SCUF is renowned for its premium controllers designed for pro gamers. With products like the SCUF Envision for PC, Reflex and Instinct for Xbox and PlayStation, the brand has solidified its place in the gaming world. Now, SCUF is turning its attention to the booming mobile gaming market with its first-ever mobile controller—the SCUF Nomad.
Priced at $169, the SCUF Nomad is an ergonomic controller that fits smartphones, offering hall-effect thumbsticks, triggers, and remappable back buttons. It competes with other high-end options like the $179 Backbone One and the $219 Razer Kishi V2 Pro. Interestingly, SCUF has chosen to focus the Nomad exclusively on iOS devices, which is reflected in its design and the companion app, available only on the Apple App Store.
Reviewing the SCUF Nomad was a unique challenge for me, as I’m not much of a mobile gamer. I often find mobile games underwhelming, made worse by clunky on-screen controls. In theory, the Nomad should make mobile gaming far more enjoyable. After several weeks of forgetting (and then remembering) that I had this controller, here are my thoughts.
Design and build
Removing the SCUF Nomad from its packaging immediately gives a solid first impression. The controller’s housing is made of tough, rigid plastic, and it’s surprisingly lightweight at 228g—exactly what you want for an attachment to an already heavy phone. The main bridge, with its sleek black camo finish, extends wide enough to accommodate even the largest phones, like my iPhone 15 Pro Max, which fit perfectly—even with the case on. This is a huge win since many smartphone controllers require you to remove the case, which can quickly become annoying. SCUF includes an additional rubber accessory to help seat iPhone Pro models, protecting the camera lenses from scratches—nice touch (see what I did there?).
The SCUF Nomad features a symmetrical thumbstick layout, which took me some time to adjust to, as I’m more used to the asymmetrical setup of Xbox controllers. But like most things, I got used to it pretty quickly. The sticks are hall-effect (anti-drift), meaning you’ll never have to deal with stick drift, where thumbsticks lose their center over time, ruining accuracy. They also come with two additional domed grips for those who prefer them over the regular dish-style ones.
While the D-pad and ABXY buttons felt a bit mushy for my taste—especially coming from the mechanical buttons on the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro—they still get the job done. However, if you play a lot of side-scrollers or fighting games, the D-pad may feel unsatisfying. The triggers and shoulder buttons are solid, though there are no trigger stops, which is surprising for a SCUF controller.
On the back are two embedded paddles that look as though they were cut straight from the plastic. I was skeptical of their tactility at first, and while they work, I found them hard to press properly, often leading to finger strain. My fingers naturally rested closer to the body, where the paddles aren’t clickable, causing me to miss opportunities in the heat of battle. Fortunately, the paddles are remappable through SCUF’s software.
Holding the Nomad is very comfortable, and once you slide your phone in, it feels well-balanced. There’s a USB Type-C port for charging on the bottom left grip and a Bluetooth pairing button on the right. Technically, this wireless controller should work with any smartphone, but without SCUF’s software, you might run into some issues.
Features, Connectivity, and Battery
Once your iPhone is securely seated in the SCUF Nomad, connecting is straightforward. Just download the SCUF app from the App Store, which guides you through the setup seamlessly. It’s free too—no absurd subscriptions or hidden fees (looking at you, Backbone!). The only cost comes from the actual games or an Apple Arcade subscription, but there are plenty of free titles to enjoy in the App Store.
After setup, you can add your games to the app’s library, which supports Apple Arcade, PlayStation Remote Play, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, manually adding games not downloaded through the SCUF app requires a bit of work—long pressing each icon from your library and sharing it with the app. This can get tedious if you have a lot of games, but hopefully, future updates will allow automatic scanning for installed games.
Next, you can dive into customizing the controller. The app allows for up to three profiles, each with unique button mappings, trigger settings, and thumbstick sensitivity adjustments. You’ll definitely want to tweak the thumbstick sensitivity—I found myself looking wildly around in Warzone Mobile, but a quick adjustment in the app fixed that. These profiles can also be tied to specific games, automatically activating when you launch them. This is a cool feature, allowing for tailored settings across different genres like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile or Diablo Immortal.
The app also includes extras like screenshotting and gameplay recording at the tap of a button. You can record in 4K 60fps, which is a fantastic option for content creators. Your captures are even neatly organized within the app for easy access, though this feature may be less useful for casual gamers.
One point I’m still unsure about is the Bluetooth connectivity. With all iPhones now using USB Type-C, a wired connection could have been more straightforward. The main reason for Bluetooth seems to be compatibility with the iPad, which won’t fit in the Nomad’s clasp. Still, the 16-hour battery life is solid—better than the DualSense Edge—but it’s another device to keep charged. Worse, you can’t charge your phone while using the Nomad. Controllers like the ROG Tessen allow passthrough charging while gaming, which is a missed opportunity here.
Despite this, connectivity was flawless. I didn’t notice any latency or lag while playing Warzone, and the Bluetooth connection held steady. However, some games that claim to support controllers didn’t seem to respond to the Nomad, including Genshin Impact and Mortal Kombat 1. It’s a weird quirk, and maybe I was doing something wrong but it should be straight forward.
Lastly, cloud gaming is a highlight. Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Remote Play work beautifully with the Nomad, offering a smooth streaming experience. There is some extra latency due to the Bluetooth connection, but it wasn’t enough to disrupt my playthrough of The Last of Us Part II or Senua’s Saga. However, you’ll likely notice it more in fast-paced titles like CoD MWIII—so don’t blame me if you get your butt kicked!
Verdict
The SCUF Nomad is a bold first step from a company already well-established in the controller game. It’s clear that SCUF’s expertise shines through with the Nomad’s ergonomic design and solid build. The app is also a huge win, being fully featured and free—unlike the Backbone One, which hits you with a subscription fee. The controller feels excellent in hand, but I can’t get over the rear paddles. They’re just too stiff for quick, instinctive presses during gameplay, which could make a difference in competitive titles.
The Apple exclusivity is another head-scratcher. There’s no clear reason why the Nomad couldn’t work with Android devices. I suspect this is some temporary exclusivity that’ll open up eventually, but it’s a missed opportunity at launch. It would’ve been great to see broader compatibility out of the gate.
That said, I genuinely enjoyed using the Nomad. It’s sleek, comfortable, and made me more inclined to game on my phone—something I normally avoid. If it had a foldable design for easier portability and was plug-and-play, it’d tick even more boxes. SCUF has made a strong debut in the mobile gaming space, and I’m keen to see how they build on this with future models.
For mobile gamers, the SCUF Nomad makes a solid case for itself. Whether you’re queuing up for a train or waiting in line for coffee, the Nomad might just make those moments more enjoyable.
SCUF kindly provided the SCUF Nomad to PowerUp for the purpose of this review
