When Razer showed me the Kishi Ultra, my first thought was, finally a larger controller for mobile gaming. I have loved the Kishi V2 Pro. And the Kishi V2. And the original model. They’ve all been great controllers for me and they have certainly made gaming on mobile better depending on the game. The one thing they have all lacked, however, is that same level of comfort you get from a larger full-size controller.
The Razer Kishi Ultra fixes this pain point and delivers longer-lasting comfort thanks to improvements like larger hand grips, larger joysticks, and just a better overall feel than its predecessors. Razer even threw in some nice extras like the Chroma RGB light bars and my personal favorite, the Sensa HD Haptics. You of course still get the passthrough charging via USB-C and there’s a headphone jack too. So if you want to plug in some wired headphones or earbuds, you can. It even has the same d-pad as the Wolverine V2 Pro, Razer’s Pro PS5 controller. I can’t stress enough how good this 8-way d-pad is. It’s just nice and tactile and although I don’t use it as much for most games, it’s really nice when it comes into play.
So there are lots of upgrades. Meaningful improvements that easily put the Kishi Ultra among the best mobile controllers out there. But is it worth your $150? Let’s take a deeper dive into this review and find out.
Razer Kishi Ultra Review: Hardware and Design
There are so many good things about the design of this controller, that I almost don’t know where to start. That being said, Razer has done something really special with the design of the Kishi Ultra. So there’s plenty to talk about with the hardware and design.
I think for me, most notably, Razer’s decision to give this controller large hand grips was the single best improvement it could make. As I’ve said, the Kishi V2 Pro has been great. It’s comfortable to hold and it’s a wonderful design, even if it isn’t collapsible like the original model which made for excellent portability. However, the lack of any defined or contoured hand grips like what you get on a full-size controller just made the Kishi V2 Pro and older models less comfortable to hold over time. Not by a ton, but enough that you’d want to put the controller down for a bit every so often.
With the Kishi Ultra, this really hasn’t felt like an issue at all. There’s more for your hands to hold onto around the back. The grips have very defined curves like you’ll find on something like the DualSense or Xbox Wireless controller. I can play games using these controllers all day and never really get hand cramps. And so far, the Kishi Ultra has offered this same level of comfort. The hardware improvements don’t stop there though.
Better joysticks
If you weren’t a fan of the smaller joysticks on the older Kishi controllers, you’ll love what Razer’s done with the Kishi Ultra. They’re finally full-size joysticks so they’re again, more comfortable to use just like the hand grips. They also have a nicer coating with textured rubber tops so your thumbs don’t feel sore after prolonged use. They’re not Hall Effect-sensing joysticks, which is a shame. But Razer does have a workaround for if the sticks ever end up having any drift. The Nexus app allows you to redefine the dead zones so they feel accurate again.
I haven’t had to use this which is a good thing. Given that the controller is only a week old. So here’s hoping this holds up over time and I won’t ever really need to use it. But the fact that you have this option already makes it better than some other regular controllers. The joysticks also feel like they have good travel and tactile responses if clicking them inward for the L3 and R3 buttons. Honestly, I don’t know how Razer could have made them any better other than making them Hall Effect sticks. The anti-friction rings are also a nice touch, and Razer uses medical-grade rubber for that nice grippy feeling.
The triggers are also a big upgrade
One downside of the older Kishi controllers is how small the triggers were. They weren’t tiny by any means, but they were small enough that if you had to hold the trigger down for an extended period of time, it was easier for your fingers to slip off them. That is no longer a problem with the Kishi Ultra. These full-size triggers feel a lot more comfortable and not too unlike what I have on the DualSense and DualSense Edge. In fact, they’re actually a bit larger than the DualSense triggers, which I appreciate. They have a nice subtle curved upward as well so your finger naturally sits right on top of them. These are Hall Effect triggers as well
Build quality
Razer’s mobile controllers have always felt well-built, and that hasn’t changed with the Kishi Ultra. It’s actually the most solid-feeling controller Razer has built for mobile. It still uses the same matte black plastic material that you’ll get with the Kishi V2 and Kishi V2 Pro. But the hand grips now have a notched plastic which can help prevent slippage. It’s not rubberized or anything like that, but the cross-hatch diamond pattern does make it feel like you have a better grip than if it were just smooth plastic.
Overall, the ergonomics in this controller compared to the other Kishi models is a major step up. So you can game longer. A big win in my book.
More device compatibility
As much as I’ve loved the original Kishi controller, one design drawback it had was device compatibility. This was simply due to the design of the two ends of the controller. Instead of the flat open sides where you slot your device, it had these contoured or curved sides, and that made it impossible to fit any devices over a specific size. Razer changed this up with the Kishi V2 line which made it possible to fit phones like the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate and other big devices. With the Kishi Ultra, Razer took it a step further and has made it so you can fit devices up to 8 inches. Including the iPad Mini and 8-inch Android tablets.
