Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded review

In early 2024, Turtle Beach bought gamepad and peripherals company PDP for $118 million. Just before that happened, PDP released the Victrix Pro BFG. It was a pro gamepad with some neat customization features: The left stick and the D-Pad, and the right stick and the face buttons, both lived on modules which could be removed and reversed to toggle between symmetrical and asymmetrical analog stick layouts. A fightpad module was included too, so you could swap out either the left or right modules for some tactile six-button action.

I’m describing this older model in such detail because this newer Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded (now labelled ‘by Turtle Beach’) is functionally identical to that older PC controller. There are some minor changes once you scratch the surface, but before I get to those, let’s re-iterate what carries forward.

Like its predecessor, the Victrix Pro Reloaded has the nowadays essential “pro” features, including four programmable paddle buttons, trigger stops on the L2 / R2 switches, and Hall effect analog sticks. Three d-pad variations are included, which accommodate both Xbox and Switch Pro variations, as well as a hybrid of both, and these can be popped in and out on the fly. There’s even swappable octagonal housing for the analog sticks, lest you want a more toothy eight-directional feel.

Removing the modules with the included precision screwdriver and swapping them around is dead easy, though you’ll need to be careful not to lose the tiny screws. Like its predecessor, the Victrix Pro Reloaded also includes two analog stick replacements. One of these is a simple 5mm replacement for the standard stick height, but there’s also a 12mm stick that could possibly simulate a fight pad joystick, or else gratify the niche who love higher sticks for more accurate first-person aiming. Swapping them is as simple as unscrewing the module housing and then popping the sticks off with a little bit of force.

So what’s different? The first is specific to the model I’m using: the Xbox Pro BFG Reloaded lacks the PlayStation trackpad, though if you want one there’s a new Sony-centric model and a PC Edition with a trackpad also included (the latter was announced shortly after I received the present sample). These might be ideal if the Steam Deck has alerted you to the conveniences of a gamepad trackpad. The biggest difference shared across both models is that the Victrix Pro Reloaded has rumble support, whereas the older models did not, but unfortunately there’s no gyro support.

The same imperfections are here, too. The trigger stop toggles lie exactly where most users will rest their middle fingers, which is probably by design, but it’s far too easy to accidentally adjust the trigger depth during Heated Gaming Moments. Likewise, the paddle buttons cannot be toggled off or frozen, which can lead to erroneous inputs, and I found the left trigger a little over-sensitive. I also really wish the face buttons were more tactile and clicky. Your attitude may vary, but I think a pro controller needs better face buttons if they’re to truly feel better than Sony and Xbox’s stock offerings.

The other issue worth noting is that the polling rate here is the standard 125 Hz, which is the same as the Xbox controller, but far beneath what modern “pro” gamepads are capable of offering. Even the new Victrix Pro Reloaded PC edition has a polling rate of 1000 Hz, not to mention the much cheaper GameSir G7 Pro. For most players this decrease in latency won’t make any noticeable difference, but for people who are or consider themselves to be “pro”, it could be a deal breaker. And honestly, only people who consider themselves pro are likely to get much out of this controller.

Connectivity is what you’d expect nowadays: there’s a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, Bluetooth connectivity, and an impressively long (3 metres) and robust USB-A to USB-C cord included. All the modular parts, as well as the screwdriver, the cord and the gamepad itself, come in a solid carrying case. Battery life is advertised at 20 hours, which checks out with what I experienced.

If you need a gamepad that will morph into a serviceable fight pad, I think the Victrix Pro BFG pulls that function off more serviceably than some of the competition, chiefly the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot. Whereas the Stealth Pivot swaps between two configurations, there’s quite a lot more flexibility with the Pro BFG, though you’ll be paying more for that privilege.

And it’s really the price where the Victrix Pro BFG kinda falls behind. During a time when great TMR-equipped pro gamepads can be had for less than $100, splashy and expensive devices need to work very hard for their bread money. Whereas two years ago it might have been easy to recommend the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded to just about anyone after a pro controller, nowadays you really need to want, nay need, that modular design to make it worth the outlay. Though if you’re a PS5 gamer you don’t have a heap of alternatives; in that context this model might shine.

But PC gamers have a mind-boggling array of options. If you need fight pad functionality on your pro controller, this is better than the competition. For anyone outside that niche, there are better and cheaper gamepads on the market.