The Victrix Pro BFG Wireless controller is a beast of a pro-grade controller – enough to compete with controllers of similar price and technical specifications. The new Hall Effect modules make the controller even more compelling in that it will assuredly last longer under greater duress. This controller felt great to use, and it’s great knowing that it will keep up with me without concern about joystick drift impacting my controller.
A third-party controller must do something unique to make me want to consider moving away from a first-party controller. Over the past two generations, I’ve questioned the need for third party controllers given that they have some significant drawbacks, such as not supporting official features and/or questionable build qualities. For the DualSense, specifically, it’s hard to justify missing out on Adaptive Triggers because it’s the only controller that has them. Going with a third party controller means that one of the PS5’s selling points is nil.
Not all PS5 owners care about the DualSense’s adaptive triggers, though. Some players are more concerned with the possibility of having side- or back buttons, whereas others want a controller that’s close to being a fightstick without the ridiculously high pricetag. Others might want modularity, or the ability to customize your controller (within reason) to suit your specialized needs.
No two gamers are the same, which is why third-party controllers can be a blessing in disguise.
Earlier this year, Turtle Beach acquired Performance Designed Products (PDP) along with its entire portfolio of licensed peripherals. Fast forward to earlier this month (August), Turtle Beach and PDP announced an update for the Victrix Pro BFG Controllers – Hall Effect Modules! While the controller is two years old, we have not yet gotten our hands on it until now, along with its brand spankin’ new Hall Effect Modules (sold separately). This review will discuss both the controller and the new modules. Strap in, folks – this controller is wild.
The Victrix Pro BFG Wireless controller is unlike anything I’ve come across before now. It looks like a “pro” controller with its four back buttons/triggers. It feels like a “pro” controller with its textured handles and sleek design. Most importantly, it embodies the current gen approach of being a “pro” controller by giving players the freedom to modify it in almost every aspect that matters.
Yes, dear reader, the Victrix Pro BFG is a modular controller.
I wasn’t fully on board with the idea of a modular controller – it seems overwhelming to take apart a controller and replace its buttons and joysticks. Why not trust the hardware designers with creating a controller that fits most players needs? When the DualSense Edge was announced, it looked cool…but it felt unnecessary. Again, why bother with messing with the joysticks when the default joysticks do the trick?
This was all until I got my hands on the Pro BFG. Once I had that power to adjust the controller as I saw fit…it was as though I could make that “dream” controller. The Pro BFG is the dream PS5 controller I’ve wanted but been unable to acquire thanks to its modularity alone. I’m getting ahead of myself here, but let that first impression give you a taste of the rest of my thoughts.
The Pro BFG is a modular pro controller with a seemingly endless number of options thanks to its modularity and compatibility with the PS4, PS5, and PC. If I wanted to use it wirelessly, all I needed to do is plug the dongle into my computer or the front USB port of my PS5 and it worked flawlessly. It has the same buttons as the DualSense – two joysticks, a D-pad, four buttons, and two sets of triggers at the top. The L2 and R2 triggers are customizable “Clutch Triggers” that give players the opportunity to adjust the depth the triggers need to be pressed in order for them to be recognized as inputs.
On top of all of this, the Pro BFG has two pairs of mappable back trigger buttons (one pair on each handle) along with a profile button. During my playthrough of Cult of the Lamb on PC, I created a profile that with the attack and dodge inputs bound to the back buttons along with another generic profile that deactivated the back triggers entirely. Switching profiles was as quick as a simple button press – easy as that. Setting up a profile was a breeze, too – I just needed to press some buttons on the controller and it recorded my inputs without needing to be plugged into a PC. It just works.
The Pro BFG felt great in hand. The two handles on the sides of the controller had a rubber textured pad that prevented the controller from slippage. It nestled perfectly in my hand without needing to add weight. Compared to my DualSense, the Pro BFG was ever-so-slightly heavier and slightly smaller. I also appreciated the placement and size of the L1/R1 buttons alongside the L2/R2 Clutch Triggers. The Clutch Triggers curved upward, letting my fingers naturally settle between the pairs of buttons. Ergonomically speaking, the Pro BFG fit my hands so well that I was willing to forgive the lack of specialized haptics and adaptive triggers.
