For my last full controller review here at TouchArcade, I’ve been using the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition for PC and PlayStation on Steam Deck, PS5, and PS4 Pro for over a month now. Before I interviewed the PDP Victrix about the controller and arcade stick, I was very curious about the controller because of its modular nature, and also because I wanted to try another “Pro” controller after years of loving the Xbox Elite (1st gen) and DualSense Edge.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller – What’s in the Box?
Typically, controllers come with a cable and sometimes a charging stand. In the case of the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition, you get the controller, a braided cable, a high-quality protective case to store everything that comes with the controller, a replacement fightpad module with a 6-button layout for fighting games, two gates, two replacement analog stick caps, two directional key caps, a screwdriver to use with the controller, and a blue wireless USB dongle.
All items are neatly organized in the case and are of very good quality in and of themselves. Unlike the regular Victrix Pro BFG controller, some of the items on this controller have a theme that matches the aesthetic of the new Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition. Keep that in mind as there doesn’t seem to be an official replacement for this product, but hopefully it will be available soon.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Compatibility
On paper, the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller supports PS5, PS4, and PC. Since I no longer use Windows, I was curious if this would work out of the box with Steam Deck. Since I prefer PlayStation button prompts in games, I set it to PS5 and plugged the dongle into the Steam Deck docking station. It worked without a problem and didn’t require any updates.
To play wirelessly on the console side, you’ll need the same dongle and the toggle set to PS4 or PS5. I’ve had no issues playing on PS4 mode on a PS4 Pro, or on PS5 mode on a PS5. In fact, it’s a nice bonus if you want to test something on PS4 to compare it to PS5, since I don’t have a working PS4 controller other than the arcade stick that supports PS4.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Features
The biggest appeal of the Victrix Pro BFG controller is its modular nature, allowing you to work with a symmetrical stick layout, an asymmetrical stick layout, switch between fighting games with a fight pad, and adjust the triggers, thumbsticks, and directional pad. The goal of this design is to allow you to adapt the controller depending on the game you are playing. For example, you may use the symmetrical stick layout when playing Katamari Damacy Reroll, but switch to the Xbox-style asymmetrical layout when playing DOOM Eternal.
It’s also nice that you can adjust the trigger stops, so you can change them when playing a racing game with analog trigger support, or choose the shortest stop when playing a game with digital trigger support. Aside from that, the multiple directional pad options are really nice, but I tried to stick with the default diamond shape for ease of use, and I really like it. I wouldn’t use it for a platformer, but the other directional pad options work well here.
It’s important to note that this is an official PS5 and PS4 licensed controller, so there’s no rumble, no haptic feedback, no adaptive trigger support, and no gyro/motion control support. I don’t really care about gyro, but the complete lack of rumble is disappointing, as sub-$30 controllers now offer decent rumble.
The Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition comes with four paddles or paddle-like buttons. However, I wish there were proper paddles that could be removed. I have two of them mapped to L3 and R3, and the top paddle is mapped to L1 and R1 because I use it the most in games like Monster Hunter World and I hate pressing the sticks. However, it is very nice to have four buttons here.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Look and Feel
Visually, I love the flashy, bright highlights and colors used on the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition. While it’s not as elegant as the stock black model with purple highlights, the bright blue, pink, purple, and Tekken 8 branding work very well as a themed controller.
The Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition is very comfortable, but a bit too light for my taste. The materials on the main controller body range from premium to just okay. It’s far from the premium-feeling DualSense Edge, but that controller has an ugly glossy front plate that just ruins things. The grip on this controller makes a huge difference, and I didn’t feel tired even during an 8-hour session with the controller wired. The lightness pays off here.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller on PS5
There are a few things to keep in mind about the PS5. While this is an officially licensed controller, you can’t turn on your PS5 with it. This seems like a limitation for third-party controllers on the PS5, but it’s an annoyance to keep in mind. Aside from that, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and gyro are not available here. Other than that, you have all the buttons you use on the DualSense controller, including touchpad support and the Share button.
Victrix Pro BFG on Steam Deck
As mentioned above, the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition works right out of the box with the Steam Deck when I plug the dongle into the official docking station I use. It’s even recognized properly as a PS5 Victrix controller, with the Share button working for capturing screenshots and the touchpad working properly in PC games that support PlayStation controllers. This is nice to see, as some games don’t properly recognize my DualSense.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Battery Life
The biggest advantage that the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller or the regular controller has over the DualSense and DualSense Edge is the battery life. It lasts several times longer than the DualSense and DualSense Edge on a single charge. It also helps that the logo on the touchpad indicates when the battery is low. This is great for playing on a Steam Deck, as other controllers don’t have a visual indicator when the battery is low.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Software
The software is only available on the Microsoft Store, and I no longer use Windows, so I couldn’t test it. Fortunately, it works out of the box on my Steam Deck, PS5, and PS4. What I wanted to see was if the controller would work on iOS. I tested it wirelessly with a dongle on my iPad, wired on my iPhone 15 Pro, and wired on my iPad Pro, but nothing worked.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Negative
Now, there are some major downsides. There is no rumble, the polling rate is low, it doesn’t come with a Hall effect sensor, and at least for the model I have, it requires a dongle for wireless. The lack of rumble might not be an issue for some, but for the “Pro” controller, the polling rate is disappointing. There are several videos on YouTube that demonstrate this issue and why it’s an issue. Comparatively, the wired DualSense Edge is much more responsive.
As for the Hall Effect sensor, I’m glad Victrix is now selling a new module, but why can’t that module just come with the controller from the get-go if you buy a new controller? Also, even if you buy one of the module color options for the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition controller, it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing and it won’t have the PS5 face buttons.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Controller Review
With over 100 hours of controller play time per platform in games like UFO 50, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Persona 3 Reload, I can safely say that I enjoy using the controller, but given its price point, there are a few issues that annoy me. In many ways, the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition has the potential to be one of the best controllers in years, once a few tweaks and changes are made for a potential successor. For now, it’s very good, but not amazing, with too many gimmicks for its high price tag. The big issues holding it back right now are the lack of rumble, the dongle requirement, the additional cost of the Hall Effect sticks, and the polling rate. These may not matter to some, but for a $200 “Pro” controller, I expected a little more.
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition Review Score: 4/5
