SCUF Controllers for the Holiday Season: Valor Pro Xbox Controller
Reviewing controllers takes a bit of work, and we only received two SCUF wireless controllers last week. That said, our early impressions of both the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Reflex Wireless PlayStation Controller and the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Valor Pro Wireless Xbox controller are really positive. If you are looking for a controller to get as a last minute gift, or have a few extra dollars to spend after the holidays, these controllers make fantastic additions to your home console ecosystem.
Valor Pro Xbox Controller (And PC Compatible)
Customizable controllers can be had fairly inexpensively in 2025, but finding one with mapping for four buttons (as opposed to 2) along with a solid build quality isn’t as achievable as you might think. The Valor Pro has 4 customizable back paddles that can be customized or set to one of three presets – sports, racing, shooters. It’s a bit of work to customize the controller if you choose to go down that path, but after a few tries at it, it became pretty intuitive.
My biggest issue with customizable back paddles on controllers is that I’m liable to hit them while playing when I don’t mean to, because of years of gripping controllers in a certain way. Although I wouldn’t say these are stiff paddles, you’d have to make a conscious effort to press them in, at least brand new out of the box, and I really enjoy that.
I’m also really impressed with the build quality of this controller. With up to 17 hours of battery life on a single charge, this is a once-a-week on the charger type of controller for me. I use my Xbox a bit less than the average person I’m sure, but 17 hours is still a long time – that is the entirety of a long day of gaming if that is your thing. I also like the anti-drift thumbstick – which can be swapped by the way. While I don’t completely understand the technology behind how these work, it’s fun to pull of the sticks and take a look at the inner workings of the controller. The HALL effect joysticks use magnets and digital sensors, not physical contact, to detect movement, offering superior durability, precision, and resistance to “stick drift” compared to traditional joysticks with potentiometers. Hopefully this holds up long term!
I’ve owned and reviewed a ton of interesting controllers over the years, but this is the first with a really good onboard audio control system. Two small wheels at the base of the controller will allow you to adjust audio on the fly, a feature I didn’t think I would use, but yet find myself touching constantly. Honestly, these dials might be equal parts useful and fidget toy, but whatever works, right?
It’s always hard to comment on a controllers performance when it’s brand new out of the box. What people really want to know is how well the controller holds up 4-6 months down the road. My early impressions are really solid, though, and while this controller doesn’t come cheap, all the amazing features make it worth the price of entry. And if this controller actually does avoid the drift issue, I’ll actually be saving money on buying the first party controllers which I break at an alarming rate.
Find out more about the Valor Pro and other controllers over on the Scuf Gaming official website! We will come back to this controller in the new year to see how it is holding up! Our early impressions, though, are really good!
Article By Adam
