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I wasn't the biggest fan of Scuf's Xbox controller from earlier this year. At a time when all the other officially licensed Xbox controllers were getting wireless support, carry cases, and charging stands, the Scuf Valor Pro seemed like a step backwards. Yes, it's cheaper than a lot of the competition, but it just doesn't feel like the sort of standout controller Scuf has made its name from.
When I tested it out for our Scuf Valor Pro review, I was also met with some other issues that resulted in an overall score of 2.5/5. For the first Scuf Xbox controller in years, that felt really disappointing. Today, though, Scuf is coming back to launch the Valor Pro's "big brother", and this one feels like a return to what I'd expect from this brand.
To really explain my excitement for the Scuf Valor Pro Wireless, I have to refer to the "reasons to avoid" I supplied in my Valor Pro review. While the pad had great comfort, thick and tacky grips, a nice weight, decent back buttons, and crunchy feedback, it suffered from the following issues:
- Slippy thumbsticks
- Wired-only
- No customization software
- Not good in FPS games
- Large deadzones you can’t adjust
Looking at the features for the Valor Pro Wireless, that list of cons seems to have been obliterated. The new flagship Xbox controller will come with a wireless USB dongle, Bluetooth connectivity, and obvious wired support for Xbox and PC. When connected to a PC, it'll harness the same 1,000Hz polling rate of the Valor Pro. I've yet to find out if that fast polling rate expands to use in wireless support, though.
A new companion app available through the Windows store will allow you to dial down to the nitty-gritty aspects of your controller, meaning you can adjust the uncomfortably large deadzones that are present out of the box. Perhaps the best part about that news is that the regular Valor Pro will also be able to use the same software, which will correct one of its most annoying issues.
Speaking of customization, it felt strange that one of Scuf's USPs wasn't utilized in the Valor Pro. One of the reasons people are attracted to this brand's controllers is that you can customize every inch of color and get something that's truly yours.
The Valor Pro had a magnetic faceplate you could swap out a few cosmetic options, but you couldn't use the Scuf custom builder to create one of your own. The Valor Pro Wireless has that full suite of color options, which will be a welcome treat for anyone who held off buying the Valor Pro for that reason.
In truth, the only thing that doesn't feel as though it's been fixed (I'll need to go hands-on with the new controller to know for sure) is the slippery thumbstick toppers from the Valor Pro. For the official controller partner of Call of Duty, and a brand that prides itself on making FPS products, the Valor Pro really missed the mark for me in shooters.
Its supplied thumbstick tops both had a slippy, plastic surface to them that meant I frequently had aiming foibles. That really felt like a misstep for a controller that had beautifully tacky, rubberized grips. I'm not sure if that's been addressed in the new Valor Pro Wireless, but I hope it has.
While the physical surface of the thumbsticks is still being called into question, what we know for sure is that the Scuf Valor Pro Wireless will utilize TMR thumbstick tech, which makes it just the second officially licensed Xbox controller to utilize this advanced type of module. The GameSir G7 Pro was the first, and it seems to have stolen a lot of spotlight in the Xbox arena since its launch, but since this is an FPS-aimed product, I'll be interested to compare the two.
Of course, all of this improvement comes at a cost. One of the Valor Pro's upsides was that while it was more limited in terms of features, it only set you back $100. Yes, compared to something like the Razer Wolverine V3 TE at the same price, it still felt lacklustre, but Scuf's controllers have suffered from high pricing in the past, so it was nice to have a reprieve from that. Scuf is pricing the Valor Pro Wireless at $189 / £179 - which is much more competitive with the higher-end Xbox controllers at the moment.
It's not the $199 that you'll need to pay for the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited, or the new Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded, but then again, this controller doesn't offer the same charging stand, carry case, or modular designs as those ones do. I actually think the Valor Pro Wireless is going to sit at a very competitive price point since it offers great functionality and aesthetic customization for less than those other flagship controllers.
- View all Xbox controllers at Amazon
- Scuf Valor Pro Wireless | $189.99 at Scuf
- Scuf Valor Pro: $109.99 at Amazon
For more gamepads to consider, check out the best PC controllers, the best PS5 controllers, and the best Xbox One controllers.
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