Razer thinks its new Kishi Ultra controller can compete with handheld PCs

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Gaming accessory maker Razer has a whole new controller for smartphones and more.

Dubbed the ‘Kishi Ultra,’ Razer’s new controller works with Android smartphones, iPhones with USB-C connectors and even up to 8-inch tablets, such as Apple’s iPad mini. Plus, it can work with PCs by plugging it in with a USB-C cable.

Razer positions the Kishi Ultra as the ultimate gaming controller accessory. In a briefing with Razer, the company preferred to compare the Kishi Ultra with handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck and Legion Go than with other mobile controllers. Razer argued that Kishi Ultra’s compatibility with tablets and other devices allows it to provide a better gaming experience than handhelds, offering better portability (the Kishi Ultra and an iPad mini, for example, are lighter than most handheld PCs), more versatility and the best of multiple worlds — mobile gaming, PC gaming, streaming and more. And that’s all while costing significantly less than handheld PCs.

It’s a bold position for the company to take, but it also might have some merit. Razer sent me a Kishi Ultra to try out and while I’ve only had it for a couple days, it feels excellent (stay tuned for a full review in the coming weeks). And since my experience with Lenovo’s Legion Go was mixed at best, I’m intrigued by Razer’s pitch.

Beyond the controller’s wide compatibility, Razer touted several other features in my briefing. The company told me that it wanted to make a controller that could perform at the competitive level. That meant building it with full-size ergonomics and using hall-effect sensors for the triggers. Speaking of triggers, the Kishi Ultra also sports two extra trigger buttons — you get the regular L1/R1 and L2/R2 triggers, plus extra L4 and R4 buttons with them. Razer also boasted about its effort to merge mechanical and membrane switches for the buttons to provide the best of both worlds.The Kishi Ultra features full-size thumbsticks with anti-friction rings as well as software via Razer’s Nexus companion app for correcting for deadzones if they ever develop.

Moreover, Razer said it worked hard to maximize case compatibility. The Kishi Ultra comes with rubber inserts to help it adapt to cases. While Razer can’t guarantee support for every phone and case combination, the company plans to publish a compatibility list so customers can check compatibility before making a purchase.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Razer product without RGB. The Kishi Ultra supports Razer’s Chrome RGB system with tons of customization options.

The company highlighted some Android-specific features the Kishi Ultra will have, including the ability to map controller inputs to touchscreen inputs for games that don’t support controllers. Another Android-specific feature is Razer’s ‘Sensa HD’ haptics, which utilize the wideband HD actuators in the Kishi Ultra. At launch, the Kishi Ultra will offer audio-based haptics built by Razer for 30 titles on Android, and the company will share an SDK for game developers to add their own haptic support.

Razer’s Kishi Ultra is available starting April 18th for $199.99 in Canada from Razer’s website and Amazon. Stay tuned for a full review from MobileSyrup.

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