Picking up a PlayStation 4 controller other than Sony’s official DualShock 4, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’m a bit boring in always sticking with whatever comes bundled with a console, especially having had to wrestle with my fair share of cheap and tacky third party controllers in the past. The SCUF Infinity 4PS is anything but that, as a more premium alternative to Sony’s own.
For those who haven’t done their homework, the 4PS doesn’t seem to bring a lot to the table. Sony’s design for the DualShock 4 is easily its best to date, so there really wasn’t a need for SCUF to do a complete overhaul. However, wrap your hands around one of these pads and you’ll discover a number of intriguing revisions geared towards competitive play. From adjustable triggers down to a pair of protruding paddles, many of these features can be customised to help improve your performance when playing online.
Since receiving the Infinity 4PS, I’ve carried it into battle at every opportunity, across a variety of multiplayer games – Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege mainly – and although I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s made me a better player, it’s quickly become my controller of choice. That’s impressive feat when you’re like me and consider the DualShock 4 an extension of your own being.
The shape and form of Sony’s original design remains the same, alongside that all-round feeling of quality. The rumble feature has been removed, but the Infinity 4PS still has a nice heft to it without the cheap weightlessness I previously found with aftermarket controllers. [Update: this is a customisation option and the controllers do come with rumble by default]
No matter which combination of colour scheme and pattern you go for, the shell sits comfortably in your hand, matte on one side, textured grip on the other. Described in SCUF’s marketing as “Military Grade” this non-slip surface isn’t a revelation, but it does make extended gameplay sessions more comfortable, without the common pooling of grease and sweat beneath your fingers.
The most intuitive new feature of the Infinity 4PS, however, is its PRO Paddles that are the most distinctive addition within the SCUF range. They’re positioned on the rear within perfect reach of your middle and ring fingers and can be programmed to copy a variety of control inputs. It sounds like an incredibly trivial feature, but over time using them as shortcuts becomes second nature. The handful of milliseconds saved by hitting a paddle instead of moving your thumb from the right analogue stick to tap a face button is minute yet noticeable, making actions such as reloading, weapon switching, and crouching just that little bit swifter. Again, it might not make you a better play overnight, but for professional gamers, those milliseconds can make a big difference.
Aiming and shooting can also be sped up by adjusting the trigger depth. Tucked beneath the lip of each trigger is a switch that effectively limits how far players need to push down on them, allowing you to turn them into hair triggers if you wish to remove some of that added latency. Sensitivity can also be tweaked to your own personal preference. At its highest, a merely stroking the trigger will have you aiming down sights or firing off a shot almost instantly.
That same degree of customisation carries over into the variety of add-ons available for the Infinity 4PS range. The care package SCUF generously deployed at TSA Towers included a sturdy portable case, two sets of replaceable precision thumbsticks, a pair of extended triggers and the small set of tools needed to modify your 4PS. Whether fiddling with the hair trigger mechanism, reprogramming the paddles, or bolting on a new pair of sticks, each process is easy and hassle-free, without the need for a set of screwdrivers or lengthy teardowns.
Whether SCUF’s latest invention has improved my competitive performance is debatable, though the added comfort, level of customisation, and all-round quality has meant that my DualShock 4 now has a thin layer of dust!
With a starting price of £119.99, it’s a pretty big investment. For gamers who are dead serious about competitive gaming, that’s a premium many are prepared to pay, however. Even with my very limited knowledge of third party accessories, SCUF is a name and brand that has grown to mean quality, which is only bolstered by its links with professional players and the esports scene. Of course, being able to customise the design lets you put your own stamp on your controller, not just gain a slight competitive edge.
That’s not to say that casual gamers should stay clear. In contrast to some other pro controllers, this can be used wirelessly or cabled, for one thing, but the easy modification of the 4PS makes it incredibly easy to swap out key components if they ever begin to wear down from constant use. It was only a few weeks ago that I decided to dig out my original DualShock 4 to replace the analogue sticks, and even with the newer model controllers, those rubber grips have a tendency to erode and tear away. While inexpensive for me to fix the DualShock 4, the process of attaching the new sticks was time consuming and required finesse. Despite accurately following a step-by-step guide, upon reassembling my DualShock 4, one of the triggers had become faulty with the touchpad also losing some functionality.
There’s no such worries with the 4PS, where it took a fraction of the time and effort without the risk of collateral damage. As long as you aren’t prone to roughing up your gamepads, the 4PS offers long-lasting durability and, more importantly, peace of mind.
