Customer Ratings & Reviews

Input lag is terrible. Will be returning. Bought it for warzone mobile and it is unusable.

Even though it seems like it could be good, this device isn’t supported by Windows.

Corsair enters the mobile phone gaming controller market with the Scuf Nomad, a premium controller aimed at iPhone users. It offers shortcut buttons for game center, and the Scuf Nomad app, as well as hall effect joysticks, a full compliment of MFI controller buttons, triggers, D-pad, and a couple customizable rear paddles. The controller has a premium feel, good ergonomics, and solid build quality that sets itself apart. In the box you’ll find a USB C cable, a couple extra thumb stick covers, and an adapter that helps space out the iPhone 14/15. I was able to use my iPhone 15 without this adapter comfortably in my case due to it flattening out the camera bump, so you’re mileage may vary. The battery came partially charged, but the unit charged quickly from my USB-c outlet. Starting up was fairly easy once I found the pairing button. The first step is to download the Scuf Nomad app. This app guides you through setup, but for some reason I didn’t get the memo that the pairing button is located below the blinky lights on the right side. Once I got it into pairing mode, it connected quickly and updated its firmware. Of note: iOS 16+ is required. The app is really good for a first effort. It offers much of what you want from a controller experience. It creates a launcher that’s accessible from the home button. This launcher lets you not only customize the controller, but also add apps, and serve as a game library. It’s smooth, attractive, and gets the job done. You do have to add predefined shortcuts from the library of recommended games, which is most likely a limitation of the OS, but it is a bit janky that it can’t just list all installed games, and show which ones support controller profiles. The Scuf Nomad app allows you to screen record (using the broadcast feature in iOS), and that’s a pretty cool feature. You can screen shot with a double click of the record button as well, but holding the button will pop-up the broadcast UI. The controller itself has a good feel to it. If you’re used to either an Xbox or Playstation controller, you’ll find some adjustment as the sticks are located above the buttons like a Wii U Pro controller. Luckily, this suits many iOS games quite well. I played quite a bit of Alien Isolation, and the walk and camera sticks are your primary controls anyways. GTA San Andreas played quite well with this controller as well. All the buttons have a satisfying resistance to them and decent clicks, including the joysticks. The back buttons, which are customizable, are not easy to accidentally press, like some controllers. The joysticks are quite nice, with customizable dead zones, and acceleration control found in the app. This is a step beyond what I’ve seen in other mobile controllers, so kudos to Corsair for this feature. The hall effect sticks are top notch, and offer a great value over the competition. Corsairs app is free, so unlike some of the others, this app, and its features don’t require a subscription (yay!). The app allows you to customize controls per game, and even setup overall profiles and remap buttons. I love this level of customization. Battery life seems good, but it’s hard from my limited use to tell exactly how long it will last. I’ve gotten it down to around 50% after quite a few hours of play, and Corsair quotes 16h. While primarily setup to use for iPhones, I was able to connect this to my AppleTV as well and it worked fine, despite the app not being available. In a pinch, it works great for other Apple devices. Overall, I’ve not used a lot of these devices, and Corsair’s entry to this market seems like a strong offering. Hall effect joysticks, and just the plain level of customization allowed to the sticks, and controller overall is phenomenal. Build quality seems high, and it’s priced in line with its competitions, but pushes a lower TCO by not requiring any subscriptions or otherwise. The lack of Android support is underwhelming, but only if you're contemplating a switch to Android. Overall I’d recommend this whole heartedly.

