Copyright Tom's Guide
Razer continues to set new standards in competitive gaming, and the latest addition to its esports controllers is a formidable one. The Razer Raiju V3 Pro is, at the time of writing, the only PS5 controller to feature magnetic TMR thumbsticks. These offer pinpoint precision in FPS titles, RPGs and racing games, and remove the risk of stick drift over time. Add Hall Effect triggers to the mix and you’ve got a gamepad that’s hard to beat. I’ve been using the controller for a week now and I’m pleased to report that not only were my first impressions highly positive, but the controller has continued to impress me throughout the testing period. While I’m not a fan of the floating D-pad, it’s hard to fault the controller otherwise. Is this the best game controller for you? Read my full Razer Raiju V3 Pro review to find out. Razer Raiju V3 Pro review: Cheat sheet What is it? A highly customizable wireless controller for esports on the PS5 — and the Sony counterpart to the Xbox-/PC-focused Razer Wolverine V3 Pro Who is it for? For competitive gamers who want TMR sticks and Hall Effect triggers for precise control How much does it cost? The Razer Raiju V3 Pro retails for $219 / £199 What do we like? The ergonomic design, TMR thumbsticks and Hall Effect triggers for maximum precision, degree of customization, and removable back buttons What don’t we like? The floating D-pad and high price point Razer Raiju V3 Pro review: Specs Razer Raiju V3 Pro review: The ups From its ergonomic design and high degree of customization to its TMR thumbsticks and Hall Effect triggers, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is sure to give competitive players an advantage. Comfortable and ergonomic Similar to the Sony PlayStation DualSense controller (which I’ve always loved) for the PS5, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro sports a rounded and contoured shape, one that fits naturally in my hands. Like the first-party DualSense and DualSense Edge ($200) and as it’s officially licensed by Sony, the Raiju V3 Pro comes with symmetrical thumbsticks, PlayStation Shapes face buttons, and a large, functioning central touchpad. As I’m used to the first-party controllers, getting to grips with the Raiju V3 Pro took me barely any time. From the get-go, I found the controller comfortable to hold in my medium-sized hands. The controller measures 6.64 x 4.46 x 2.56 inches so it’s slightly larger than both the DualSense Edge and its closest third-party rival, the Turtle Beach Victrix BFG Pro Reloaded ($209) — both of which measure approximately 6.3 x 4.1 x 2.4 inches each. The Raiju V3 Pro weighs 9.1oz, so it’s lighter than the Victrix BFG Pro Reloaded (9.3oz) and the DualSense Edge (11.3oz). I usually prefer heavier gamepads as they feel more substantial, but I’ve really enjoyed holding the Raiju V3 Pro too. It’s built extremely well and robustly, and it doesn’t sound or feel too hollow. Removable back buttons Not everyone enjoys having back buttons on controllers — I know a few people who don’t. You can accidentally hit them mid-game and execute a command you never intended to. I, personally, love back buttons as they make a controller feel more ergonomic and they can give you enhanced control. The Razer Raiju V3 Pro, just like the DualSense Edge and the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded, features four customizable back buttons, all within easy reach of your fingers. What’s even more is that the Raiju V3 Pro features two claw-grip bumpers next to the triggers too, so there are six customizable buttons at your disposal — two more than the DualSense Edge and the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded. These can easily and quickly be customized via Razer Synapse software. Back buttons come in handy in a plethora of competitive games, be that FPS titles or racing. I tried them out in F1 22 where I could shift the gear up and down via the back buttons. Not only did this make the controller more comfortable for longer, but it also made the game more immersive — like playing on a sim racing wheel. In FPS titles like Borderlands 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, I appreciated being able to use one of the back buttons to sprint. In the latter, I’ve always found pressing L3 finicky to sprint, so it was nice being able to use an alternative one instead. But what’s better than customizable back buttons? Removable ones. You can use the included screwdriver to unscrew and remove them entirely, just in case you don’t want to press them unintentionally. Highly customizable This brings me to my next point: the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is highly customizable, either via the Razer Synapse software on Windows or the Razer Controller app on iOS and Android. The latter is great for PS5 players