SCUF Reflex IceManIsaac Edition review - A gorgeous controller with all the DualSense features

The SCUF Reflex is one of the four designs that content creator IceManIsaac teamed up with SCUF to create, and I recently had the privilege of trying it out. Over the years, I’ve reviewed several controllers, primarily in the arcade stick genre. This is the first time that I’ve used a SCUF controller and I have to say, I definitely see what all the fuss is about.

I’ve been putting the SCUF Reflex through its paces for the last week or so, across everything from Gundam Evolution, God of War Ragnarok, and so much more. No matter which game I was playing, it just felt right in my hands.

While it won’t make me a better FPS or Souls player, I can definitely see it enhancing someone’s practice sessions. The extra paddles allow for serious control, whether swapping weapons or lobbing grenades. However, this option is a little on the expensive side, making it a major commitment.

SCUF Reflex is a comfortable, but pricey premium PlayStation 5 controller

The SCUF Reflex is a PS5 DualSense in every sense. The buttons and triggers feel the same, and it has that familiar, curved grip. It also features a different-shaped home button, but that’s about it.

The Reflex comes with a pair of thumbsticks that can be easily replaced. The front faceplate comes disconnected safely, and from there, you can hot-swap the thumbsticks. The taller thumbsticks are better if you’re going to play FPS games, but otherwise, I found the defaults just fine.

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Additionally, the SCUF Reflex comes with custom IceManIsaac artwork. The blue and white hues are gorgeous, and it really makes the controller stand out from other mono-colored PS5 controllers.

Furthermore, the controller felt amazing in my hands. No matter how long I was playing God of War Ragnarok, Sonic Frontiers, or Tactics Ogre: Reborn, it felt comfortable.

SCUF Reflex offers a little bit of customization for your paddles

For those who haven’t used a SCUF before, what makes them stand out is the set of four paddles on the back. They can be easily reached, and you get to customize what each of these buttons do. The SCUF Reflex also has a button for a few defaults.

Blue: FPS/Battle Royale
RED: Sport
Green: Racing

They’re incredibly comfortable and feel good to trigger. In fact, they feel more like mouse clicks, and I'm sure that they would make FPS games genuinely more enjoyable to play during lengthy gaming sessions. While they won’t make you better, it very well could make your shots pop off faster.

I do like that there are defaults that are easily swapped between by pressing a little button on the back. However, I’m somewhat surprised that it doesn’t come with an app of some sort that lets you further customize the experience.

If nothing else, I’d like to see the sticks be customizable for sensitivity, or for your triggers. I want to clarify that these still feel very good, but it would be another way to improve the SCUF controllers in the future.

While it’s easy to reprogram what your paddles do, I was hoping for slightly more customization. It’s probably for the best that each paddle can only do one thing, instead of complicated macros.

How does the SCUF Reflex actually play?

I spent most of my time playing PlayStation 5 and PC games with this controller and, in particular, God of War Ragnarok. It felt so good to have the paddles tied between swapping my Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos. With one of the other paddles, I could perform a roll in-game.

Action games such as Yakuza Kiwami and Spider-Man: Miles Morales feel great on the SCUF Reflex. While I wouldn’t recommend getting a controller like this to just play RPGs, the genre that I play the most, I also enjoyed playing Tactics Ogre: Reborn and Sonic Frontiers on it.

The Souls games could definitely benefit from paddles as well. When it comes to swapping your weapons and dodging, it feels very comfortable on the SCUF Reflex. While I don’t play too many FPS games, I greatly enjoyed Gundam Evolution with this controller.

I truly appreciate how it had all the features of the famed DualSense. The haptic feedback felt just as incredible as it does on the default PlayStation 5 controller.

In conclusion

When looking at something like this, I really have to consider who this controller is for. As a casual gamer, I’m not sure if many will be looking to spend nearly three times the cost of a regular DualSense controller. Unless they genuinely appreciate the custom art and design of the controller or want to support one of their favorite streamers, that is.

This is certainly a controller for the hardcore FPS fan. For gamers who fancy themselves skilled at shooters, sports, and driving games, this could be a great gateway into improving their skills. Again, I cannot stress enough that it won’t make you better in any game. But the added paddles could certainly add more to your response times. If you're looking for a controller to play games like Warzone and Modern Warfare 2, look no further than this SCUF controller.

With that in mind, though, other controller companies are getting into the act, but these styles of premium controllers are typically rather expensive. It’s certainly a comfortable controller, and I will undoubtedly continue to use it in virtually every game I play outside of fighting games. I felt like certain genres of gamers will get more out of it.

That said, even if it’s an expensive controller, it’s also an excellent one. The parts feel like they’re high quality and everything is quite responsive. I can see gamers who have to hold their controller in awkward ways to hit buttons might love having some paddles on the back to ease their pain.