although I can't tell you how it will stand up to finger oils over time given I have only had this in use for a couple of weeks.


The side views show more of the rounded profile, as well as the various connectivity options on the front and back, including the 3.5 mm jack and Type-C port. The Envision Pro also gets five G-keys above the 3.5 mm jack and now we see the CORSAIR inspiration if you ever used one of their keyboards with dedicated macro G-keys before. By default these are set for audio controls, which makes sense since there is also a volume mute indicator alongside a battery level/charging indicator here. You can customize all these in iCUE as we will see on the next page. On the back are two bumpers, also referred to as shoulder buttons, and triggers that have a faux carbon fiber style finish at the bottom and an angled surface. I would have preferred metal versions instead for increased durability, especially on the Pro version. The 2.4 GHz sensor is present here too along with more SCUF branding in case there is someone looking at you gaming for whatever reason.


The back is quite clean compared to what I expected going in with previous SCUF designs. There's a toggle button to switch between wired and wireless connectivity and we also get a closer look at the bumpers and triggers as well as the two sets of paddles below. The larger paddle on each side is easy to access with your fingers already on the back alongside the gripped surface but the smaller set requires you to push inward to actuate them which isn't too convenient in a heated gaming session. The good news is the paddle cover is angled again so you don't have to move too much to reach them and there is tactile + clicky feedback to let you know the action has happened.


Seen above is the SCUF Envision Pro alongside the Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. You can see how the D-pad and thumbstick positioning is different on the Envision Pro and I personally prefer having them alongside each other rather than the classic Xbox style. The Envision Pro also gives you far more buttons although the Xbox Elite controller has more metal parts, a charging dock, and a carry/storage case while now costing less since it's an older release. As it stands, I'd personally go for the Xbox Elite controller from a build quality and overall package point of view, but then the SCUF Envision Pro hits back with amazing software customization as we will see on the next page.