Scuf’s Nomad controller for iPhone has full-size drift-free sticks at a competitive price

Corsair-owned Scuf is best known for its vividly colored, outlandishly priced esports controllers. But its new $99.99 mobile phone controller looks built more for the normies.

The Nomad is a clamp-style iPhone controller akin to a Backbone or Razer Kishi, though it features full-size, drift-free Hall effect sticks (with swappable stick toppers) that are symmetrical on the top half of the pad. Around back are two customizable rear paddles amidst the controller’s contoured and rubberized grips. If you squint, it looks a bit like a thick-boy version of the Backbone One, though the Nomad is compatible with more phone cases since it relies on Bluetooth for connectivity instead of a protruding USB-C or Lightning plug.

Scuf’s first foray into the world of phone controllers is compatible with competitive mobile games like Call of Duty: Mobile, Warzone Mobile, and cloud / remote play streaming services like the PlayStation Remote Play app. The accompanying Scuf app for launching games, capturing and sharing gameplay recordings, and tweaking controls does not require paid subscriptions.

To me, as an original Backbone One owner, the Nomad and its larger Hall effect sticks, contoured grips, and Xbox-like D-pad seem intriguing, though Bluetooth has higher latency than the Backbone’s direct connection. And it’s yet another device to keep charged, albeit one with a claimed 16 hours of battery life.

The Nomad is available to preorder now in black or white and estimated to arrive July 8th.