Razer Wolverine V3 Pro review: the luxury controller for demanding gamers

Construction and ergonomics

If the design of the Razer Wolverine V2 looks a little strange to you in photos, that's normal. At first glance, its handles combined with its imposing hub seem quite unique in today's market. However, compared to a standard Xbox pad, Razer's proposal is not radically different. Its lateral protuberances are indeed a tad shorter, but it is ultimately their completely rounded tip which gives an impression of disproportion with the rest of its chassis, and ultimately becomes a completely classic pad.

Its front side is made of a rough plastic with a pleasant touch, while its rear cuffs benefit from a textured rubbery coating which helps prevent traces of perspiration.

There are a few nuances to note with its Microsoft counterpart, starting with an integrated profile change key, a feature inherited from the Xbox Series Elite controller, which we will return to later. Unlike the latter, it also benefits from the share button present on the standard pad, which makes it a welcome alliance of the best worlds and saves us from going through optional macros. Moreover, the layout of the front panel remains the same, if not a tad more “collected”.

The two sticks (Hall effect, but we will also discuss this later) have a similar stroke, if not identical to that of the Xbox pad. Note that the stick caps can be replaced — two other caps are included in the controller pouch, one of which has a convex shape.

But for the directional cross and the buttons, the differences are really noticeable. Exit the rigid d-pad, the Wolverine V3 Pro has a cross disc that pivots on its central axis (think of the Sega Saturn controller, among others). The feeling is more “floating”, but not imprecise thanks to the presence of micro-switches and their feedback clicky. These same switches are nestled under the four main buttons. Their noise when activated is not negligible and the most sensitive ears may well find them tiring in the long run. However, our gaming sessions were not disrupted.

Before tackling the back of the Wolverine V3 Pro, let's focus on its upper part, where the traditional quartet of edge buttons and triggers nests… But here, two small additional buttons have been added. Like its V2 version, the controller has two additional commands, which can be assigned as duplicates for other buttons. Placed towards the middle, they will not disrupt the use of the two triggers. Furthermore, the latter each have a small mechanical lock, activatable on the rear side, to block their activation stroke and make them more reactive. Practical for scraping off a few thousandths of a second of responsiveness in FPS sessions.

Let's complete this overview with the latest controls of the Wolverine V3 Pro, the famous paddles on its rear panel. There are four of them, allowing you to execute commands with the middle and little fingers. The usefulness of such an addition may seem strange, because how many buttons do you really need to play a game? But in certain cases, it is very practical to access certain commands more quickly, such as opening a map or to trigger a sprint without having to move your thumb from the stick or the front buttons. On the Wolverine, the quartet of paddles still has a feeling clicky with a short, efficient stroke, and the same textured coating as the controller grips.

In the middle of the upper edge are the USB-C port intended for charging the controller and its wired connection to the bike used. Wirelessthe Wolverine V3 Pro has a (fairly large) 2.4 GHz dongle, a protocol favored for competitive gaming, much more reliable than Bluetooth. The latter is also absent from the controller.

The transition to wireless autonomy is obvious: Razer promises 20 hours of gaming, but our experience differs. Concretely, it lasts around fifteen hours, much less than the Xbox Elite Series, but more than the DualSense. Could do better!

Customization and configuration

As an Xbox compatible controller, the Wolverine V3 Pro is natively recognized by the Xbox Accessories application on PC and console. But the latter only offers the most rudimentary customization options, content to let us assign different keys to those already present on the Xbox controller. To really use the Razer controller, you will need to go through the Razer Controller Setup for Xbox app.

The latter, much more extensive, allows you to assign commands to the rear triggers and the two additional edge buttons, but also to adjust the deadzone sticks, or this margin within which the game does not distinguish any movement.

It is also possible to change the RGB lighting of the logo, adjust the intensity of the vibrations or the duration of its standby time. In short, so many tweaks essential to its use and which can be saved in three different profiles. However, some options are missing. Unlike the Elite Series controllers, it is impossible to configure the sensitivity of the stick travel, nor that of the triggers. A small lack which prevents it from achieving completeness.

Precision and responsiveness

Heavier than “standard” controllers from major manufacturers, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro feels pleasant in the hand with a weight (304 g) which suggests a certain construction quality. We also appreciate the stroke of its sticks, offering a feeling similar to that of the Xbox.

Obviously, you will have to appreciate not only the noise of the front and edge buttons, switches clicky oblige, but they also provide very different feedback from the usual membrane controllers. This high-pitched noise allows you to know exactly when the command is entered, which is very practical.

No problem using the rear paddles, which fall right on our fingertips. We still note that the design, more compact and grouped, suits more modest-sized hands than larger ones. Finally, the directional cross turns out to be a little joy to use. We won't go so far as to recommend it for fighting games like Street Fighter¨but its concave shape and the “clicks” of its disc offer a certain satisfaction.