SCUF Nomad Mobile Gaming Controller review — The new #1 in mobile gaming accessories

Finding the right mobile gaming accessory can be a bit tricky at times, even more so if you’re an Apple user like I am, especially if your mobile device is still using a Lightning port instead of USB-C, also like me. Thankfully Bluetooth is a thing, which opens so many doors for gaming on mobile devices, and who better to turn to for such endeavors than SCUF Gaming? Our friends at SCUF were kind enough to send over their new Nomad Mobile Gaming Controller for iPhone, which has elevated my mobile gaming experience in more ways than one. This is the most intuitive and convenient mobile gaming accessory I’ve come across yet.

The Nomad fits all iPhones from the standard size up to the Pro Max, including most smaller protective cases, though I’d recommend taking the case off to get the perfect fit. It easily extends to accommodate the different phone sizes and holds them in place well. The grips of the Nomad are more like traditional controllers as opposed to the almost Joy-Con style seen on the Backbone mobile gaming controller, making it fit hands better and making it more comfortable. You have your usual thumbsticks, triggers, bumpers, d-pad, and ABXY buttons, and there are 2 paddles on the back as well. With your phone tucked in, it weighs altogether about as much as a Switch Lite.

The only design choice I question is the placement of the right thumbstick, which is above the ABXY buttons instead of below. My right thumb is still trying to figure out how to handle this layout change, but I wonder why this was the route they took when the standard is the exact opposite. It’s usually just the left stick that flips positions with the d-pad. My only guess is that it works better to maintain a firm grip on the right side as your hand is positioned a little higher, therefore increasing the area of contact on the grip, but it’s still a little strange to me.

After checking out the Nomad’s design, I was eager to jump into some mobile games to see what this controller could do. I tried it out on a handful of games, including COD Mobile, Diablo Immortal, The Last Case of Benedict Fox via the Xbox Cloud Gaming app, and Dungeon Hunter 5. The Nomad performed seamlessly, with no input latency, though the thumbsticks do feel a bit too loose, especially when playing COD Mobile. It was a bit harder to control my aim when it felt like there was virtually no resistance as I moved the sticks around. This is a hardware feature that could definitely use some tweaking to improve handling in the future. However, when playing other games, apart from needing to aim at something, it worked perfectly. They are boasting ‘Anti-drift Thumbsticks’, but only time will tell if that is really the case.

The Nomad can be used with games straight from the App Store and, as mentioned above, the Xbox Cloud Gaming app, but you can access more games using Xbox Remote Play, PS Remote Play, Steam Link, and emulators. All of this is accessible through the SCUF Nomad Companion app, which is free to download from the App Store and comes jam packed with a ton of other features. The companion app works as a one-stop shop for launching the games you want to play and will also redirect to install games from the App Store.

The one-stop shop doesn’t stop there as the companion app is also the hub for updating and customizing your Nomad experience. Firmware updates are facilitated through the app when the Nomad is connected to your phone, and you can also keep tabs on the battery life. The Nomad gets up to 16 hours of battery life and recharges with the included USB-C cable. There are numerous customization options available, including creating profiles, button mapping, and trigger and thumbstick behaviors. You can also choose which profile the Nomad controller will apply for future use outside the app, including all the mapping and behaviors, such as the last applied game profile, the default presets, or one of your custom profiles.

SCUF also keeps creators and enthusiasts in mind with options for capturing your best mobile gaming moments. You can easily take screenshots by quickly pressing the SCUF button at the top of the right grip twice. If you hold the SCUF button for 2 seconds, you can start and then stop gameplay recording as well. There are different settings for video capture, including resolution (up to 1440p), framerate (60 or 30 fps), and codec (H.264 or HEVC). Your captures can be found in the companion app gallery and in your phone’s gallery folder.

The SCUF Nomad Mobile Gaming Controller is the perfect companion for your gaming on the go, whether that’s on a plane, on a train, or however you move. The only caveat is if you don’t want to annoy other people in public with noise from your phone, the only option is wireless headphones or earbuds. Obviously while the phone is placed in the Nomad, you can’t plug in headphones directly, but there’s also no spot on the Nomad itself. I’m one of the weirdos who still prefers wired over wireless, so this presents a challenge for me and basically means I won’t be using this when on the go until I eventually get something wireless.

You’ll find additional thumbstick grips in the box as well as an adapter for iPhones 14 and 15, though I’m not entirely sure why it would be needed as my iPhone 14 Pro Max is seated just fine as it. Unless you’re swinging it around, your phone shouldn’t pop out of there. The Nomad is compatible with devices on IOS 16+ and connects using Bluetooth 5.0 with a maximum range of up to 45 feet. There’s a 1-year standard manufacturer’s warranty in case of any defects and it’s priced right alongside its competitors at $99.99 USD with an additional $15 if you purchase the travel case as well. In my opinion, this mobile controller beats the competition from virtually every angle.

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