Razer Kishi Ultra test: our full opinion

The mobile controller market has experienced sudden growth in recent years. With the advent of cloud gaming and cross-platform mobile gaming, smartphone and tablet gamers are hungry for precise control. Backbone has finally arrived on the European market, when the Chinese Gamesir destroys everything in its path with unbeatable quality-price ratio. After multiple versions, it is time for Razer to release its latest copy: the Kishi Ultra.

Razer Kishi Ultra Technical sheet

The machine is on loan from Razer for this test.

Razer Kishi Ultra The mobile controller

Gone is the more compact format, and room for a real traditional controller for the Razer Kishi Ultra. Here, we finally have something to firmly and securely place our adult hands on, without having to hold on to the triggers as was the case with the Kishi V2. It must be said that the manufacturer has learned its lesson: consumers want comfort rather than transportability. The brand with the three snakes is therefore only readjusting its initial vision. It does it in a very good way, however, with a quality plastic that is slightly gripped on the back for optimal comfort.

Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid

The controller is extremely well built, but what about its buttons? Keyboard manufacturer that it is, Razer is once again giving pride of place to its own very clicky “mecha-tactile” switches, which can be found on the A/B/X/Y buttons as well as the R1/triggers. L1, the customizable R4/L4 shortcuts or even the directional cross.

Let’s talk more specifically about this one. Saucer-shaped with a cross integrated inside, it therefore benefits from very rapid feedback thanks to the presence of switches rather than a central membrane. The feeling is thus closer to the cross of a PS Vita or a GBA SP than to a Super Nintendo or a traditional GBA. Above all, the configuration is very reminiscent of the brand’s fightpads. Understand here that the cross will offer you very high precision for fighting games, particularly quarter and half circles, but some (mainly platform game players) have a little difficulty with this setup. It’s a matter of habit and taste, but the work done by Razer here is impeccable.

Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid

But the biggest daily and pragmatic evolution of this Kishi Ultra is the placement of the R4/L4 customizable shortcut buttons. Where they ate up the space reserved for the R2/L2 analog triggers on the Kishi V2, making everything uncomfortable on a daily basis, here they are perfectly placed at the end and between the L1/L2 buttons. Understand that adult fingers can comfortably activate L1 with the pad of their finger, and press L4 with the tip of the index finger, and then move to L2 in a quarter of a second. Note also that the analog triggers are very comfortable and offer a wide activation distance. On the stick side, we find a traditional analog configuration with anti-friction rings, in the standard format of an Xbox controller and not a Joy-Con. These are not Hall effect.

Source: Chloé Pertuis for Frandroid

Is there even a flaw in this configuration? Yes, one: system shortcuts. If the quality of the buttons is there, their placement is somewhat strange. In a classic PlayStation configuration, the Share button is taken by the return to Home button on the Kishi Ultra, when the “Share” is placed between the left joystick and the cross. Enough to lead to errors in the middle of the game, especially since this Home button is not particularly useful. This defect is not really disturbing on a daily basis, and is much more a big question mark on the engineers’ choices. Otherwise, the quick access to Nexus or even screenshot button is always nice to have.

Razer Kishi Ultra Compatibility

In addition to this traditional controller format, the Razer Kishi Ultra also brings with it a major compatibility update. Let’s first move on to the expected: with the advent of the USB-C port on the iPhone 15, the controller is compatible with the latest generation of Apple as well as Android smartphones, without having to buy a different model.

Above all, the central extendable part has been revised to be able to be stretched more widely. And the two gutters housing the edges of the smartphones are now equipped with customizable rubber pads, three different models being included in the box. What does all this really mean? That the Razer Kishi Ultra is now capable of accommodating smartphones with their cases, but also the iPad Mini and a host of 8-inch tablets without the slightest problem. Again, a very popular request in the mobile gaming world.

There is also a jack at the bottom left of the device, and a USB-C port supporting charging up to 15W on the right. We would have liked a higher load, but its presence is always appreciated.

Besides Android and iOS, you can also enjoy compatibility with Windows PCs. Once connected using a simple USB-C cable, it is natively recognized as a wired Xbox 360 controller. Absolutely no compatibility concerns therefore, even if we lose the advanced configurations possible on mobile thanks to the Nexus application.

Razer Kishi Ultra Razer Nexus

The controller does not come alone, and is supported by Razer Nexus, the brand’s specialized launcher which under Android launches automatically when connected to the smartphone. It can be recalled at any time through its dedicated button, and is just a simple application available on the Play Store. It is through this app that you will also receive firmware updates for the controller in the future, which at the time of our test is still in version 1.0.

Nexus is in truth the unsuspected killer app of this Kishi Ultra. Indeed, few applications provide these services without being complicated to configure or without having to have a rooted smartphone. First of all, it comes in the form of a simple game launcher: it automatically detects titles already installed on your smartphone, and also recommends other games available on the Play Store compatible with a controller.

Its strength actually comes from the integration of a tool allowing areas of the screen to be directly linked to the buttons on the controller. This tool is maddeningly simple and offers all the configurations you would expect, for daily use that is done in the snap of your fingers. Of all the solutions we have tried over the last ten years, this is quite simply the best on Android. The feature is not available on iOS.

As a bonus, we find the integration of streaming to Facebook or YouTube, the possibility of adjusting the dead zones of the joysticks, and of course an advanced configuration of the L4/R4 shortcut buttons. These can be configured as additional buttons, useful for emulator shortcuts for example, or to reproduce an already known key, such as L2/R2 if you want immediate activation of the key. The application is completely free regardless of the platform and does not include paid services as is the case on Backbone in particular.

Otherwise, Razer requires, we also find the configuration of the Chroma lighting effects of the bands integrated into the controller, or the vibration power of the integrated Sensa haptic feedback. Besides, let’s talk about these vibrations: there are still few native titles that integrate them, but their quality for remote play or emulation is simply excellent. Again, very nice work.