Razer is one of the biggest names in gaming, and for good reason. It consistently delivers high-quality, high-performance products, even if they are usually more expensive than most competitors’. Razer first threw its hat in the ring of mobile controllers with its Junglecat in 2014, and launched its first modern, Joy-Con-like controller design with the second generation in 2019, before it rebranded the line as Kishi in 2020 with an updated design. This year, Razer’s hit its stride with the third generation, now an entire line of options: the Kishi V3, V3 Pro and V3 Pro XL.
Yes, they’re expensive, but as far as I’m concerned they’re the best mobile controllers you can buy right now. The basics are the same across all three, and Razer nailed them.
Class-leading hardware
Ergonomics make or break a controller for me. I’ve tried so many mobile versions over the years, and very few of them don’t tire my hands and arms after 30 minutes or so, and none feel as good as the Kishi V3 models. The grips are taken from Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro, which is the best-feeling controller I’ve ever used.
For reference, I find the Backbone One controller too small to use comfortably for long periods, and the new Backbone Pro, while larger and slightly more ergonomic, is still uncomfortable for me after more than about 20 minutes. It’s not necessarily true if you have smaller hands.
All three Razer controllers have full-size Tunneling Magnetoresistance thumbsticks, the new hotness in thumbstickland — the Hall Effect is so 2024. TMR sticks are supposed to be even more sensitive, precise and durable than Hall Effect, as well as require less power, and most of the higher-end pro controllers are switching to TMR sticks.
There are Hall Effect triggers on top (with two additional bumpers on the Pro and Pro XL), and two mappable buttons on the back. The back button switches are pulled directly from Razer’s top-end gaming mice, which have the same optical switches, and they feel great.
The bottom USB-C port supports passthrough charging but no display or audio out, similar to the Backbone. There’s also, thankfully, a headphone jack. I know I’m the minority here, but sometimes I still prefer to use wired headphones when gaming and sadly more controllers are forgoing the 3.5mm plug these days in favor of Bluetooth wireless.
Another big advantage of the Kishi: It can work as a PC controller as well, at least in theory. You simply connect it to your PC via a cable and it’s supposed to work with any game. While it worked fine on my personal laptop, I wasn’t able to get it working properly on my gaming laptop.
Excellent software
Aside from the hardware, the standout feature of the Kishi lineup is Razer’s Nexus app. The software isn’t all that different from that of Backbone and others, but there are a couple of standout features.
The first is Razer’s Sensa HD Haptics, basically a supercharged version of the typical haptics you get with most controllers. It works by mapping audio to physical feedback, which means the effects can be more nuanced and detailed than traditional haptics. Sadly, it only works on Windows 11 or Android 12 and higher.
The second, welcome and uncommon capability comes via Razer Cortex, software that lets you stream any game from your PC directly to your phone for remote play. The best part is it’s free and it works on any phone, with any controller, so while it may work best with a Kishi controller, you don’t need one to use it.
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Let’s start with the bottom of the lineup. The Kishi V3 is designed to be the entry point to the Kishi line, intended as a compelling option for those who want to upgrade their mobile gaming but don’t need all the extras of the Pro. Razer did a great job keeping most of the best aspects of the hardware without compromising the experience.
The base Kishi is the smallest model in the line and will fit almost any phone. You can use it as an external controller for a tablet, but it won’t physically fit around one.
The face buttons are what Razer calls “quiet tactile,” a description I agree is apt. They’re quiet and noticeably more tactile than what I’ve used on other mobile controllers: They aren’t stiff, but they definitely aren’t mushy either. I’d say they’re one step below the buttons on pro controllers like the Xbox Elite Wireless 2, but still quite nice. There’s a four-way D-pad, which feels a tad too stiff for me but probably still great for most people.
At $100, the Kishi V3 is also the cheapest of the bunch, but still pricey. It competes directly with the Backbone One, which has its own advantages, but the Kishi’s hardware by itself makes it a better option than Backbone. It certainly is the best hardware you can get for $100, but there are several solid controllers that are lighter on the wallet.
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The step-up V3 Pro has several upgrades over the base Kishi. First is size: It’s not too much bigger than the other model, but is large enough to fit small tablets like the iPad Mini, Lenovo Legion Tab or RedMagic Astra.
