SCUF NOMAD: COMPACT IPHONE CONTROLLER WITH CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

Scuf Gaming (a gaming controller division of Corsair) introduced the Scuf Nomad smartphone controller, joining a small but growing niche of mobile gaming controllers that turn the smartphone into a gaming handheld and produce something resembling the design of the Nintendo Switch.

- EUGEN WEGMANN

This niche has been populated by Razer with the Razer Kishi V2 and Razer Kishi Ultra (fave.co/3WFXrGH), the Backbone One and the GameSir X3 and X2 Pro. In contrast to the competition, Scuf takes a completely different approach: The controller does not connect to the iPhone via a plug (USB-C or Lightning)-it connects via Bluetooth.

Concave cap on the left, convex replacement cap on the right.

DESIGN AND CONTROLS

As usual in this product category, the Scuf Nomad looks like an ordinary game controller that has been sawn in half and reconnected with a bridge. The first major difference to the competition: Scuf uses a different button layout that does not correspond to the Xbox (and Switch) or PlayStation layout.

The analog sticks are located at the top of both halves, with the directional pad and the A-B-X-Y buttons underneath. The layout is similar to that of the Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller, or more precisely when an iPhone is mounted, the Wii U gamepad you know, the giant controller with the screen inside.

The sticks themselves are interesting because Scuf doesn't rely on classic sticks with potentiometers, which are used in the Xbox Wireless Controller, the PlayStation Dualsense, the Nintendo Joy-Cons, and most other controllers on the market. Instead, Scuf uses Hall-effect sticks in the Nomad, which are based on a magnetic operating principle and minimize stick drift. This is caused by dirt and wear on the contacts in classic analog sticks and leads to incorrect inputs.

The Scuf Nomad includes two stick caps, an adapter, and a braided USB cable.