I've been a fan of SCUF products for a while now, and their new SCUF Nomad Mobile Controller designed for iPhone definitely lives up to the brand's reputation for great performance and build quality. The Nomad feels durable for the most part, and all the buttons and anti-drift thumbstick controllers offer an experience that's as close to a full-size game controller as you can get for a mobile game accessory. The controller is equipped with all the buttons you need for any game and even includes mappable rear paddles for customized gaming. This feature is a game-changer for mobile gaming, providing a level of control and customization that's rare in mobile controllers. Ergonomically, it's fairly comfortable for the average-sized hand, but I did find it could become a bit burdensome after extended use, especially for those with larger hands. One of the standout features of the SCUF Nomad is its impressive battery life. It easily lasts close to, if not all day, on a single charge. The included USB-C cable makes recharging quick and convenient, so you're back in the game in no time. The SCUF Nomad is designed to fit almost any iPhone case, which is a big plus. I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max with a case, and I can comfortably use it with the included bumper that helps get the camera out of the way of the backbone slider. While I wish the fit was a little more secure, it still works quite well. The free SCUF app is a cool addition, offering some common games to play and download. The controller works perfectly with little to no latency on game launchers like Apple Arcade. Remote play capabilities are another highlight. You can use the SCUF Nomad to play PlayStation or Xbox games on the go. PS Remote Play is readily available on the Nomad, but for Xbox Cloud Gaming, you will need to save a link to your iPhone home screen to access it. Overall, I am very excited to finally have something durable and works seamlessly with my iPhone to play games on the go. The SCUF Nomad Mobile Controller is a fantastic addition to my gaming arsenal, offering excellent performance and build quality that enhances my mobile gaming experience significantly. If you're looking for a high-quality mobile controller, the SCUF Nomad is definitely worth considering.

The SCUF NOMAD mobile controller should definitely be in your consideration when it comes to controllers that clamp onto your phone. It’s built well, feels great in the hand, and has an incredible level of customizability when used in conjunction with the app. The app left some features to be desired in that many of the games that I played with the handheld (Hades for instance) didn’t surface in the app library. This meant that I didn’t really end up using the app unless I had to map buttons. Speaking of Hades, the layout of the controller does feel more directed towards FPS games then action games or MOBAs so that is something to keep in mind. All that being said, the SCUF NOMAD consistently delivers an enjoyable gaming experience. Its solid build, comfortable ergonomics, and versatile design outweigh any minor shortcomings. For mobile gamers who want a high-quality, customizable controller, the SCUF NOMAD is a worthy investment. If you're looking for a mobile controller that feels like a traditional console controller, the SCUF NOMAD is worth checking out. While it may not be perfect for everyone, the SCUF NOMAD offers a level of quality and customizability that's hard to find in the mobile gaming world. Pros: - Build quality feels solid - Excellent ergonomics - Hall Effect thumbsticks to prevent stick drift - Versatile, use either clamped to phone or hold like a controller separate from the phone - Solid button and trigger travel Cons: - Stick layout feels specifically made for FPS games - App doesn’t feel that useful outside of button remapping - Wish it collapsed down smaller - Is just shy of fitting my iPad Mini 6 - For this price, I do wish it came with a travel case

With the introduction of the iPhone 15 Pro and the latest iPad Pro devices, we’re starting to see more triple AAA tiles ported to iOS. Capcom has released Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 Remastered, with Ubisoft not far behind with the likes of Assasin’s Creed Mirage and the pending release of Tom Clancy’s The Division Resurgence. Even if you’re not a hardcore gamer, plenty of games play better with a controller, like the Scuf Nomad. During my time with the Scuf Nomad mobile gaming controller, I was to enjoy several titles from the Apple Arcade, games like FC24, and Forza Horizon streaming via Game Pass. I like the Nomad Controller; it’s comfortable and does an excellent job of securely holding my iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case. The connection is wireless via BlueTooth, which I prefer less stress on the USB C port. I would have preferred the joystick layout of the Xbox controller. I think it would have helped tremendously with small buttons, making them easier to press. The hall-effect joysticks are excellent, especially with console games streaming from Game Pass. There is an app that allows you to set up individual profiles, customize the rear paddles, gameplay recordings, and, of course, firmware updates. Overall, the Scuf Nomad gaming controller is an excellent choice. It’s comfortable to hold, has a long battery life, and is compatible with many cases. I highly recommend it especially if you’re a subscriber to Game Pass or just enjoyed playing retro games on your IOS device now.