Another big difference is the face buttons. Instead of the “quiet tactile” buttons, the V3 Pro incorporates the same Mecha-Tactile buttons as the Wolverine V3 and V3 Pro. The feel might not work for everyone, but like Josh Goldman, who reviewed the Wolverine, I thoroughly enjoy them. They don’t have as much travel as more traditional controller buttons and may take some getting used to, but they’re ultimately a lot more responsive.
The D-pad also gets a solid upgrade. This model has a floating eight-way D-pad that also uses the Mecha-Tactile switches. Again, not everyone will like the feel, but I do. It’s a fair bit more sensitive than a standard D-pad, like the one on the entry Kishi — that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just comes down to preference and the games you play.
In a big upgrade over the Kishi Ultra, the joystick caps are swappable. Razer even includes two different cap sizes in the box. If you’ve never tried swapping joysticks or caps before, simply switching stick heights or from concave to convex can make a big difference in FPS games.
The V3 Pro also gets two additional bumpers up top, again straight from the Wolverine V3. They’re mainly intended for oddball claw grippers, but I found them useful when I didn’t want to change my grip to hit the standard bumpers.
The Pro’s price jumps to $150, which is a lot for any controller, especially a mobile one. But it’s actually $20 cheaper than the Backbone Pro, which makes it an even better option.
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Identical to the V3 Pro but in a supersized package, the V3 Pro XL is for hardcore tablet gamers. I’ve heard from some diehards who refuse to game on anything other than their M4 iPad Pro, and those people are Razer’s target buyers for the XL. Also, if you’re one, we need to talk.
Collapsed, it’s almost as wide as my 16-inch laptop. Fully extended, it can accommodate 10- to 13-inch tablets up to 11.1in/282 mm on their long edge, which includes the 13-inch iPad Pro. In fact, it’s the only premium controller option big enough for that large a tablet. It also fits a range of larger Android tablets, including the 12.1-inch OnePlus Pad 2 (but probably not the newer 13.1-inch OnePlus Pad 3), according to Razer’s specifications.
The extra size will cost you though; the Pro XL is $200. But if you’re buying this to game on your $1,200 iPad Pro, I doubt the price is much of a factor for you.
Not very bag- or Android-friendly
As much as I love the hardware on the Kishi controllers, they all miss in one big way: portability. Not only are they fairly big compared to other mobile controllers, but Razer doesn’t bundle — or even offer — one at the moment. Moving these in and out of a bag is annoying, and the joystick caps constantly pop off the V3 Pro and Pro XL when I pull them out of my backpack. I haven’t lost them yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
It may not be a deal-breaker for everyone, but this is a vital aspect of the design for a controller that’s meant to be carried everywhere.
The biggest disadvantage of the Kishi controllers, which isn’t entirely Razer’s fault, is the Android compatibility. On iOS, they all work natively with every controller-compatible game available on the app store, but Android is very much a mixed bag. Some games work fine, but others, like Call of Duty: Mobile, require you to use the touch remapping — which I found very hit and miss.
There was even some difference in compatibility between devices. On my OnePlus 13 the Pro XL worked better than on my RedMagic Astra tablet; the latter would disconnect or fail to register inputs during play, particularly with CODM. Other games worked OK, but were still inconsistent overall.
Razer finishes first
For mobile controllers, Razer is competing aggressively with the veteran Backbone One and new Backbone Pro, and Razer comes out ahead. The Kishi V3 is the same price as the Backbone One, while the V3 Pro is great plus $20 cheaper than the Backbone Pro: Razer takes the W, hands down. The Kishis’ ergonomics are better, the hardware is better, and the software is better. The only thing Backbone has over the Kishi is a better design for carrying — obviously quite important for a mobile controller — but I still prefer the Kishi V3.
If you’re on Android, it’s a little less clearcut, but again, that also depends somewhat on what games you play. For exclusive CODM gamers, Backbone has better native compatibility, but the virtual touch mapping on the Kishi works well, at least on most devices, if you don’t mind taking the time to tweak the settings. Other games can be hit and miss with native compatibility.
If you’re exclusively an iOS gamer, then any of the Kishi V3 controllers are hands-down the best mobile controller you can get. Even on Android, it’s still far and away my first choice.
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