The Razer Raiju V3 Pro is a great premium PS5 controller, but it hasn’t blown me away like its Xbox counterpart did

Razer Raiju V3 Pro: one-minute review

After roughly two weeks with the Razer Raiju V3 Pro, I can confidently say it’s one of the best PS5 controllers I’ve tested to date. While it’s arguable that the space doesn’t have all that many compelling third-party options - outside of the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded at least - Razer’s controller nonetheless sets a new standard for PS5 pads.

It accomplishes this partly through its inclusion of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) thumbsticks. That’s not as glamorous as it sounds - simply providing a highly drift resistant pair of sticks similar to Hall effect - but it’s an overdue inclusion among the best PS5 pads that significantly cheaper offerings on rival platforms have had for a number of years now. See the GameSir Tarantula Pro or 8BitDo Ultimate 2 for proof of that.

But that’s not the only reason to consider buying the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. Like with the Xbox-compatible Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, Razer’s own mouse click tech powers its remappable rear buttons, bumpers, and triggers, and they all feel so amazingly satisfying to press. As an esports-facing controller, rapid responsiveness for button presses is paramount, and the immediacy on offer here is simply excellent.

Aspects that I loved about the Wolverine V3 Pro are here on the Raiju. Razer has arguably the best trigger locks in the business, again leveraging that mouse clickiness for quick and satisfying results. The circular d-pad design remains one of my favorites, too, allowing for a heightened level of precision over traditional 4-way d-pads; truly a wonderful thing for the best fighting games, especially.

So far so good, then, and the inclusion of a carry case is a welcome one if you’re inclined to take your controller out with you to local tournaments or just to a buddy’s house. But I have to mark down the Raiju V3 Pro slightly in its overall build quality.

While still certainly on the higher end of PlayStation pads, it just doesn’t feel quite as premium as its Xbox counterpart. The face buttons, too - while still making use of tactile microswitches - don’t feel quite as satisfying or clicky as they do on the Wolverine V3 Pro. A shame, especially given that the Raiju is more expensive than the Wolverine in the US and the same price as it in the UK.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro: price and availability

• List price: $219.99 / £199.99 (around AU$339)
• Available now at Razer and select retailers
• Similarly priced to the Wolverine V3 Pro

The Razer Raiju V3 Pro is available to buy now for $219.99 / £199.99 (around AU$339). You can pick up the PS5-compatible controller from Razer’s own website, or stocking retailers in the US and UK. An Amazon listing is due to go live at a later date.

In terms of price, it falls in the same territory as other premium-adjacent PlayStation 5 controllers. For example, the DualSense Edge comes in at $199.99 / £199.99, while the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded is available for $209.99 / £179.99.

But why are these controllers so expensive? Truthfully it usually comes down to two things. For one, they’re aimed at a specialist market - usually competitive gamers. Secondly, such gamepads typically come loaded with extra features like enhanced thumbsticks, trigger locks, remappable buttons, microswitches and more. There may or may not be a bit of a brand tax in the mix, too.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro: Specs

Razer Raiju V3 Pro: design and features

While a counterpart to the Wolverine V3 Pro, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro actually looks a lot more similar to the Wolverine V2 Pro from a few years back. It has the same general silhouette, albeit with an entirely matte black finish rather than a clean white. It’s a very unassuming look, with even the PlayStation face button iconography sharing the same black as the pad itself.

Expect a similar layout to that of the DualSense Wireless Controller, or indeed the DualSense Edge. Symmetrical thumbsticks, a central Home dashboard button, along with a large center (and functioning) touchpad with Options and Share buttons on either side. The triggers and bumpers are a bit of a departure, though, feeling more similar to that of the Xbox Wireless Controller.

Usual suspects aside, the feature set is practically identical to the Wolverine V3 Pro. Two claw grip bumpers (essentially secondary bumpers lodged next to the triggers) are joined by four remappable rear buttons situated behind the pad’s grips. There’s also a pair of two-way trigger lock switches at the top rear, and between those, switches for swapping between wired and wireless play, and PC and PS5 connectivity.

The textured grips feel wonderful, and let you get a firm, comfortable grasp of the controller during play. The remappable buttons are positioned so that your fingers rest conveniently on them, too.

It’s a very solidly built controller, overall. But a nagging feeling I had during testing was that it just doesn’t feel quite as nice as the Wolverine V3 Pro. For that Xbox controller, I found its build quality to be one of the highlights, feeling suitably weighty and well-built.

The Raiju V3 Pro is noticeably lighter, which isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but materials used here just feel a touch less premium overall, from its chassis to its sticks and buttons. Plus, the fact the USB-C port juts outwardly is an awkward blemish on the controller’s looks. And it could also mean that cables beyond the one Razer has included might not fit.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro: Performance

I at least can’t fault the Razer Raiju V3 Pro when it comes to gaming performance. Like its Xbox cousin, the Raiju provides a superb play experience especially in online multiplayer environments.

TMR sticks are a really welcome addition here. They achieve much the same as Hall effect by eliminating the risk of stick drift. However, they’re a lot closer to traditional analog sticks in feel, if that’s something you prefer. If you’re jumping over from a DualSense, you should feel right at home here, then, albeit the sticks on the Raiju are leagues ahead in durability.

Like the Wolverine V3 Pro, the Raiju is an exceptionally satisfying pad from a play perspective. The tactile immediacy of its buttons, d-pad, bumpers, and triggers (provided you’ve got those trigger locks enabled) just feels great in practice.

While I dabble in Fortnite and PUBG Battlegrounds, fighting games are my go-to competitive experience. And I’m as happy with the Raiju in this regard as I was with the Wolverine V3 Pro. The clicky, circular d-pad helps tremendously with rapid movement and motion-based inputs, whereas with traditional 4-way d-pads, it’s a lot easier to fumble commands or hit something you didn’t mean to. I’d genuinely love it if this circular design became the standard across most gamepads going forward; it just feels so nice in comparison.

In terms of battery life, it’s a similar story with the Raiju as it was with the Wolverine V3 Pro. I got around 10 hours out of the controller before it started to drop off and lose connection. Not brilliant, especially compared to the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded and Revolution 5 Pro, but certainly a step up from the DualSense Edge’s 5-6 hours on average.

Should I buy the Razer Raiju V3 Pro?

Buy it if...

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Razer Raiju V3 Pro: Also consider

If the Razer Raiju V3 Pro isn’t quite what you’re looking for, there are other premium controller options for PS5 you might want to consider instead.

How I tested the Razer Raiju V3 Pro

• Tested for two weeks
• Played a range of PS5 and PC games
• Compared directly to its Xbox counterpart, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro

I tested the Razer Raiju V3 Pro for around two weeks for this review. In that time, I played a handful of games across PS5 and PC - both single player and online multiplayer-focused. These include Monster Hunter Wilds, Fortnite, Final Fantasy 14 Online, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and the recently-released Ninja Gaiden 4.

I compared my experience with the Raiju to that of the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. I certainly prefer that Xbox counterpart thanks to its more premium-feeling build quality. But overall, both are top performers when it comes to gaming proper, and I could easily recommend both depending on your platform of choice.

First reviewed October 2025

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