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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.
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