who might not have access to a PC as it enables customization on the fly. And boy is there a lot to customize. You can customize the thumbsticks’ sensitivity, triggers’ actuation points, remap the buttons or disable the back buttons if you don’t want to use or remove them, run diagnostics and update the firmware, and recalibrate the sticks and triggers too. All of this is easy to do via both the Windows and mobile apps. I’m going to give Razer a brownie point here. The Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded can be customized via Windows or Xbox software only, so if you own the PS5 version, you won’t be able to personalize it to your liking. Razer has solved that issue with a simple mobile app — Turtle Beach, it’s time to step up. TMR thumbsticks for extreme precision Traditional analog thumbsticks are so old school. In recent years, we’ve seen the implementation of magnetic, Hall Effect sensors into keyboards as well as controllers. But even better technology exists in the form of TMR, short for Tunnel Magneto Resistance. This is still an up and coming technology and not many high-profile gamepads feature it yet — but the Razer Raiju V3 Pro does, and it’s currently the only PS5 controller to do so. I won’t get into the nitty-gritty details and scientific explanation behind TMR in this review but you can read our explainer on TMR instead. All you need to know is that TMR achieves greater precision than Hall Effect because it uses weak electromagnetic waves. This sensitivity allows the sensor to detect smaller adjustments and movements, which is paramount in competitive gaming. I tested the sticks’ and triggers’ prowess by playing a few games on my PS5 Slim, including Cyberpunk 2077, Borderlands 3 and Ghost of Yotei, and I was highly impressed with the Raiju V3 Pro’s performance across the board. In both Cyberpunk 2077 and Borderlands 3, I thoroughly appreciated being able to fine-tune my movements. While aiming with a sniper or long-reaching rifle in either game, I could aim extremely precisely, and even my most minute, miniscule movements were registered. It gave me lots of control over my aim which helped me execute even tricky headshots if an enemy was obscured in darkness or I could only see part of their head through bars.I also appreciated the immediate stop when I was using the sticks to control the camera, and I suddenly let go — and it’s something you won’t necessarily get with analog sticks. Although Ghost of Yotei isn’t a first-person shooter, the Raiju V3 Pro is a great controller for this RPG too. When fighting a group of enemies and executing a chain of attacks where time is slowed down after you assassinate one player and then aim for the next, I was able to easily cherry-pick my next target — even if there were many other enemies right next to my target. That’s all thanks to the TMR sticks offering precise control. Great mouse-like clicky face buttons Instead of having thocky face buttons, like the DualSense Edge and the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded do, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro does things differently. The Raiju V3 Pro’s face buttons utilizes the same clicky tech found in Razer’s best gaming mice, so it feels like pressing the left- and right-click buttons on a mouse, and this is also the case with the controller’s Xbox counterpart, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro — and I love it. They feel extremely satisfying to press and because they don’t need to be pressed deeply to register a command — like on a gaming mouse — input registration is instantaneous. In my testing, the lightest of presses was immediately registered, which gave me a competitive advantage in FPS titles as well as games that require button-mashing. For instance, in Mortal Kombat 11, rapidly tapping the light and heavy attack buttons was a walk in the park. Each input was promptly registered and due to the face buttons’ clicky nature, it didn’t feel fatiguing either. It felt exactly like using a gaming mouse, and I’m sure competitive players will appreciate this. Glorious Hall Effect triggers On top of TMR thumbsticks, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro also features Hall Effect triggers. Each trigger features a switch that lets you swap between a short, clicky press or a long, traditional press. The clicky nature of the short press feels like mouse clicks, similar to the controller’s face buttons. I love their tactile nature, and I found clicky presses perfect for games that didn’t necessarily require a long press, like tapping R2 to initiate a Gradient Counter or attack after jumping in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Diving into Razer Synapse or the Razer Controller mobile app enables you to adjust the triggers’ sensitivity too, like adjusting a magnetic