Update: Shortly after this review SCUF released a firmware update for the Vantage controllers.
Controllers are a personal thing.
Its quite possible youll love it.
For anyone experiencing the issues we describe below, it’s possible for you to refresh your firmwarehere.
In our experience, its well worth the trouble.
I love SCUF controllers.
Or, more accurately, I love all of them but this one.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
That model was, and unfortunately still is, the best controller Id ever picked up for the PS4.
And it its still my daily driver.
I have taste, after all.
From the ground up, in this case, isnt just marketing speak.
SCUF actually built a controller that didnt rely on the OEM design, like in previous models.
The finished product looks more like the Xbox One Elite controller, in fact, than a Sony product.
This is a good thing.
Sony, after all, doesnt offer an ultra-premium model and gamers are none to pleased about it.
Before it shipped, SCUF asked me to customize it to my hearts content.
Believe me when I say that nearly everything is customizable.
It arrived days later.
On initial inspection, Vantage feels great in the hand.
The Infinity, aside from being $50 cheaper, just feels more premium.
It too is highly customizable.
As for performance, its hard to say.
Initially it felt great, playing sports games like Golf Club 2019, and NBA 2k19.
On a full pull, meaning all the way to any side, they worked fine.
The woes didnt end there.
Programming the additional side buttons or bottom triggers was easy enough, although the positioning was a tad problematic.
The triggers were equally odd, a problem the Infinity shares.
While the closer trigger, the larger one, is easy to reach, the other is practically unusable.
Especially once you consider how often youll have to program it.
Thats right, the triggers, as well as the additional buttons, dont store your button mapping.
Meaning, each time you turn on the PS4, youll have to reconfigure the buttons.
It gets old, fast.
Eventually I just abandoned it and played with the default buttons, no remapping.
The only thing I did like about SCUFs Vantage PS4 Controller was that battery life was excellent.
I averaged two-to-three days of play time as opposed to the six-to-eight hours Id get on an OEM controller.
Infinity, though, offers excellent battery life as well.
Overall, I should be able to recommend Vantage.
Quite simply, it feels like a product that needs more development time.
Its simply not ready for consumers.
PS4 Pro, especially when a better option exists in the cheaper Infinity4PS Pro ($150).
Im still a SCUF fan, but this one isnt for me.
Buy theInfinity4PS Pro instead.
Story byBryan Clark
Bryan is a freelance journalist.Bryan is a freelance journalist.
