What’s Good
- It’s easy to reach and press the buttons
- Most Android phones work with it
- Button mapping in games that recognize it
Not So Good
- Some popular multiplayer games won’t work
- There’s nothing special about the software
- Costly
It’s easy to find mobile gaming accessories these days, varying in both price and quality. With their Kishi controller, Razer got into the mobile gaming accessory game. Do you think the Razer Kishi V2 is worth the premium price?
Design
Rather than the confusing folding design of the first controller, the Razer Kishi V2 uses a simpler, easier-to-use sliding profile. While this makes it easier to deploy and fit your phone, its downside is that it’s a bit bulky when it’s not in use. Therefore, you have to carry it around.
Because of its sliding profile, the Razer Kishi V2 works with a lot of phones. In addition to Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra, which is a pretty tall phone to begin with, Razer lists a number of compatible phones. When you play on the Razer Kishi V2, you can plug in phones with their cases on. You’ll probably only need a phone with a USB Type-C port on the bottom to use the Razer Kishi V2. It wasn’t available on any of the phones we tried except for ASUS’ ROG Phone 6 Pro, which makes sense since they want you to use their own accessories.
In addition to the two analog thumbsticks with clickable buttons and a mechanical D-pad, the Razer Kishi V2 also has two triggers, two bumpers, two programmable multifunction buttons, two ABXY face buttons, two triggers, and two bumpers. Additionally, you can charge your phone while gaming with the USB-Type C connector on the right grip. However, you can’t fast charge your phone with this Type-C port even if you’re using the right charger. And Type-C to 3.5mm adapters won’t work either. Because of the size of the analog sticks, Razer used high-quality micro switches for the buttons. This controller feels solidly built and will probably last a long time – like many Razer products, it feels solid and will likely withstand long gaming sessions.
Software and Performance
There are a few features you won’t get with the Razer Kishi V2 unless you download Razer Nexus, the Android app that comes with it.
On Kishi V2, you can remap buttons, which is really cool. For people who don’t like live streaming, the app lets you go live on Facebook or YouTube. Additionally, NVIDIA GeForce Now and XBOX Game Pass are available through the app. As of now, neither of these services are available to Philippine users. However, if you’re in a country where they exist, the Razer Kishi V2 is a handy tool.
Is the Razer Kishi V2 suitable for Android gaming? That works just fine, but it won’t work with things like CODM, Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, etc. Razer Kishi V2 isn’t really at fault here – developers have disabled controller inputs so that physical controller users don’t get an unfair advantage.
In any case, the Razer Kishi V2 works with lots of games, and paired with an emulator like AetherSX2, it makes for an awesome mobile gaming experience.