Scuf has launched its latest PC controller, the Nemesis Pro 8K, today and while it shares a lot of its vibes with the PS5-friendly Scuf Omega, one troublesome feature is missing in action.
Duncan’s on the Gamescom showfloor and has had his hands wrapped around the new Nemesis Pro 8K. It’s essentially the same shape and feel as the Scuf Valor Pro (minus the Xbox branding), though removing the Valor Pro’s four vibration motors hasn’t made a dent in the weight. This thing is only a couple of grams lighter, which could raise some competitive eyebrows. Still, in the hands it feels nicely nimble without too much dragging it down.
That price tag is still heading north though. The Scuf Nemesis Pro 8K swaps in 8K polling for the true competitive spirits among us, as well as all the usual button mapping options, four back paddles, and companion app support, for $119.99 wired and $199.99 wireless (available for pre-order, though at the time of writing no release date has been announced). That’s a hair higher than the wireless Valor Pro’s $189.99 MSRP.
That’s not quite as expensive as Scuf’s other outings. The Omega, for example, comes in at a hefty $219.99, while the Envision Pro sits at $169.99. You’re paying more for the wireless form factor here than you would with Scuf’s previous PC-only endeavour, but not quite as much as you would for that PlayStation license.
The Xbox-styled Windows gamepad still has those mechanical mouse-click face buttons, dual-mode triggers, and TMR thumbsticks, but the small nubbins on the side of the Omega (and the similar PC-focused Scuf Envision Pro) are nowhere to be seen.
These are additional side buttons, completely remappable, that aim to keep even more controls out of your face buttons’ way. The upside is you can keep your thumbs on the sticks a lot more often, but the downside on the previous gamepads was pretty consistent miss-fires. Having mainlined the Omega on PS5 for the last few months (and with Duncan coming up with the same troubles in his Envision Pro coverage), I’d call that a relief.
Plus, with an asymmetric thumbstick design and that higher polling rate, there could be some sway for the ultra-competitive among us. Ultimately, that speed is going to be the clincher here.
The Scuf Nemesis Pro is the brand’s first to feature that 8,000Hz polling rate, whereas previous iterations have relied on 1,000Hz whether they be wired or wireless. It’s that kind of reliability and precision that could bring some players away from the Valor Pro, especially if you’re looking at the cheaper wired options.
How does it fare against the rest of the competition? GameSir has a habit of taking the standout features from other gamepads and packaging them up with a much cheaper price tag and that’s where the Scuf Nemesis Pro is going to fight its biggest battle. The GameSir G7 Pro 8K scored 4.5/5 stars in our review and comes in at just $89.99 (Amazon) for a wireless gamepad with those same TMR thumbsticks and a charging dock thrown in for good measure.
We’ve only had a quick demo on the Gamescom showfloor so far, but Scuf’s premium build, additional customization options, and snappy triggers and face buttons are going to have to work hard to justify the jump in price comparatively.
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We’re also rounding up the best PS5 controllers and the best Xbox Series X controllers for more options, or take a look at the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers on the market.