MrYd
You can get one for £100. But all those extra features cost more. Those paddles sound nice and useful, but an extra 14 quid or so to configure them?
And they even have options for people with bigger hands. Why? I’ve got quite big hands, and the normal PS4 controller (which this one seems to be the same size as?) is too big. Bring back PS3 sized controllers!
Also, over £100 for a controller? There are words for that, but I won’t say them in case I end up on the naughty step.
Andrewww
I had a look at their page, and the customisation options are quite impressive. So, you get a very nice design, additional pads, easily exchangeable triggers, etc., and if they’re good quality, they seem well worth the price to me.
Given they’re not mass market products and can’t sell millions of them, what would you expect the price to be, without them going bankrupt straight away?
In addition, most people on here seem perfectly able and willing to buy games for £60 right when they come out, while knowing many of them cost about £20 two months later. That seems much more of a waste of money to me than buying a controller that stays with you. But, what is worth the money, just as what you consider fun, is quite a subjective matter, don’t you agree?
Jim Hargreaves
It’s definitely not for everyone though there are plenty of players who go out of their way to “enhance” their gaming experience in whatever way they can.
Shape, form, and size are essential when it comes to making a controller feel ergonomic and comfortable. While I’m quite content playing with all manner of controllers, for long sessions I need something that sits in my hands without forcing any awkward finger placement.
RFC2007
No rumble. What is this….2007?
£100+ for a controller with no feedback is insane. It’s a step back and removes a level of immersion from all titles.
Think I’ll stick with my Dual Shock
MrYd
But it’s used by 90% of “professional gamers” in “esports”. Otherwise known as “people who have entirely missed the point of gaming”.
And just look at their list of companies that endorse the £100+ controller. Which is presumably people that wanted a bit of money to “endorse” them.
Am I getting a bit too cynical about a stupidly priced controller here?
Stefan L
@RFC – Apologies, rumble is a customisation option that we didn’t explain clearly. By default you have rumble, but the motors can be removed if you’d prefer a lighter controller. I’ve updated the article.
@MrYd – Yes. It’s a niche product for a niche audience, which therefore inflates the price. If it’s not worth it to you, then that’s absolutely fine, but there’s plenty of people out there who would like to have things like the rear paddles, the custom sticks.
Those people buying could be professional gamers – and seeing as they’re paid for gaming in a competitive environment, how else would you describe them? – or they could be people with enough money to splash on getting themselves a very, very nice controller.
So it’s not for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a very nice controller for those that want to get one.
Jim Hargreaves
I love a good bit of rumble but in the “pro gaming” space this function is often disabled by players. It sounds silly, but that extra bit of feedback – over time – can cause discomfort or impact performance in a small yet noticeable way.
camdaz
It sounds like a very decent controller but I’ll be sticking with the trusty DS4, never had any problems with them and I like the rumble.
Anyway why is it when you place the word ‘pro’ in front of a product’s name the price rockets sky high?
Jim Hargreaves
Pro is one of those annoying buzzwords though, in gaming, usually denotes something that actually worth the premium. For SCUF, it’s a brand that has links with professional esports and MLG so it’s not as if they plucked that word from nowhere.
camdaz
I’m not doubting the brand I just think it’s (and the other two ‘pro’ controllers are over priced. I know you’re paying for the name etc but somewhere around £75 for them would be a better price.
jase
I’ve had to replace multiple right triggers on various DS4s, they’re easy enough to get on ebay but a pain to install. Considering how much time I spend using a controller I might treat myself. After all I use a £150 keyboard and a £70 mouse on my computer.
camdaz
I’ve never had to replace any parts of my DS4s but I did transplant the innards of one into a jazzy shell, which only took about ten minutes. And it’s still working as good as new.
infinite
in comparison to the MS Elite controller the build quality of the Scuf Pad is rubbish… I expect triggers to fail (and just easily replace them) but not the posts that hold them in place (and having to scrap whole controller)…
yarg2k7
What puts me off this controller is the reliability of them being so close to the original DS4 . There have been some mixed reviews and its a lot of money to waste on something that may fail a couple of months down the line. An excellent alternative is the Nacon Revolution and a lot cheaper which is well built at a fraction of the cost and feels like it will last for years. Has to be hard wired though but comes with a 3 metre lead which is plenty for most users.