Modified custom controllers have been around since the advent of home consoles, and SCUF Gaming is one of the leading brands in custom-built controllers for those looking to take their gaming to the next level. Today, the company revealed its latest creations: the Instinct and Instinct Pro Xbox controllers.
Compatible with all Xbox consoles, the Instinct and the Instinct Pro are controllers specifically designed to save players milliseconds by reducing the time it takes to press each button. While both controllers are made for at-home, competitive play, the Instinct Pro is designed specifically with certain mouse and keyboard optimizations in mind.
The Instinct and Instinct Pro follow the design of the relatively new Xbox Series X/S controllers by including all of the usual face buttons, triggers, and sticks as well as the newly implemented “Share” button located in the center of each controller. One of the features that set the Instinct controllers apart from base models are the paddles located on the back of the controller grips. Functioning like other Pro controllers, the four back paddles allow players to map and remap the face buttons to them, saving the player from taking their thumbs off the sticks to press a button.
Both SCUF controllers have removable thumbsticks that can be replaced with others of varying sizes to allow for further customization and comfort. Additionally, players can create mapping profiles for different games which can be saved on the controller and cycled through with the press of a button on the back of the controller. What separates the base Instinct model from the Pro are two of the controller’s most desirable features: high performance grip and the instant triggers.
According to SCUF, the Instinct Pro’s high performance grip has been designed with comfort in mind as well as “grip right where you need it.” The grip helps keep the Instinct Pro from sliding out of hands to create a comfortable gaming experience.
Adaptive triggers have been a major selling point for the PS5 DualSense controller, and while the Instinct Pro doesn’t have adaptive triggers in the same way, the instant triggers might make the Pro controller a must-buy for Xbox fans looking for more out of their controllers. The Instinct Pro’s instant triggers change the traditional Xbox triggers to save players time between deciding to pull them back and actually doing it. With the instant triggers activated, players don’t need to pull them all the way back to use, instead, they have a more rigid feel comparable to clicking a computer mouse. This feature can be turned on and off with the press of a button on the back of the controller itself.
The SCUF Instinct and Instinct Pro are available now.