Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox review: "Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee"

Where do I begin with the Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox? In my time as hardware editor here at 12DOVE, I haven’t wrestled with a review score half as much as the four and a half stars I gave this controller's PS5 model. It is, without a doubt, my favorite gamepad I’ve reviewed, and I think it's worthy of a place among the best of all time. Yet, it missed out on that half-star rating that would have taken it to a perfect score because it was almost too stripped back in pursuit of E-Sports greatness. Now, here I am, reviewing its Xbox counterpart, with a chance to reconsider. 

Since January of 2023, the Victrix Pro BFG has been the best PC controller and the best PS5 option as well. There is simply no other gamepad that can stand up to its modular design, its ergonomic back buttons, or brilliant value for money. 

Against the other best Xbox Series controllers though, the same $179.99 doesn’t ring quite as true though, especially against a wider division of budget options from the likes of GameSir and PowerA. Still, the BFG is a tour-de-force, and it’s about time something took the fight to the Elite Series 2 head-on. 

Design

I said the same thing when I reviewed the original Victrix Pro BFG, but describing its physical attributes is no easy task. This gamepad sports a modular design, which means you can unscrew its facial components, flip ‘em around, swap ‘em over, or switch to different ones if you so please. 

New to this Xbox iteration is the option of Hall Sensor thumbstick modules, which annoyingly aren’t included in the box. Still, it’s good to see PDP recognize that the competition is using this technology, and it’s not lagging behind. I’ve had only the most minor stick drift issues with the original PS5 BFG I’ve been using for over a year now, and in fairness, that comes and goes anyway. I’d expect the same build quality here on the Xbox side, but at least there’s peace of mind for anyone who struggles with this issue.

The upside of leaving the Hall Sensors as an add-on is that there’s no disparity between what’s included in the box between the PlayStation and Xbox versions. All the swappables, accessories, and the fight stick module with six face buttons are all in the case. Thumbstick tops, and a small screwdriver used to attach modules are all found in there too, adding to the sense of value for money versus something like the Elite Series 2 Core. 

What is different, are a few central parts of the controller’s face. Gone is the PlayStation touchpad, and in its place, an Xbox button, an in-game menu button, and a sharing button. The product design team has done a great job of converting this to an Xbox pad, so kudos. On the frontal rubberized grip pads you’ll now find some purple trim, which is a nice touch that compliments the bottom of the thumbsticks. The Xbox button has a lovely RGB ring framing it, which is another lovely injection of color.

The other big difference isn’t so immediately noticeable, but there’s a slight added weight to the Xbox version, presumably thanks to rumble motors which don’t appear in the PlayStation version. This extra weight makes it feel that little bit more substantial, which is huge for a gamepad that was always bordering on being too light.

Features

Following Turtle Beach’s victory over the usual licensing parameters for Xbox controllers, the Victrix Pro BFG is the second third-party pro gamepad licensed specifically for the Xbox Series X that features wireless support. This may have been due to the bargaining power of the PlayStation version already featuring wireless support, but I'm just glad to see more wireless options on the Xbox side.

Speaking of wireless support, the battery life of the Xbox BFG seems to outlast the original version. In fairness, the PS5 model I'm comparing that against is a bit older, so it's not a like-for-like test. Still, I went from around 10 hours played in Alan Wake 2 to the 24-hour completion mark on a single charge, with a few shorter gaming sessions coming into play as well. I’d still say that overall battery life was less than the quoted 20 hours PDP claims in marketing, but ~15 hours is much better than the 8-10 hours I get on my PS5 model.

If you want to wire this thing up to a console or PC, you get an included 3m braided USB to USB-C cable in the box. Elsewhere, you have a 3.5mm headphone jack and a wireless USB dongle. Since this version of the BFG doesn’t need to switch between PS5, PS4, and PC mode, the small toggle switch is gone from its top. Instead, you use the wired or wireless button on the gamepad’s back. 

