Will the Vantage 2 prove to be the definitive competitive controller?
A while back, I reviewed the Scuf Vantage, a premium gaming controller designed to give players the most options possible when it comes to customization and additional mappable inputs. I wanted to open the conversation about these kinds of controllers that were typically marketed to FPS players and see if they could offer value to players in the FGC, especially for those who are more comfortable using a controller as opposed to an arcade stick.
Through my time with the controller, I found that it offered a variety of unique benefits that made playing fighting games more efficient than using a standard gamepad. Like mapping assists or trigger inputs to the paddles underneath or the SAX buttons on the sides. The control disc was also beneficial for putting in tricky inputs that are easy to miss, like super attacks from The King of Fighters or BlazBlue. Aside from fighting games, it also offers a ton of benefits to all other genres of games too, especially for folks who prefer the asymmetrical stick layout.
Now Scuf is looking to improve its competitively focused and officially licensed controller with the recently announced Vantage 2. While retaining a similar form factor to the original controller, it is said to include a host of improvements.
- Improved High-Performance Grip
- Upgraded trigger functions
- PC Customization App for Windows
- Improved button haptics
- Refined tactile textures in the faceplate, trigger, bumper, and Sax buttons
- Enhanced USB connection system
The new physical improvements are more than welcome, but the PC Customization App is possibly the most exciting addition. Most premium controllers, like the Xbox Elite controller or the Astro C40, have some sort of application that can be used to customize the many features and inputs they offer. The original Vantage needed everything to be done manually to the controller itself. It is nice to see Scuf include this feature and I am curious if it will extend to the original Vantage as well.
How much overall improvement the Vantage 2 offers over the original has yet to be seen, but I am digging the dark and uniform look to the controller. While I appreciated the silver accents to the original, they kind of limited the customization you could do since there were no alternatives to R1, L1, and the SAX buttons.
The Vantage 2 will be sold in two variants like the original was, one being wired only and another having both wired and wireless capabilities. There is also a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Special Edition that is set for release that comes with a unique design and DLC for the game.
The wired controller runs at $169.95, the wired/wireless goes for $199.95, and the MW edition is being sold for $219.95.
We will keep you up to date on any new announcements and details leading up to the launch of the Vantage 2!
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Source: Business Wire; Scuf Gaming