Sony’s PS5 DualSense controller is, in my humble opinion, a work of art. The adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are true innovations in immersion technology, while the general form factor is the distilled culmination of decades of careful DualShock iteration.
That said, I do think it’s difficult for third parties to improve on Sony’s formula, but SCUF’s new-ish Reflex line of PS5 gamepads makes an admirable attempt. You can buy the Reflex in three different flavors: the base Reflex ($199.99), the Reflex Pro ($229.99) and the Reflex FPS ($259.99).
At a fundamental level, they’re all the same controller, separated by subtle feature alterations. The Reflex Pro adds a non-slip performance grip, similar to what you’d see on other pro-level gamepads like Microsoft’s Elite peripheral for Xbox.
The Reflex FPS, on the other hand, eliminates the coveted haptic feedback and adaptive triggers and replaces those with Instant Triggers which mimic fast mouse clicks needed for competitive gaming. Why in the world you’d give up this amazingness for a lower weight eSports edge, I’ll never know. I’ll also never win a match of Fortnite, so there’s that to consider.
Beyond those small differences, all the Reflexes, including my Reflex Pro review unit, share the same basic features. These include remappable back-facing paddles, three on-board profiles, interchangeable thumbsticks as well as friction-free rings that you can customize. A removeable panel near the bottom of the controller provides simple internal access.
I was a bit disappointed that, unlike other SCUF products I’ve reviewed, you can’t remove the entire controller faceplate. This means that you’re stuck with whatever color variant of the Reflex that you initially purchase. In this regard, I’d have preferred total control over the paintjob.
I do believe SCUF uses official PS5 DualSense controllers to construct their products, so perhaps the faceplate limitation is tied to this somehow. Like a stock PS5 gamepad, there’s an internal rechargeable battery for wireless play and a built-in microphone with accompanying mute button.
You can also update the Reflex through the PS5 like a regular controller and plug it in for wired play via the included braided USB-C cable. It’s also useable on PC, which is mostly what I’ve been doing. Certain PC games like Far Cry 6 actually support the adaptive triggers so I was able to test for nuanced force feedback even on my desktop gaming rig.
What sets the Reflex Pro apart is largely its customizability. The back paddles are easily remapped to whatever button you choose, minus system inputs like the PlayStation button, Create button or the adaptive triggers. The controller comes loaded with three genre-themed color-coded presets — Racing, Sports and Battle Royale/FPS — though you can simply create your own concoction if you’d like.
It’s definitely a drawback that you can’t remap the triggers, because there are plenty of use cases for doing so. The good news is that you can remap almost everything else: L1/R1, L3/R3, all directions on the D-pad and any of the four face (action) buttons.
Interestingly, the face buttons have all been wiped clean of their PlayStation branded shapes. It’s definitely an aesthetic, though it could be disorienting if you were to say, hand the Reflex to a family member or friend who isn’t familiar with the world of PlayStation. Maybe it was a licensing decision to avoid copyright infringement. Who knows.
From a comfort standpoint, the Reflex is very ergonomic, especially with the added rubberized grip. Overall, it feels quite similar to an official controller, but the texture places it into a more premium category. $229.99 worth of premium? That’s debatable. It does play great, which is important, I suppose.
In the end, the SCUF Reflex is a slightly leveled-up PS5 DualSense. That is to say, it’s managed to improve on Sony’s excellent hardware, if only by slim margins, but the margins do exist.
Whether or not consumers think remappable paddles, swappable thumbsticks and some extra grip are worth more than half the price (literally!) of a digital edition PS5 console will determine the Reflex’s viability. For reference, a standard DualSense retails for around $69.99. For further reference, that is way cheaper than any version of the Reflex, and the stock gamepad does most of the same things.
There must be a market for these kinds of controllers, though, because SCUF keeps pumping them out. For me, it’s a tough sell, not because the Reflex isn’t a commendable peripheral (it absolutely is) but because the value proposition is a bit weak. For something closer to $100, this would be a must-buy. As it stands, I can only recommend this to SCUF diehards and gamers with deep pockets.
Disclosure: SCUF provided review product for coverage purposes.
