Clicky, comfortable, and a contender for the best controller on PC
Updated: Dec 13, 2023 4:42 pm
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If you’ve heard of SCUF, you’d know that they’re no strangers to the premium controller market. They have a number of Xbox and PlayStation-style controllers under their belt, but the Envision Pro is built for PC gamers in mind. Mouse and keyboard may be the preferred weapon of choice for most, but this controller hits the spot for those titles where gamepads excel. The button layout follows what we know from Xbox, but the symmetrical analog stick layout mirrors what we see on PlayStation. We think it meshes well together, and there’s more than enough customization to tuck in to if that’s your kind of thing.
Pros
- Premium build quality, feels durable
- Clicky tactile buttons
- Perfect for FPS, fighting, and racing games
- 11 additional inputs to remap
- Adjustable Instant Triggers
- Hot-swappable thumbsticks
- Low latency Corsair SlipStream wireless connectivity
Cons
- View and menu buttons feel too close to face buttons
- iCUE software takes getting used to
- Outer back paddles could be easier to press
- Could be uncomfortable if you have tight grip
| Dimensions | 165 x 107.5 x 63.5mm |
| Thumbstick Layout | Symmetrical |
| Battery Life | ~19 hours usage |
| Trigger Type | Adjustable (with on-board switch) |
| Rumble? | Yes |
| On-board Profiles | 3 |
| Warranty | 12 months |
| Software Compatibility | Corsair iCUE |
Right when you open up the packaging, you’re greeted with a warning that you should download the latest version of iCUE to get started. Fair enough – if you want to make full use of this expensive pad, then you’ll want to delve into some iCUE customization. Alongside the Pro model, you’ll also immediately notice the wireless adapter. We plugged it in, Windows instantly recognized it, and we were connected in no time. This controller feels great to hold and tapping away on the clicky mechanical buttons makes for a great first impression. With the Envision Pro, you also get some nice performance grip.
Design & Features
The design of this pad is catered for PC gamers that prefer a symmetrical stick layout. We found the build quality to be top-notch. The face buttons and D-pad have mechanical switches which feel like a mouse click – this is by far one of the biggest selling points for us. That, alongside the adjustable Instant Triggers, were the two aspects that shined and we enjoyed the most. An instant-click trigger for FPS games is hard to beat.
The face buttons and D-pad have mechanical switches which feel like a mouse click – this is by far one of the biggest selling points for us.
With two SAX (side-action) buttons, four back paddles, and five G-Keys packed into this controller, you won’t be short of binds. The G-Keys in particular are best suited for all your media controls just by the 3.5mm headset jack. Corsair’s iCUE software gives you plenty to play with – light strip included. You do also get access to some hardware mappings for whenever you’re not connected to iCUE; these can be saved on up to three on-board profiles.
As for looks, SCUF allow you to build your own pad – there’s color customization per-part, thumbstick shape/length, and more. We stuck to the basics. One quirk of the design is the empty space at the top of the pad. Looks like a touchpad, right? Well, it’s not, and it also pushes the View & Menu buttons close to misclicking territory.
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Price
Honestly, not too shabby overall. Much pricier than your average controller, but this is normal for SCUF. It’s nice to see that it’s considerably less expensive than the SCUF Reflex Pro we reviewed a few months back at least.
The base Envision retails for $129.99, while the Pro model will set you back $179.99. That’s a much bigger jump than we’d like to see, but it’s the only way of getting wireless connectivity and the clicky trigger slider. Whether it’s worth it for you, we don’t know. It’s a tough ask in our eyes, but enthusiasts may not mind the extra cost.
Performance
We put the SCUF Envision Pro to the test and it performed exceptionally well for the most part. Thanks to the triggers, it’s lots of fun for FPS games – for whatever reason, a smooth left trigger and instant-click right trigger felt best personally. You can actually place the switch in-between as well, but this unfortunately didn’t work as well and could trigger multiple presses at once. The mechanical button switches are more than welcome for the face buttons; even better for the D-pad.
Any fighting game fan playing on pad will be happy to know that the tactile design makes directional inputs feel precise, with plenty of feedback. One downside to this (if you have a particularly tight grip) is that it could become tiring, especially when constantly holding directional inputs down. Analog sticks are grippy enough to stop your thumbs from slipping, offering accurate and smooth motion while racing. You can play around with deadzones and the like within iCUE for optimal tweaking and controller settings.
Any fighting game fan playing on pad will be happy to know that the tactile design makes directional inputs feel precise, with plenty of feedback.
Thumbsticks were super easy to replace, but the small plastic SAX buttons required some potentially-snappy force, not that you’d change these out very often, if at all. You can cap off the SAX buttons and inner paddles with smooth blank plates, though pressing these buttons by mistake never became a problem while testing. All of these extra buttons are great for those that prefer them. However, we did find that the outer back paddles did require some force to press down if you have your fingers resting on all four at once. They work much better if you just dedicate yourself to two at a time. Annoying, but it does prevent any accidental inputs at least.
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About time we wrapped up this review, and it’s almost a new high score for the Envision Pro. The price tag compared to the base Envision is perhaps a little over the mark, but some of our favorite features are included in this enthusiast option. As a controller for PC, it is certainly one of the best on the market right now and a joy to use for any controller-friendly genre you throw at it. There are more buttons than you need realistically, more than you can comfortably access at one given time, but it can suit whatever playing style works best for you. The mechanical switches, adjustable triggers, and comfy bumpers are what really won us over here.
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