That’s also where you’ll find the trigger stop switches and four programmable back buttons. You can switch the assignments for these using the Victrix button at the bottom of the controller’s face, or with the companion software, which now supports the PlayStation model too. 

Performance

Reviewing controllers is slightly odd. When we’re in a game, we're not usually actively thinking about the object in our hands - we're concentrating on the game itself. When testing out a gamepad though, you have to really think about the device more than the games, which feels counterintuitive.

The Victrix Pro BFG is one of the hardest controllers to test and review because it’s so good at bending to every genre and providing a full sense of immersion. A simple thumbstick change might be all you need to take it from one game to the other, but if you want to perform surgery and switch to symmetrical thumbstick for a certain game, that option is there. That will likely be the thorn in the paw of the Thrustmaster eSwap XR Pro line since its Xbox models haven't been capable of making that switch despite their modular builds. 

Where I think this Xbox version comes into its own is during single-player games. The PS5 model can be great for first-person shooters or games with busy function lists, but its lack of rumble means I often default to the DualSense Edge for single-player games on PS5. When I was playing the back half of Alan Wake 2 with this controller, it offered me the extra speed and better movement you'd expect from an E-Sports pad, but I didn't have to compromise on the crunchy feel of each shotgun blast thanks to the added vibration motors.

My favorite platforming game for testing controllers is Celeste, and I always love it as a way to test vibration feel. The way that the game uses its gamepad rumble is pretty overt, so when a controller like the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra makes it feel more acute, you know you’re onto a hardware win. The Pro BFG has some solid feel, but its grip pads guard it against feeling too distracting. Meanwhile, its back buttons and snappy D-pad remain some of the most accurate ways to play that particularly tricky mountain climber. The same was true of Blasphemous 2, another 2D game that requires accuracy. The whole controller, and all of the tools on its utility belt, lend themselves to precision in ways seldom seen by other gamepads.

As you’d expect, four back buttons do a lot to help this gamepad in first-person games. Besides maybe the magnetic back paddles of the Elite Series 2, you’re going to struggle to find a better device for FPS gaming. Elsewhere, in Helldivers 2, I felt the same benefits and versatility from the Victrix Pro BFG’s back buttons. Furthermore, the face buttons feel really responsive, as though they’re ripped straight from a first-party controller.

Should you buy the Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox?

I quoted that old Bruce Lee adage when I first reviewed the BFG - “Like water, my friend”. If the original PS5 version was learning to blend mixed martial arts into a seamless form of combat, it’s truly earned a black belt with this new Xbox version. It floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee no matter the genre of game you use it in. 

The Victrix Pro BFG is a rare controller that will surely go down in history as one of the best gamepads ever created. It’s a shame you need to spend extra money to get Hall Sensor thumbstick modules, but at least they exist if you eventually need them in the future. On the other hand, a bit of added weight due to vibration motors, as well as potentially improved battery life is a decent trade-off. Versus the Elite Series 2, I'd argue this offers just as much, if not more versatility, and apart from magnetic back paddles, you aren't missing out on build quality here. 

In the end, I’ve awarded this controller a five-star rating, improving it by the half-star it missed out on originally. I still don’t believe it’s the perfect gamepad, but it’s so versatile that it’s pretty darn close. In fairness, as a wise man once said, a five-star review doesn’t mean something’s perfect, just that it’s the new yardstick against which all future rivals will be measured. 

How we tested the Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox

I tested the Xbox version of the Victrix Pro BFG by playing games on the console and on PC. I tested across various genres, including titles like Alan Wake 2, Helldiver 2, Hunt Showdown, Celeste, and Blasphemous 2. I kept close watch of hours played to track battery life. I compared my experience closely to my time with other gamepads, including the PS5 model of the same gamepad, and the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, and the Elite Series 2 controller. 

To read more about how we test the latest gaming accessories, check out the full 12DOVE Hardware Policy. 

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