This is a big, big improvement because it means more people can use this controller. If you play games on an iPad Mini for instance, it’s really something to slot it into the Kishi Ultra and have this big display right in front of you for gaming.
I mentioned this in my announcement post for the controller, but this also makes it way easier to slot in larger devices in another way. With the Kishi V2 Pro, the bridge would only extend so far, so to get the ROG Phone 8 Pro into it, I had to connect the phone to the controller’s direct USB-C plug first, then close the other side down onto the top of the phone. This felt a little cumbersome at times. The Kishi Ultra’s bridge naturally extends out further to support tablets. So with bigger phones like the ROG Phone 8 Pro, I can slide the top end of the phone in first, then close the side with the USB-C plug into place.
This is a much smoother interaction and although not a major pain point, it’s still a better experience. And I have to wonder if this was something that bothered anyone else. I was always afraid my hand might slip and bend the USB-C plug by accident. But no longer.
Razer says it now works with more cases
The Kishi V2 and Kishi V2 Pro might work with your phone if you had a case on it, but this was hit or miss. I could never get it to fit any of the phones I was using as they were all bigger. The Kishi Ultra, Razer says, includes a wider range of case support so you don’t have to take it off before using the controller with your device. Part of how this works is the wider selection of rubber inserts you can slot in to hold your device in place more securely. You can also take these out completely which, I think is probably going to be a better fit if you have a case on.
In fact, with the ROG Phone 8 Pro, this was the only way I could really get the phone into the controller when I had the case on it. Even then, it wouldn’t fully slot into place. As the gap between the bridge and the lip of the left and right controller sides isn’t quite tall enough to allow the phone to fit under that lip. I can still get the phone in there with the case on it, but the top of the phone brushes up against that lip rather than sit under it like it’s supposed to. I would deal with this if I were using the controller outside of the home, but in most situations, I’m using it at home, so I just ended up taking the case off and use the rubber inserts instead.
Your mileage may vary though, depending on how big your phone is and how thick the case is. Just temper your expectations.
Razer Kishi Ultra Review: The Nexus App
The Nexus app is your ticket to making this controller a powerhouse for mobile gaming. There are still tons of games that don’t have native controller support, such as Genshin Impact. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is another unless you’re using a DualSense, DualSense Edge, DualShock 4, or Xbox Wireless controller. There may even be some third-party Bluetooth controllers that work with it that I haven’t tested. The Kishi Ultra, however, is not one of those controllers, unfortunately.
This is where the Nexus app comes in. With games that don’t have native controller support on Android, you can tick this little toggle for a virtual controller before launching a game. Once you’re in the game, there’s a little half-circle button at the top edge of the screen you can tap, and this brings up the menu for virtual control mapping. You simply need to take a few minutes to map which controls in the game you want for which buttons on the Kishi Ultra, and you’re off and running. This doesn’t work for everything.
Like menus and such in Genshin Impact. But all of the main action and movement controls will work. Including the right joystick for moving the camera of your character. Sure, it would be nice if you didn’t have to go through this setup and the developers just baked in native controller support. But that often isn’t the case. And that’s what makes Razer’s solution so powerful. It expands the amount of games you can use the controller with, which is simply amazing.
The Nexus app also lets you adjust a handful of different settings for both the controller and the app UI. For instance, there’s a menu for re-mapping the controls of the controller to different buttons on the controller. I used this specifically for the two multi-function buttons that sit next to the triggers, but you have more options if that’s your thing.
Additionally, you’ll find a few other options like switching up the Chroma RGB effects between static, spectrum cycling, and wave, and you can change the main UI background too. This in particular is kind of nice as there’s a default option where it uses the game art for the background. But you can swap it out for a dynamic option, as well as standard black and gray backgrounds.
Razer Kishi Ultra Review: Sensa HD Haptics
One of the major upgrades with the Kishi Ultra is the Sensa HD Haptics. These aren’t as advanced as the haptics in the DualSense, but they’re definitely more advanced than traditional controller vibrations. Razer says they’re stronger and more detailed and I wasn’t sure how true that would be. There really is a noticeable difference though. In certain games, you’ll have a toggle you can enable for audio haptics, and the Sensa HD Haptics will kick in for various in-game actions.
For example, Diablo Immortal has an audio haptics toggle in the Nexus app where the haptics will kick in based on in-game actions and certain moments. It gives the game a more immersive feel. Again the haptics aren’t quite as advanced as they are in the DualSense controllers. But this is a feature I’ve not seen on any other mobile controllers.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be available in all games. And that’s a shame because there are lots of games that would benefit from this feature. The good thing is, if you launch your games from the Nexus app instead of the app drawer, games that support the Sensa HD Haptics should be labeled.
