SCUF Nomad review: The one you’ve been waiting for

The popularity of mobile controllers has exploded, and with dozens of options on the market ranging from affordable to expensive, SCUF has finally entered the ring, and the conversations about the best mobile controller might just be done for good.

From GameSir to Razer, Backbone, and many more, the rush to create a capable, powerful, and long-lasting mobile controller has only been quickened by a renewed focus from Apple on gaming using your iPhone. AAA titles like Resident Evil 4 and Assassin’s Creed Mirage run natively on iOS, and classic emulators are following suit.

So, the SCUF Nomad enters the mobile controller arena, with a telescopic design, hall effect sticks, and a controller layout that would make the Wii U blush. But, it’s missing one feature: Android support.

Key specs

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
• Charge Connection: USB-C
• Compatibility: iOS
• Price: $99.99
• Features: Full-size hall effect thumbsticks, two rear paddle buttons, up to 16-hour battery life, replaceable thumb caps

Design

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The SCUF Nomad closely resembles a Wii U pro controller in overall layout, bringing both the left and right sticks to the top of each wing of the device, with a smaller SEGA-style D-pad beneath the left thumbstick, and small ABXY buttons beneath the right. With additional function buttons for screenshots, start, select, and a home button.

It’s at the edges that the design tapers out into a more controller-like form factor, no uncomfortable Joy-con clones here: Looking at you, Razer Kishi V2.

The surface of the controller has a rubber-like finish. Around the back, you can expect a textured hexagonal rubber grid upon the rear, with two low-profile rear paddle buttons naturally emerging from the central plastic of the telescopic center.

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These are some of the best-designed paddles I’ve used in almost any controller, aside from the DualSense Edge. They feel non-obtrusive, clicky, and are a natural part of the controller, rather than being these two dominant attachments that feel like they shouldn’t be there.

Lastly, the hall-effect sticks are the best-feeling sticks I’ve used in a controller. They’re accurate, precise, and are appropriately grippy. It’s tough to define what makes a stick feel good, but they’re low resistance, with buttery-smooth actuation in any direction, while reporting accurately in measuring tools.

This is a big departure from other big brands like Razer, whose Kishi Ultra is likely prone to drift due to its potentiometer-based nature.

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The telescopic spine of the controller feels solid and smoothly springs out to the size of your phone. SCUF claims wide case compatibility, but if you have a larger camera bump, like the one seen on my iPhone 14 Pro, expect things to get in the way.

Luckily, an included rubber spacer is in the box precisely for this reason, which perfectly pushes the camera bump out of the way, as long as you are happy with a small gap between your device and the controller.

Features

The SCUF Nomad, like many other telescopic controllers on the market, does not require you to sign up for a subscription to gain access to basic features, as the Backbone One does.

It’s in the software that you can map your buttons to actions, and set up per-game profiles using a built-in launcher. It all feels simple and easy to use, with an additional recording function, seldom seen in competitor products. SCUF’s software is really easy to use.

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I just wish that there was the ability to add more games to the library manually, as my Netflix versions of Dead Cells, GTA: San Andreas, Hades, and others were all unsupported, and could therefore, not use any of the features that the software provides. A manual button to add games from your preinstalled library would be the best improvement SCUF could make here.

You can also change stick response curves here, depending on the type of actuation you want, in addition to dead zones alongside trigger response curves, allowing you to build custom profiles for just about any title could want. These can also be shared within their app: Which is a nice touch if this controller gets widespread community adoption.

Gaming performance

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Getting set up and ready with the Nomad is as simple as popping my iPhone 14 Pro in place, and then holding down the home button.

For first-time users, you’ll have to connect it via Bluetooth, but after that, it’s just a case of holding down a button, and the pad will automatically pair. The first time you pair it, you’ll be asked to download the app and select a control profile to act as the default button mapping.

From there, games like Zenless Zone Zero recognized the pad immediately. While I had some grievances with how small the d-pad and face buttons were, my fears were unfounded, and they work flawlessly, as I tested in precision platformers like Dead Cells, and Katana Zero.

The d-pad is SEGA-style, offering a disc where you can hit diagonal inputs easily, but it’s still too small to consider playing fighting games seriously with it. However, for a side scroller, it’s more than up to the task.

Should you buy it?

The SCUF Nomad made me believe in iPhone gaming: The way it seamlessly interacts with games to set up custom profiles, the high build quality, and the long-lasting battery life of around 15 hours make it a no-compromises experience. I never really felt like I was using a “mobile controller” even after extended usage, unlike the less comfortable Kishi V2 Pro.

The lack of Android support is a profound disappointment though, and it’s a real shame that if you want one of the best mobile controllers around, you’ll have to settle for iOS-only operation.

Verdict – 4/5

The SCUF Nomad is peerless when it comes to the build quality and the overall experience. Its software is great, and there are heaps of customization options at the ready. However, just note that it lacks passthrough charging since it’s Bluetooth only, as well as lacking a 3.5mm audio jack, if those are things that are important to you.

So, while it’s not a total hat-trick, the SCUF Nomad is a formidable mobile controller that’s going to be difficult for its competitors to beat. Move over Backbone, there’s a new king in town.

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