Razer Raiju V3 Pro Review: A Top-End PS5 and PC Controller Only Limited by Sony Restrictions

The Raiju V3 Pro is 1 of those uncommon PlayStation-layout controllers that besides works brilliantly connected PC, augmented with modern tech similar drift-resistant TMR joysticks, Hall Effect triggers, six other buttons and polling rates up to 2000Hz. After a period with the Raiju V3 Pro, completing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the latest MechWarrior 5: Clans DLC and a long-running F1 23 campaign, I'm blessed to telephone it: this is the champion symmetric controller I've ever tested.

Design and Features

The Raiju V3 Pro's matte achromatic integrative ammunition outwardly resembles the DualSense, but conceals a multitude of features – immoderate intended for competitory gamers and plentifulness of others that payment everyone. The astir evident illustration of the second are the Raiju's precocious thumbsticks: dissimilar the likewise premium Sony DualSense Edge, the Raiju uses TMR (tunneling magnetoresistance) sensors. This tech has conscionable gone mainstream successful the past mates of years, and has some longevity (anti-drift) and precision (no dormant zone) benefits implicit accepted potentiometer-based alternatives, making them a earthy prime for a $220 gamepad that you'll privation to usage for years to get your money's worth.

The instrumentality caps are besides swappable, with a taller concave headdress and a same-size convex headdress awaiting you successful the included transportation case. That aforesaid lawsuit besides includes a infinitesimal screwdriver for installing oregon removing the 4 rear buttons, which travel attached by default and are labeled M3 to M6. These backmost paddles, positive 2 further clicky M1 and M2 keys hiding retired adjacent the enarthrosis buttons, tin each beryllium remapped utilizing the Synapse bundle connected PC oregon the Razer Controller iOS/Android app. There's besides an further fastener beneath the PlayStation fastener to swap betwixt profiles rapidly without software.

The regular look buttons are besides interesting, with what Razer calls 'mecha-tactile' switches - fundamentally clicky, short-threw variants of a accepted membrane fastener nether a PBT cap. These springiness each fastener and d-pad absorption a pleasing magnitude of tactile and audible feedback erstwhile pressed, portion the abbreviated question region is nicely calibrated to consciousness contiguous without making accidental presses excessively easy.

The aforesaid fine-tuning is evident connected the Hall Effect triggers, which are besides much durable than their potentiometer-based forebears. A trigger fastener connected each broadside allows you to swap the afloat question region for a abbreviated and snappy integer input with a rodent click – perfect for timing-dependent games similar Elden Ring oregon Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The d-pad is besides customizable, with four-way and eight-way modes, positive 4 SOCD settings that fto you take what happens erstwhile 2 opposing directions are held astatine the aforesaid time, whether that's prioritising the archetypal oregon past input, cancelling the inputs oregon recognising some simultaneously.

Moving deeper down, into the guts of the controller, there's a high-end microcontroller that allows for a maximum polling complaint of 2000Hz erstwhile wired to a PC. For a wireless PC transportation to the included 2.4GHz USB dongle, the maximum is 500Hz, portion connected PlayStation 5, it's 250Hz – a level limitation, Razer tells me. Higher polling rates chopped down input latency, though genres similar warring games and shooters volition consciousness the quality astir readily.

Gaming and Performance

With its comfy grips, TMR sticks and acquainted layout, adapting to the Raiju V3 Pro was the enactment of a moment, but I truly came to admit it portion playing done Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The Raiju V3 Pro carried maine done the extremity crippled and its progressively challenging optional content, proving much comfy for timing parries than the keyboard-and-mouse setup I was utilizing before. Being capable to fastener the triggers helped for executing Gradient Parries oregon rapidly mounting disconnected astatine a run, and adjacent aiming for moving anemic points utilizing the near thumbstick was easier than I expected.

F1 23 was a sterner trial of the analogue triggers and thumb sticks, which the Raiju V3 passed with precision, and I appreciated having other buttons on-hand for changing brake bias oregon differential settings without taking my eyes disconnected the adjacent corner. MechWarrior 5: Clans is different crippled that has much functionality than tin easy beryllium mapped to a default controller, truthful having a conveniently-placed rear fastener to rapidly alteration a MASC boost oregon alteration limb power groups often came successful useful. I recovered aiming a situation present versus my accustomed mouse-and-keyboard, but mounting the deadzone to 3% successful Synapse and opting for a taller instrumentality headdress made things easier.

While astir of my investigating took spot connected PC, I besides dug retired the PlayStation 5 to get immoderate impressions there. The Raiju V3 Pro can't aftermath the console from sleep, nor tin its bundle beryllium tally connected the PlayStation straight – that luxury is lone afforded to Sony's ain DualSense Edge. Similarly, there's nary counterpart to the DualSense's adaptive triggers, which means games that heavy trust connected haptic feedback, similar Astro's Playroom, autumn flat. In each different consciousness though, the Raiju V3 Pro felt arsenic hooked-up and comfy connected PlayStation arsenic it did connected PC, whether I was flying done intersections successful Grand Theft Auto 5 oregon gunning down adversaries successful Battlefield 6's Redsec conflict royale mode.

Battery beingness for the Raiju V3 Pro is rated astatine 36 hours, which felt close – getting the platinum successful Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lone took 2 charges, and the remainder of my investigating was done with lone a azygous further top-up. One metallic lining of the highest polling rates being locked down wired play means that you don't request to take betwixt longevity and performance, arsenic you bash connected high-end gaming mice that execute astatine their champion astatine 8000Hz – but thin to tally retired of foodstuff wrong a time oregon 2 of sustained play.

Will is lawman tech exertion for IGN, specialising successful PC hardware, sim racing and show tech. He has been publishing astir games and exertion since 2001 (age 12). Will was formerly Deputy Editor astatine Digital Foundry. He is presently playing MechWarrior 5: Clans.