switch’s, essentially. This gave me precise control in Borderlands 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, as I could choose how sensitive I wanted the triggers to be. Long battery life The cherry on top of the cake is the Razer Raiju V3 Pro’s fantastic battery life. The only way to use the controller wirelessly is via the ultra-low-latency 2.4GHz dongle which plugs into the back of the PS5, and over a wireless connection, the Raiju V3 Pro is rated for up to 36 hours, and in my testing, it died just short of that. To put it into perspective, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro has a 20-hour battery life. The Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded also lasts up to 20 hours. The DualSense Edge? It averages about five hours between charges. The Raiju V3 Pro, then, blows all these gamepads out of the water with its incredible battery life. Razer Raiju V3 Pro review: The downs The Razer Raiju V3 Pro isn’t perfect, as its floating D-pad doesn’t feel premium even though the controller itself costs a premium. Floating D-pad isn’t the best The Razer Raiju V3 Pro utilizes an eight-way floating D-pad which enables you to make diagonal movements as opposed to four-way ones where you can only go up, down, left and right. Granted, this can be great in fighting games, but it isn’t my favorite design choice. The D-pad feels slightly mushy and I feel like I keep pressing the wrong direction every time I use it. But that is the only thing I’d really change about the Raiju V3 Pro. The good news is that you can choose to have it four-way instead of eight-way if you dive into companion software, so there’s a silver lining. Costs a premium The Razer Raiju V3 Pro doesn’t come cheap. Given that it’s highly customizable, aimed at professional players, and features the latest TMR and Hall Effect tech, it isn’t surprising that this one isn’t for bargain hunters. It retails for $219 / £199, which makes it the most expensive gamepad I’ve used so far. It’s more expensive than the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded ($209), the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro ($199), the DualSense Edge ($199) and the Nacon Revolution 5 Pro ($199). If money is no object, then I can’t recommend the Raiju V3 Pro enough. However, if you aren’t too fussed about having TMR sticks or removable back buttons, the other alternatives should suffice. Some missing PS5 features I’ll preface this by saying that this isn’t a major con or drawback of the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. As this is a third-party controller, some official PS5 features are missing — just like on the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded. The controller does not feature haptic feedback (my favorite feature on the DualSense) which makes RPGs feel less immersive. There are no adaptive triggers either, so L2 and R2 don’t dynamically change resistance to simulate different in-game actions and environments. The Raiju V3 Pro doesn’t feature a built-in mic either which you’ll find on first-party controllers. Now, this can be a drawback for most PS5 players, but I’d like to remind you that the gamepad is aimed primarily at esports and competitive gamers who will, most probably, be using one of the best gaming headsets — like the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro — to not only hear audiophile-quality sound but to communicate with others too. That is why the omission of these things isn’t a massive con. While it would be great to have these, I can’t blame Razer for leaving them out. You won’t find things like adaptive triggers and haptics on most third-party PS5 controllers. Razer Raiju V3 Pro review: Verdict If you want a controller that gives you a competitive edge in gaming and tournaments and have been enviously admiring the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, you won’t go wrong with the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. It’s a mighty powerful controller for the PS5 and PC, and it’s the only PS5 controller to offer TMR sticks, at the time of writing. TMR sticks give you extremely precise control over your movements, and the Raiju V3 Pro’s Hall Effect triggers add to its gaming prowess. The controller itself is extremely comfortable and highly customizable. You can remove its back buttons and you can use companion software to personalize it to your liking. The long battery life is the cherry on top. It is, however, missing adaptive triggers and haptic feedback but that is Sony’s proprietary technology reserved for its first-party controllers only. Although it costs a premium, the Raiju V3 Pro is worth investing in if you want a controller that will give you a competitive advantage in most games. It didn’t take long for it to become one of my favorite controllers of all time.