I've never owned a controller for my iphone before but this one is a game changer. I was shocked just how much more fun it was to play games on my iphone with an actual controller rather than on screen buttons. The build quality is next level. If feels sturdy and solid. The joystick travel is amazing, it feels on par with console level controls. My iphone 14 pro fit perfectly in the controller. The slider of the controller is very well built, sliding with just enough friction to keep my phone secure but not being difficult to open. Using the control is super easy. I connected through the app and could immediately use it in any supported game. The battery life is also outstanding. I've played off and on for over a week and still haven't had to charge the controller. The included USB c cable makes charging super quick and simple. Overall it is an excellent addition to my bag to make gaming on the go way more fun and give you a huge edge over those playing without a controller like this one.

The overall build quality of the controller and everything is great. But two glaring issues popped up for me very quickly and both of them step from the fact that this is essentially just a bluetooth controller that has space to mount your phone. Setup was simple. Turning on the controller for the first time puts it into pairing mode and you just pair it with your phone like any other bluetooth device. There's a SCUF app for your phone that's actually pretty nice. It syncs with the app stores and suggests a lot of games that should work well with the controller. Could be improved if it was possible to also suggest Netflix games but it has a pretty nice selection of games to choose from already. You can also add games to your favorites so you can launch them straight from the SCUF app (which is launched whenever you press the SCUF button on the controller). The feels pretty good. It feels good to hold. The buttons are a little small but not too terrible for me. If you have giant hands, you might not love it. The buttons feel good to press as well. The back buttons are a little stiff but they're easy to reach and firm enough to not accidentally click them. My iPhone 13 Pro Max fits comfortably in the middle squeezer with an Apple leather case on. I didn't need to do anything extra to make it fit. If you have an iPhone 14 or 15, there's an included extra piece that's supposed to make it fit those devices as well. The fit for my phone was snug and I didn't feel like I had to worry about the phone coming out at any point. Functionally is where things start to fall apart a little bit. For the most part, the controller works well with it's bluetooth connection. But I noticed more than one time where what was happening on my screen wasn't really correlating to the button I was pressing. During Vampire Survivors, I had multiple occasions where my player just stopped moving. This could have just been this one game having an issue but other games also experienced what felt like lag (on offline games like Hades) where I would stop moving a joystick and my character would keep moving for a few seconds. My best guess would be some bluetooth interference. It wasn't so terrible where I felt like I couldn't play, but it did take away from the experience. On top of the connection issues I experienced, I quickly noticed that it would be impossible to plug your phone into power while playing a game. So it doesn't really matter how long the controller's battery claims to last if your phone is going to die quicker than that. Let me be clear that I'm not saying this is a bad controller, just that some of the fundamental decisions made about the design might not be exactly what you're looking for (like me). If this was a device that plugged into my phone, the bluetooth connection issues as well as the charging issue would be resolved for me, but those issues might not be that big of a deal for you. The controller still feels good and works well enough to recommend. If you aren't looking to game for hours at a time, this could be a pretty nice controller to get a quick game or two in here and there. Just go in knowing it's limitations.

The SCUF controllers are all known for their rugged, high-quality designs. The build quality on the NOMAD is no exception. The controller has a different layout vs competing phone controller devices, but has a heft and firmness that some of the others don't get close to. One of the standout, yet controversial, features of the NOMAD is its wireless connectivity - The controller works over Bluetooth and requires charging. This is problematic for 3 key reasons: - It has a limited battery life of its own, rather than relying on phone power - The lack of USB-C connectivity means no power-pass-through abilities, thus while gaming with your smartphone, you're depleting the battery without an option to top-up during gameplay - Latency and disconnection that bluetooth/MFI connectivity is known for. I wish I could laud the excellent Hall-Effect thumbsticks, or the excellent clickiness of both the rear shoulder and trigger buttons, as well as the D-Pad and the ABXY buttons - I wish I could celebrate how good my iPhone 15 Pro Max feels in this, even with a thin Otterbox (Symmetry) or Apple case on it. But instead I can barely get this thing to stay connected to my phone for a 15-minute run in Asphalt 8, or ANY time at all in Galaxy On Fire where controller connectivity is critical. I wish I could talk about the awesome SCUF app, but couldn't without lamenting the lack of XBOX Game Pass support natively, when their competitors have this done SO WELL! At the end of the day, software and services could probably fix this thing, and I'll update this review if they ever do, but for now, this goes in the "try it again later drawer". Do not recommend.

