Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller
MSRP $180.00
“The Victrix Pro BFG goes above and beyond to create a truly innovative third-party PS5 controller.”
Advantages
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Three controllers in one
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Aesthetically pleasing design
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Volume on controller
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Tons of parts included
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Brilliant modular design
The inconvenients
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Lack of DualSense features
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Delicate trigger lock
-Third-party controllers still have to work twice as hard as regular gamepads. Hardware makers need to find as many ways as possible to “sweet the deal” for gamers, giving them a good reason to shell out for something that isn’t built by a console creator themselves. Sometimes it’s just a low price to attract players who want a cheap replacement. Other times, though, that struggle leads to real innovation that makes it hard to go back to your usual old controller.
The Winner for the BFG is one of those times.
Officially licensed by Sony, the third-party PlayStation 5 controller, which also works on PS4 and PC, takes hardware customization to a new level. While gamepads like the Xbox Series Elite 2 have long reigned on this front thanks to interchangeable parts, the Pro BFG takes things a step further with an extremely unique mod configuration that allows gamers to completely transform their controller in seconds. . It’s a dream come true for tech tinkerers who want to bring a screwdriver to their gaming peripherals in a safe and sanctioned way.
The Victrix Pro BFG is the best PS5 controller you can buy right now other than Sony’s DualSense. Its price might seem high at first glance, especially considering that you lose key features like haptic feedback, but you’re essentially buying three controllers in one, including a full combat pad. You simply won’t get what is offered here by any other controller, and I hope the makers are taking notice.
The basics
Table of Contents
At first glance, the Pro BFG is a standard wireless controller with a distinct visual flair. It sports a unique black and purple color scheme and a few geometric touches that instantly make it stand out in a crowd. Mileage will always vary with designs like this, but I personally like the look of it. Its grips feel comfortable in my palms, and the textured menu buttons make it easy to navigate by touch. A touchpad and PlayStation Home button ensure it has everything it needs to work with a PS5.
The Pro BFG comes with features not available on a standard DualSense.
There are a few “pro” touches that reinforce the base value. Its niftiest trick allows gamers to raise or lower their headset volume by holding a button below the touchpad and pressing the D-pad up and down. The onboard audio control is one of my favorite features on third-party controllers like the Turtle Beach Recon, so I’m glad to see this catch on with more gamepads. This is an area I hope to see owner creators catch up.
There are a few extra bells and whistles on the back, which are nice touches that aren’t perfectly implemented. the controller has four mappable rear buttons, putting it a step above the DualSense. I found these buttons to be just a bit low, and in my most natural resting position, I find myself accidentally clicking the bottom row. They could have been turned up just a little, although the comfort there varies.
Likewise, the Pro BFG features a much-loved trigger lock mechanism that’s just a little off in execution. Each trigger can be used normally or latched for much shorter presses. I love having this option, although locking a trigger involves holding down a trigger, flipping a switch to the side, then releasing the switch before the trigger. It’s just tricky enough to make me pause and think about it every time, which makes it difficult to activate on the fly in-game as I have to pull the trigger to pull it back. Luckily, it’s much easier to go from a full press to a quick press, because flipping that same back button instantly locks it in place.
There’s even more to the package in the form of a button that stores sound presets and a switch that lets you switch between PS4, PS5, and PC. While I have my tips with some features, that doesn’t change the fact that the Pro BFG comes with features that aren’t available on a standard DualSense. These components would be enough to make it a good third-party option. But that’s not even the exciting part.
Handyman’s Delight
The real innovative selling point of the Pro BFG is its modular design. Like other high-end controllers, it brings a lot of customization. For example, it comes with three different D-pad styles: a traditional four-way cross, an eight-way circle, and Victrix’s unique design that’s almost somewhere between a D-pad and a stick. Each is easy to remove and replace in an instant with no hassle.
It’s an easy-to-recommend engineering marvel for gamers who jump into many different game genres.
On top of that, it comes with additional stick caps, allowing players to upgrade to a convex shape or a tall ‘sniper stick’. Unfortunately, only one of each is included, so you can’t make both of your sticks convex at once – this was disappointing as I found that to be my shape of choice when gaming. Two octagonal stick doors complete the set, allowing players to easily replace the standard round doors. All options give players plenty of tools to mix and match.
Here’s the kicker, though: the buttons themselves exist on rectangular modules that can be easily removed from the controller with a small screwdriver tool. It ends up adding a level of utility and customization that I’ve never seen in a controller before. For example, the left stick and D-pad live on a module. If you take it out and flip it over, you instantly change the controller from a standard PlayStation setup to an Xbox One where the two sticks are side by side at the bottom of the pad. It’s also how you can change those stick doors, pop the rounds out of the module, and lock the octagons in a snap.
This ingenious design culminates in its grandest feature, one that justifies its $180 price tag. The package comes with a six-button mod that instantly transforms the standard PS5 layout in a battle pad. That means you get two controllers in one – or four if you consider you can rock both the base version and Xbox-style fightpad.
DIY is believing here, but here’s how it all comes together in a practical use case. I started one of my test sessions by playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I locked my triggers for shorter presses, clicked the diamond-shaped D-pad, and hopped onto a convex stick with a round gate. When I was done I went to my PS Plus library and opened Mortal Kombat 11. While loading, I screwed in the combat mod, switched to an octagon door, unlocked the triggers, and slapped on a standard D-pad. I was able to do all of this in an instant, even before the game fully started. I was using an entirely different controller within a minute.
For these reasons, the Pro BFG is an easy-to-recommend engineering marvel for gamers who jump into many different game genres. The customization potential here is revolutionary, creating a special controller with currently unmatched utility.
The compromise
These innovations are necessary because all third-party PS5 controllers have a very difficult controller to face. No controller other than Sony’s DualSense will give you its haptic feedback or adaptive triggers. This makes it a less ideal option when it comes to big Sony exclusives that are built around the PS5’s unique technology (Return, for example, is amplified by these features). In fact, the Pro BFG doesn’t include any form of rumble period, which still feels a bit awkward at this stage of controller functionality. It also lacks the built-in speaker of the DualSense, which is less noticeable, but still a compromise.
The package also has some unexpected competition due to Sony’s upcoming DualSense Edge, which is its own take on the Elite 2 series. This gamepad will include some of the swappable components found here, but with all of the core DualSense functionality intact. It even includes interchangeable rear buttons, which the BFG could have used (although the latter has four compared to Sony’s two). If you’re not much of a fighting game player, you might be inclined to wait so you don’t have to compromise on customization.
Even if the Edge ends up being a strong contender, the Pro BFG is still in a league of its own. It doesn’t just go the extra mile with its modules either; it’s actually $20 cheaper than Sony’s next pro model. That’s impressive considering everything that comes with the package. Along with everything mentioned, it also includes a long mesh cable for wired gaming, a dongle to connect it wirelessly, a dedicated app to change settings, and a smartly designed carrying case that holds all of its parts neatly.
While certain imperfections (some of which are beyond its control) prevent it from replacing my DualSense, the Pro BFG won’t be just another third-party controller that I put away immediately after testing it. Its combat module guarantees that I will have many reasons to release it like titles like tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 approach. Every time I do, I know I’ll have a durable, comfortable option that I can modify to suit my needs.
Editors’ Recommendations