Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro: two premium PS5 controllers, but only one is worth buying this Black Friday

Black Friday is happening late in November, and it’s proven in the past to be one of the best times of year to pick up premium PS5 controllers for less.

If you primarily play on PS5, you might be eyeing up comparisons for the Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro - two high-end gamepads that are compatible with the console.

In truth, there’s one very clear winner in this comparison, boasting huge improvements while also being considerably cheaper than its older counterpart. Both controllers are fairly likely to receive discounts during the Black Friday sales period, so I’m here to help you make the right decision if you’re planning on picking up one of these high-end PS5 pads.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro: Price and Value

Now, neither the Razer Raiju V3 Pro nor the Wolverine V2 Pro is what you’d necessarily call affordable. These are premium-priced controllers with a specific target audience - namely, competitive multiplayer gamers who look for features like remappable buttons, swappable thumbstick caps, and the like.

Let’s start with the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. It officially launched in October 2025, and costs $219.99 / £199.99 (around AU$339). It’s available in two colorways - white and black - and can be purchased directly on Razer’s website or at stocking retailers. That also goes for the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro, in both availability and color choices, but expect to pay $249.99 / £249.99 (around AU$379) at retail price here.

What’s very important to note here is that the Wolverine V2 Pro is the more expensive option of the two, despite being a few years older than the Raiju V3 Pro. But why is this the case? The main culprit is likely the Wolverine V2 Pro’s usage of RGB lighting strips around the grips and touchbar. RGB lighting can inflate the price of any given controller, and the fact that it’s absent on the Raiju V3 Pro could have led to its lower price point.

This isn't entirely to say that the Wolverine V2 Pro isn't worth considering. From a sales standpoint, it's the more likely of the two to receive a steep discount over Black Friday. That said, the controller has worryingly held its $249.99 / £249.99 retail price for a long while in both the US and the UK. During sales periods, though, we've seen it drops as low as $179.99 / £179 at Amazon and other major retailers. Something to think about if you're keen to save cash between the two options here.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro: Specs & Performance

As you can gather from this specs table, both the Raiju V3 Pro and Wolverine V2 Pro are very similar at surface level. However, performance-wise, there are a number of differences that set each controller apart.

Most notably is the Raiju V3 Pro’s usage of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) thumbsticks. Like Hall effect, these help to eliminate the risk of stick drift, but these retain a feeling closer to that of traditional analog sticks that rely on a physical connection. You’re essentially getting the best of both worlds here.

The Wolverine V2 Pro doesn’t make use of TMR or Hall effect, however, making it more susceptible to stick drift over time. The Raiju is the clear winner here, then, offering sticks that feel more satisfying to use and will last for a much longer period of time.

Both controllers have their own approach to remappable rear buttons, too. On the Raiju V3 Pro, they’re more in line with what we see on the Xbox-compatible Wolverine V3 Pro, being much more discreet and adopting Razer’s mouse click tech for more tactile, satisfying presses. The Wolverine V2 Pro's equivalent buttons always felt disappointing to me, being placed too close to the center to be useful in competitive scenarios, and feeling rather listless in comparison to those nice mouse-like clicks.

Both do have incredibly satisfying microswitch-powered face buttons, however, as well as well-implemented trigger locks for quick and responsive presses. Plus, you can freely set button profiles within the PC Razer Controller app, with your settings and profiles carrying over to console, too.

Battery life is one area both controllers are comparable in. For the Raiju V3 Pro, Razer’s website states an estimated battery life of 36 hours. In my testing for review, however, I only managed to squeeze out 10-20 hours of battery life before needing to charge. Your mileage may vary here. The Wolverine V2 Pro is a little more interesting, offering up to 10 hours with RGB enabled, and around 20 hours without. So your aesthetic preference will play a part here.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro: Design and dimensions

If you’re looking at both controllers for the first time, it can be hard to distinguish the differences between the two, given they have an extremely similar silhouette. The Raiju V3 Pro is, essentially, an enhanced version of the Wolverine V2 Pro, and thus bears a striking resemblance as a result.

The Raiju V3 Pro loses the RGB lighting, which is probably the most immediately apparent difference here. However, both controllers are practically identical in weight and dimensions, as you can see in the specs table above.

So the newer controller might not be as aesthetically pleasing, but it more than makes up for this in other aspects. As mentioned above, the rear remappable buttons have been completely redesigned. On the Wolverine V2 Pro, these were uncomfortably bunched up in the middle of the pad, with the bottom two having a weird trigger-esque design.

Another stark difference is the placement of the thumbsticks. The Wolverine V2 Pro adopts an offset layout for its thumbsticks. Meanwhile, the Raiju V3 Pro offers something more familiar to the DualSense with symmetrical sticks both found under the touchpad. This might be a more comfortable setup for you if you primarily play on PlayStation consoles.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro vs Razer Wolverine V2 Pro: Verdict

For my money, it’s no contest between these two Razer controllers. The Raiju V3 Pro is far and away the better, more capable gamepad. The lower price is of course one thing, making the Raiju far more palatable at face value. But it’s the improvements it brings over the Wolverine V2 Pro that put it quite a few rungs above.

Like the Wolverine V3 Pro, I love almost every aspect of the Raiju’s design. Improvements to its d-pad, remappable rear buttons, and tactile microswitch usage make this feel like a far more responsive controller for competitively-minded gamers. The Wolverine V2 Pro, in comparison, feels a touch dated by today’s standards, lacking any kind of drift resistance in its thumbsticks and coming in at an eye-wateringly high price.

It’s more likely that the Wolverine V2 Pro will see steeper discounts this Black Friday. But all that will serve to do, most likely, is put it at a more comparable price to the Raiju V3 Pro. The Raiju may see slighter 5-10% discounts over the sales period, but it’s the one I recommend wholeheartedly over its predecessor; now, or really any time of year.

Still, you might want to consider the Wolverine V2 Pro if it gets an especially chunky discount next month. Personally, given its age, I'd like to see a price drop to somewhere in the ballpark of $149.99 / £149.99, or perhaps slightly less. It simply can't hold a candle to the Raiju V3 Pro at any price above that.