Like every Scuf controller I've tried, the Nomad has a good feel to it. Nice heft, feels solid in your hands. The thumbsticks are smooth. The face buttons could be a little crisper, but they're not bad. The bottom triggers have a fairly short throw; this isn't helpful for driving games where more fine control on throttle and brakes matter. The Nomad has the same problem most mobile controllers have due to its small size. The d-pad and face buttons are directly below the thumbsticks rather than being diagonally offset. Using the thumbsticks and triggers is fine, but you really need to curl your thumbs in to use the face buttons and d-pad, and it's not comfortable. The alternative is to shift your grip so you're holding the controller higher up in your hands, mostly with your fingers. But with the weight of a phone in the controller, it makes it quite top-heavy and is not easy to hold in this manner. Other than that, it's a fine controller. Whether its worth the $100 to you depends on how much gaming on your phone or tablet matters to you. Though it doesn't say explicitly, this controller is also compatible with an iPad, which is where I mostly use it. Rather than taking it on the go with my phone, I use an iPad as a second screen for Xbox and PlayStation and use this controller for playing remote when the TV is otherwise occupied. Or if you want to play for a few minutes in bed before going to sleep. Biggest limitation is that it only works with iPhone and iPad. It would be really nice if you could also use it with Android or just as a generic Bluetooth controller with computers as well, but it is what it is.

I have seen other manufacturers make these kind of controllers for a while now like the Backbone one I've seen that has the PlayStation white and buttons. They were nice looking but at the time I didn't have a PlayStation 5 and I rarely game on my phone besides candy crush and games like that. Anyways this controller for your iPhone is great. Also comes with an app that acts like an aggregator of other apps you can use this controller with. No subscriptions or anything for the app. I've tested this with two iOS games StarWars the knights of the old Republic 1 and 2 along with PlayStation remote play with my PS5. Playing with it for like an hour or two I got used to the control layout and it's nice. Responsive. Nice to have the Hall Effect sticks so there shouldn't be an issue with stick drift with the joysticks on these at all. The device also comes with a USB A to Type C to charge it and they say you get about 16 hours of battery life with it. I knocked down a star because I feel like they should of made it compatible with Android phones as well. Weird that it isn't because it's Bluetooth.

In the past couple of years, mobile gaming has come a long way. Mobile phones can run graphic intensive games and I would even go as far as calling it the modern day “Gameboy.” The one issue with gaming on a phone is the lack of a physical controller. A few manufacturers have made mobile controllers that attach to your phone, but frankly they have not been that great. The SCUF Nomad gaming controller is here to improve the mobile gaming market and offer pro controls. The design of this controller is far superior to anything else on the market. I have to start this off by discussing my all-time favorite thing about it. That is, it works with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case. I have tried out tons of iPhone accessories in the past and they make you remove your phone from the case. With the price of iPhones and the all-glass design, I prefer to keep it inside of a case. If you have one of the smaller iPhones, it also has a rubber piece that can be added so that it fits correctly. Another thing this controller has is paddles on the back of the controller. This is a premium feature and makes playing first-person shooters much more enjoyable. The A,B,X,Y buttons are smaller than I would like but since it has the paddles makes up for it in most cases. It charges via USB-C, with the newest iPhones, which means one less charger. The app is one of the things that makes this controller unique. It does not cost money to download or use. Inside of the app it will suggest games that you can download and play. A couple that I have been playing are Call of Duty mobile and Asphalt 9 but the number of games are endless. The app also lets you set up different controller maps for each game. This level of customizability is amazing. If you are a PlayStation player, you can download the remote play app and have your entire PS5 at your fingertips. One of my favorite games to play is the latest Call of Duty. I was able to log into my PS5 on remote play and using the SCUF controller on my phone made it feel like I was using an actual controller all well laying in bed. The SCUF Nomad brings mobile gaming to the next level. I wish they would have made this controller sooner. This controller is perfect for anyone who likes to game on the go. Whether you are out an about, commuting, on an airplane, or just at home in bed, this controller will bring your mobile gaming to the next level.