There isn’t that much of a difference between using a regular DualSense and the Pro BFG– but that shouldn’t concern you. The controller was just as responsive to my inputs as the DualSense, it felt just as sturdy, and kept up with me as I gamed through the night. The only notable differences between using the two controllers were the buttons themselves and the joysticks. The Pro BFG’s buttons have a slightly deeper “thock” to them along with a hint of a wobble, but not enough to warrant errant or accidental button presses. The Pro BFG’s joysticks have a slightly higher degree of tension, too, snapping back to position quicker than the DualSense. These minute differences are far from separating these controllers as being more or less premium, but it’s a matter of preference. Some folks like a slippery joystick whereas others want tension – that’s fine.
My biggest complaint about the Pro BFG is its customizable Clutch Triggers. Well, not the Triggers themselves – I have an issue with the placement of the Clutch Sliders on the back of the controller. My middle fingers would naturally settle at the middle of the back of the controller, which is where the Clutch Sliders are positioned. If either finger grazed a Slider, it would reset the corresponding Clutch Trigger to its minimal position (thus operating as a digital button). I constantly had to reposition my middle fingers to avoid accidentally resetting the Clutch Triggers and screwing up the buttons.
The biggest selling point of the Pro BFG is its modularity. The controller’s carrying case comes with a miniature screwdriver that can remove the modules on the left- and right-hand side of the controller. By default, the controller came assembled in a way that the left joystick was at the top of the controller and the D-pad on the bottom (just like a typical XBOX or PC controller). I quickly loosened the screws, removed the left module, rotated it, and slotted it back in – no problems whatsoever. The Pro BFG also comes with a FightPad Module that turned my controller into a miniature fightstick.
Editing, moving, and replacing modules was so incredibly easy on the Pro BFG. The screws in each module never fully popped out, so I never had to search around for small bits around my house or anything of the sort. After I replaced a module, I had to put the controller into “calibration mode” as a safety precaution and reset its calibration; once that was settled, I was off to game. Replacing modules is an easy affair, it just takes a smidgen of time.
The Pro BFG comes with alternate D-pads and analog stick caps. I prefer the cross-shaped D-pad most often found on Nintendo’s controllers over the rounded circle pad that’s standard on XBOX controllers. All I had to do was pull out the D-pad with two fingers (no screwdriver necessary!) and I was golden. It was pretty firmly set in there to begin with, making me think that it was either stuck or I was on the verge of breaking the module – but it withstood my swapping out modules without getting loose. This controller is surprisingly sturdy.
The Pro BFG has a 2000mAh battery inside, rated for up to 20 hours of battery life. During my testing, I was able to hit 18 hours before it notified me that it had reached the low battery threshold. Put in even simpler terms, that’s a whole weekend of uninterrupted gaming when connected to my PS5 or my PC. For the sake of comparison, my one-year old DualSense can hit maybe 8 hours – far less if I’m playing a PS5 game that utilizes the controller’s full suite of haptics. The DualSense edge, on the other hand, can possibly hit five hours. The Pro BFG blows these official controllers out of the water in terms of battery life, which says quite a lot. I had gotten so used to the Pro BFG’s battery life that, when I returned to using a DualSense, I was frustrated with how quick my controller died.
When weighing whether or not to go all-in on a pro PS5 controller, you’re weighing three key variables: battery life, haptics, and use case. If you only care about a long battery life, then there’s no question that the Pro BFG is the best pro controller for your needs. If you’re interested in adjusting your controller for competitive settings, be it FPS or fighting games, the Pro BFG’s accessories (namely the fightpad module) will whet your appetite. If you’re more into getting the “real” PS5 experience, though, you’re left with settling for the DualSense or the DualSense Edge.
If you’re planning on connecting the Pro BFG to your controller, there’s a Windows app (Victrix Control Hub) that keeps the controller’s firmware up to date along with other features. At time of writing, I was not able to get the controller to connect to this software suite at all – even after following the instructions of PDP’s FAQ page and the advice of a handful of Redditors who had varying degrees of success in getting the software to behave with the controller. Now that PDP is under the Turtle Beach umbrella, I’m hoping that this controller can be customized and kept up to date using the Swarm II app – it keeps the rest of my Turtle Beach peripherals up to date!
Outside of the wonky Victrix Control Hub app, the controller worked just fine when connecting to my computer and PS5. It worked out of the box and only needed me to plug it in with a USB cord or the dongle. Steam recognized the controller as a PS5 controller when I had the controller set to the PS5 mode, there’s that.