I expect Razer will expand the support for this feature as time goes on, too. It’ll just be a matter of time. Worth noting is that this only works with Android. You also need at least Android 12. But that shouldn’t be a problem since most Android devices are running on Android 12 or later these days. It is a shame that iOS doesn’t support it, but maybe that will change down the line.
Razer Kishi Ultra Review: Using the controller with Windows
One of the strong benefits of the Kishi Ultra is that it has native support for PCs. Unlike the other Kishi controllers, you can plug the Kishi Ultra directly into your PC using a USB-C cable and it works just like an Xbox controller. You can do this without the phone in the middle, obviously, and this sort of versatility gives it some more value. As I said earlier $150 is not a cheap controller. There are certainly more expensive options out there. Such as custom controllers or pro options from brands like SCUF. Razer itself even sells more expensive controllers.
However, $150 for a mobile controller is what really highlights the price. So the fact that you can use this with PC too, makes it more worth the money. In my time with the controller so far I tried the Kishi Ultra out on PC while playing a few different games. I don’t play with a controller for all PC games but there are some where a controller just feels better. I tested out the Kishi Ultra in games like The Ascent (a twin-stick shooter), Starfield, and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. And it felt perfectly fine for all of these games.
It does feel a little lightweight which just took a little getting used to. But other than that, it’s a great controller for PC use. And honestly, this might make it a better option for a controller if you’re playing on a laptop away from home. While longer than a standard controller, it is lighter and that should help with travel storage.
Razer Kishi Ultra Review: Controls
For a controller, the controls are the most important part. Comparing this to other controllers I have used in the past from Razer, the buttons on the Kishi Ultra all feel really good. For a mobile controller, they’re exceptional. As I don’t think I have ever used another mobile controller where the buttons feel this good. I mentioned this briefly earlier in the review, but I really, really like the d-pad. It’s an 8-way d-pad and the same one on Razer’s Wolverine V2 Pro for the PS5, although I don’t use the d-pad as much since most games support the joysticks. But when I do play a game that primarily works with the d-pad, it’s a pleasure to use.
Speaking of the joysticks, the medical-grade rubber and textured border make these feel super grippy and easy to handle. All without feeling like my thumbs are going to slip off of them. There’s also great feedback when you press the sticks inward. It’s not hard to push these in either so you don’t have to use too much force. Though it isn’t too easy to push them either. It feels like just the right amount.
The mecha-tactile action buttons also feel great. They’re super clicky just like a mouse click. So they’re incredibly fast at actuation. The triggers feel nice as well and they’re infinitely more comfortable to rest your fingers on than older Kishi options. Thanks to the larger size. The one thing I am not incredibly fond of is the L4 and R4 multi-function buttons up top. These sit on the inside of the triggers and can feel a little less convenient than back paddles. I’ll use the DualSense Edge as an example here. The back paddles on that controller are what I would consider peak for buttons you can remap.
They sit just under where your middle fingers are, and hitting these just feels more natural than what Razer uses with the Kishi Ultra. That isn’t to say that the Kishi Ultra’s L4 and R4 buttons aren’t good. They are. They feel good when you press them in and they have just as good of a tactile mouse click-style feel as the action buttons. The issue for me personally, is that it’s just not as easy to hit these. Because I have to move my fingers beyond the triggers to press them.
This made it more difficult to use for games like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile. As I typically use these kinds of re-mappable keys for my slide and jump actions, and with the multi-function buttons next to the triggers, sometimes I accidentally hit the triggers. I’ve gotten so used to playing Call of Duty on the PS5, the paddles on the DualSense Edge just feel better. And if there was one thing I would change about the Kishi Ultra, it would be the placement of these buttons. But that’s just my preference. Overall, the controls are top-notch.
Should you buy the Razer Kishi Ultra?
Razer’s Kishi Ultra is a prime example of a mobile controller that’s at the top of its game. While I would change a thing or two, it’s the best mobile controller I have ever used. And I firmly believe it’s the best mobile controller on the market. Nothing even comes close. Yes, Razer’s own alternatives are pretty good. The Backbone One is good. But the Kishi Ultra is exceptional. And that’s all made possible by being a full-size controller with full-size buttons. That paired with the ability to use mobile devices with up to 8-inch displays makes this a slam dunk. In short, I think anyone who plays games on mobile often should buy one.
Buy the Razer Kishi Ultra if:
- You want a full-size mobile controller option
- You want the best mobile controller available
- You’re looking for something that also works with PC
Don’t buy the Razer Kishi Ultra if:
- You’re looking for something less expensive
- You want something that’s a little smaller for easier packing
- You prefer console controllers with a phone mount
2024-04-25 15:07:45