Corsair KNOWS gaming hardware and you can tell the moment you take this controller out of the package that it's a solid piece of kit. It's not heavy, but has a solid feel to it and you can tell that it's well-built out of quality materials. The sliding action is smooth and the spring is strong enough to keep your device in place without worry that it will get crushed. I have the iPhone 15 Pro with an Otterbox Defender case and this is the first of this type of controller that fits with the case on! (I probably will end up taking the case off through as the case is very slippery on the ends and even with the rubbery grips on the controller, it does tend to slip out.) Charging and pairing the controller (it's Bluetooth after all) is easy and I was prompted to download the SCUF softrware (more on that in a bit) and off I went. The controller feels great in the hand, including the normal buttons, D-Pad, analog sticks and triggers and I was soon seeing my typical performance in games that I would see with a standard controller on a full-sized gaming platform! All in something I can easily throw in my bag for gaming on the go since I already have my phone everywhere I go. Mapping buttons was quite easy and I was able to get the controller to work with every game I tried (it does show up as a SCUF controller, so not sure if it would work with the few games that require Xbox or PS controllers as I don't play those games much). Really, the only weak point is the software. While it does allow nice build of controller profiles per game, it only lets you add games from it's "recommended" list which is pretty narrow and from it's cloud services list which is even narrower. Why can't I add ANY game/app on my phone? That would seem to be a standard thing that should be there. Also, the "SCUF" button on the controller is supposed to bring up the software in game and then take you back when pressed twice, but for the games I tried, it brought up the software but didn't take me back. But, I have hopes that the software can be fixed with updates, and this is still GREAT hardware regardless of that. So there you have it - a GREAT controller (the best I've used in the "expandable" controller genre - and I've most of the big names) that needs some software work. I can still highly recommend the controller - if you like to game on your phone (in games that a controller could help on) put this on your list to check out!

This truly turns my iPhone into a portable gaming console. I've had a similar controler from another brand but this SCUBA one beats it hands down. Not only is it more responsive which makes it ideal for more demanding games that require real-time interaction but it also has all the controls you'd usually need for almost any type of game. At least the type you would find available at Apple app store. And it's more comfortable too. Two other things grabbed my attention to make this the best controller of the type in my opinion. The first is that you can program the buttons to suit your gaming needs. That's not a common feature but it is a very welcome one. The second and probably one of the best features simply because a lot of accessory makers ignore this need is that it works nicely with all my iPhone cases. Granted, none is too thick, but it still doesn't force me to remove a case just to play a game. I find myself playing games on my phone a lot more with this controller than with my previous one. Just because I don't have to worry about removing the case. I wish it was perfect, but it does have its cons. The main one is and the only one important to me is that I don't like the placement of the joystick that much. Probably because I'm more used to Playstation and other similar controllers and have looked at those as "standard". But it's not that bad and I can get used to it.

The biggest issue I have is no pass through charging! If they would have added MagSafe as the pass through charging option it would have been truly epic! So one star gone for that! The other thing that confirms it’s not a 5 star for me is the weird bumper for iPhone 15 Pros. Using a smaller phone and having to use that weird bumper thing that can be lost is a weird design decision. I feel like they could have thought of something else. That’s all my gripes. Using it on Vampire Survivor is great! COD Mobile, ZZZ, Genshin, etc. all great experiences to cure boredom. I’ll admit it’s a behind closed doors use for me but when I do it’s great. I’m not a use it in public type of guy.

The thing to buy if you want to use a case. Works without perceptible latency.