All right, now let’s talk about the Hall Effect Modules. These modules are currently sold separately from the Pro BFG controller for an additional $39.99. They’re in limited supply, too, so jump on the hype train before they get out of stock!
In case you’re unfamiliar with the hype surrounding Hall Effect tech, here’s the rundown. Consumer electronics with Hall Effect technology, while being sold at a premium, is becoming increasingly flavor of the month for consumers given their durability. For typical controllers like the DualSense and JoyCons, joysticks occasionally develop stick drift after months of regular wear-and-tear, eventually rendering the joysticks unusable. Hall Effect joysticks use magnets, thus diminishing the potential drawback of stick drift from ever happening.
Until recently, one of the only controllers with Hall Effect technology was the DualSense Edge and Nacon’s Revolution 5 Pro (both priced at $199.99). Now, the Pro BFG joins the fray with the additional set of two modules. In the box is the movement module (D-Pad and joystick) and the button module (action buttons and joystick) – no fightpad module. Like the non-Hall effect modules that came with the controller, all I needed to do was loosen the screws, swap the modules, arrange them to my liking, and then recalibrate. Nothing else was needed to get up and running.
When comparing the non-Hall Effect modules to the new Hall Effect modules, the newer modules have a greater tension in the joysticks along with a slight sponginess in the input buttons. This isn’t to say that the Hall Effect buttons are lackluster – not at all! They just have a slightly greater resistance than the “normal” modules, and far more than the DualSense. The input buttons have a more bubble shape than the other flat buttons, too. I didn’t have much trouble acclimating to the new buttons, but I felt far more secure in knowing that the joysticks would last far longer thanks to the Hall Effect tech in the joysticks.
In my PS5 controller, I’m disappointed that PDP didn’t create a separate set of Hall Effect modules with the appropriate buttons. The action buttons on the Hall Effect module have the typical XB/PC legends (A, B, X, & Y), so you won’t feel like you’re using a PS controller. Then again, who looks at the controller when playing a game?
I’m also disappointed that there wasn’t a Hall Effect version of the FightPad. If you’re the kind of player who’s turning their Pro BFG into a FightStick using the FightPad module, you’re most likely subjecting your controller to a greater degree of wear-and-tear than the average player who might use a pro controller. It’s a missed opportunity to cater to those kinds of pro players – if only to give them the security of having the Hall Effect modules extend the lifespan of their controllers.
Now comes the formal assessment of the controller. Pro controllers like the Pro BFG, Nacon Revolution 5, and the DualSense Edge are niche products and warrant specialized recommendations. I won’t lead you on and say all players need a $200 controller – you don’t. The DualSense that came with your PS5 and/or JoyCons that came with your Switch will more than suffice – but they’ll most likely succumb to stick drift within two years. If you’re in the market for a Pro controller, it’s most likely because you’re putting your controller under a greater amount of strain playing Mortal Kombat, Tekken, or an FPS like Call of Duty or Destiny 2.
The Victrix Pro BFG Wireless controller is currently competing with the DualSense Edge more than the Nacon Revolution 5 because of the Edge’s haptics and adaptive triggers. The Edge and Revolution 5 both come equipped with Hall Effect tech right out of the box going for $199. The Pro BFG, on the other hand, boasts almost twice as much battery life than the Nacon, but requires an additional purchase for the Hall Effect modules.
To that end, I’m torn. On one hand, I can understand that dropping ~$200 on a controller that misses out on standard PS5 features might feel like a loss. On the other hand, the ridiculously long battery life and responsiveness of the Pro BFG are quite compelling, especially when the first-party pro controller struggles to scratch a mere five hours of wireless playtime. Personally, I’m not planning on spending a ton of time playing PS5 games that fully utilize the adaptive triggers. When I’m going to play Spider Man 2, I’ll use my DualSense. However, for everything else on my PS5 and PC, I can envision easily getting 200 hours of use from this controller thanks to the Hall Effect modules.
The Victrix Pro BFG Wireless controller is a beast of a pro-grade controller – enough to compete with controllers of similar price and technical specifications. The new Hall Effect modules make the controller even more compelling in that it will assuredly last longer under greater duress. This controller felt great to use, and it’s great knowing that it will keep up with me without concern about joystick drift impacting my controller.
