In the last year, Scuf and Razer have done the seemingly impossible. Despite previous generations stipulating that a brand could only release one officially licensed controller per PlayStation generation, both of them have launched their second PS5 controller.

They’re both extremely feature-dense too. The Razer Raiju V3 Pro and the Scuf Omega both have six extra buttons alongside their standard PlayStation gamepad offering. Both are wireless, both have PC apps that let you dial down to their nitty-gritty settings, and both lend themselves to multiplayer, competitive gameplay on Sony’s consoles.

There’s no point in stretching this out, though. While both are excellent gamepads and we enjoyed testing them, we’d recommend one over the other, and that’s not just the subjective view of one person. While I test and review all the latest controllers that come out, my managing editor, Tabitha, reviewed the Scuf Omega and has hands-on time with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro – the Xbox equivalent of the Raiju.

Meanwhile, I reviewed the Raiju V3 Pro and then tested and reviewed the Scuf Envision Pro, a PC controller with the exact same body and almost all of the same elements as the Omega, just without its official licensing from Sony.

We both have the same opinion on which controller you should buy, and it’s the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. For a full rundown of these controllers, their design, and features, check out our reviews linked in the highlighted text above. But for time’s sake, allow us to explain.

The side button problem

For starters, the Scuf Omega and the Scuf Envision Pro have what very few controllers have: side bumpers. On paper, and in other instances, these extra buttons are excellent additions, providing a way for you to actuate extra functions with your inner index knuckles as you play. Depending on how you grip and how long your index fingers are, that might be more useful than a pair of extra bumpers on the top of the controller (like the Razer Raiju has, for example).

The issue is that with the way Scuf has designed the Omega, these buttons are far too easy to push. You might read that and think, human error, get gud, but honestly, both myself and Tabitha have found that, despite our difference in hand sizes, Scuf’s design is the issue.

The Envision Pro was the exact same when I tried it, and I actually really wanted to like and use those side bumpers because of how much I enjoyed them on the CRKD Nitro Deck+.

The way they’re angled and their light actuation force means you will press them by accident often, and even once you adjust and relearn, they’re a liability when you’re in heated gameplay moments.

Sure, the solution you’re thinking of is to remove them and replace them with the blank covers you get in the box – but then the Raiju is a clear winner with its six extra buttons. So unless you really prefer the design of the Scuf Omega or you want a custom colorway that only Scuf can provide, I’d avoid the trouble entirely and go for Razer.

Razer’s back buttons

On the flip side, we really prefer Razer’s back buttons. Scuf has a signature back button layout where they wrap around your middle finger and sit horizontally across the gamepad’s back. This is opposed to the standard design the rest of the industry goes for where they’re integrated into the grips of the controller for your middle and ring fingers to play with.

I’m sure this works for some people, but certainly anyone I’ve talked to about it who has tried both back button layouts prefers Razer’s layout of one pair of back buttons underneath the other.

For the record, Razer’s aren’t my all-time favorite because they’re a tad too close together, but they line up with the Wolverine V3 Pro in that they’re positioned well and actuate with the same speedy microswitch clickiness that the rest of the controller’s buttons do. That makes them feel more instantaneous when you need to press them in a tense gameplay moment, whereas the angles and positioning of the Scuf Omega’s back buttons take a bit more of a thought adjusting to.

If you’re looking for great back buttons, I’d go for the Raiju.

Slippy thumbsticks

Scuf brands itself as an FPS controller go-to, but I personally have always struggled to see that because its controllers have thumbsticks with absolutely no texture out of the box.

This is one of the most vital parts of FPS controller design, so I don’t know what I’m missing here, but whenever I test one of this brand’s pads, I need to really adjust and put more thought into pushing my thumbs down onto the sticks because they just have absolutely minimal grip.

That means smaller adjustments, which you’ll want to make use of with TMR thumbsticks, are much harder to make. My aim always seems to suffer with Scuf’s thumbsticks, so I don’t know what I’m missing. The swappable tops you get in the carry case help a bit, but it’s an issue with the texture this brand uses.

Especially if you’re buying for competitive FPS gameplay, I’d go with Razer because you need confidence that no matter what thumbstick height you prefer, your controller isn’t going to cost you the aim you’re capable of.

The rest is pretty close

Besides those things, it’s admittedly a pretty close race between the Raiju and the Omega. Both have TMR thumbsticks, both are symmetrical, which will suit PlayStation fans, both have clicky microswitch buttons, and both are subject to the same licensing parameters, so you won’t get haptic feedback or adaptive triggers on either.

There are still some smaller design choices that we think differentiate the two, however. For example, the Omega has a four-way D-pad which, while PlayStation-remiscent, isn’t as practical as the Raiju’s floating 8-way one. Similarly, the trigger stop switches on the Omega are hidden into their triggers, which is very sleek and stylish, but not exactly practical if you want to flick one on while you’re mid-match. Razer’s are a lot more easily accessed.

It may come down to preference for you. If you’ve used a Scuf controller before and you like the back button layout and don’t mind the thumbstick texture, the Omega might be good for you.

Personally, and this is backed up by my managing editor’s hands-on experience too, it’s got to be the Raiju V3 Pro.

For more, read up on the best TMR thumbsticks, the best Xbox Series X controllers, and the best Switch 2 controllers.