Razer’s new mobile controller can stretch wide enough to fit an iPad Pro

The iPad Mini is nary longer the biggest tablet you tin acceptable into a mobile gaming controller (without breaking it a little). Razer’s caller $199.99 Kishi V3 Pro XL tin accommodate a 13-inch iPad oregon Android tablet that uses a USB-C connector. It’s similar Razer’s 2013 Edge, successful tone astatine least.

My 10.9-inch iPad Air is simply a cinch to acceptable wrong of the Kishi V3 Pro XL, and having adjacent this ample of a surface to play connected is simply a treat. How could it not be? Not lone that, its speakers dependable fantastic for playing games.

The quality to acceptable a immense tablet is the cardinal diagnostic of the Kishi V3 Pro XL specifically, but it shares different gen-to-gen improvements with the smaller, cheaper Kishi V3 options successful the lineup: the $99.99 V3 and $149.99 V3 Pro. Razer says that the Kishi V3’s plan was inspired by its ain Wolverine V3 Pro Xbox controller (our prime for the champion alternate to the Xbox Elite Series 2), which was wide to maine arsenic I got immoderate gaming clip successful with the XL.

All the controllers successful the Kishi V3 lineup see full-size TMR joysticks (with swappable caps), which usage magnets alternatively of carnal contacts for registering inputs, and frankincense aren’t prone to instrumentality drift. The controller grips are much pronounced and are covered successful an etched texture to support them snug successful your hands. The brace of configurable macro buttons adjacent the triggers from anterior Kishi models are contiguous successful the Kishi V3 Pro XL, on with a caller 2nd brace astir the rear of the grips. The V3 Pro and V3 Pro XL enactment haptics, but lone connected Android, oregon erstwhile connected to a machine via USB-C cablegram (not included).

I had a large clip investigating GeForce Now connected the Steam Deck, truthful I wanted to instrumentality vantage of the Kishi V3 Pro XL to effort it connected an iPad’s larger screen. Not that it’s Razer’s fault, but it’s much hard to get GeForce Now moving connected an iPad, since Apple’s App Store policies necessitate streaming experiences to tally done a browser, not done their ain dedicated apps.

Once I got it running, the crippled model acceptable the iPad’s facet ratio astir perfectly, prevention for tiny achromatic bars connected the near and close sides of the surface successful scenery mode. This won’t beryllium an contented if your tablet has a 16:9 facet ratio. Despite my accelerated net speeds, ocular prime looked worse connected the iPad Air than it does connected the Steam Deck OLED. That could beryllium due to the fact that the iPad has a overmuch larger surface and a importantly higher solution that marque it a batch easier to spot ocular artifacts successful a unreality streaming session. Still, latency felt bully capable that I could implicit parries successful Expedition 33: Clair Obscur.

The infinitesimal the Kishi V3 Pro XL clicked with maine was erstwhile I launched Razer’s somewhat-new PC Remote Play experience. It performs truly well, if you’re good with installing Razer apps connected your PC. You’ll request Razer Cortex, which lets you tally games connected your PC and watercourse them to your handheld. Cortex makes the provender look fantastic, taking afloat vantage of the iPad’s surface resolution. Steam’s Link app works conscionable fine, too, and it’s a convenient enactment if you’re accustomed to utilizing a Steam Deck since it has a akin interface.

With my iPad Air installed, the Kishi V3 Pro XL setup weighs astir 1.7 pounds, which is implicit a 4th of a lb heavier than the Steam Deck OLED, and conscionable a interaction heavier than the new Xbox ROG Ally handheld. It’s a small excessively cumbersome to clasp comfortably with 1 hand, adjacent if conscionable for a infinitesimal to itch my shoulder. I assumed this would beryllium the case, though it’s worthy keeping successful caput if you person an adjacent bigger tablet than me. Still, it’s a comfy two-handed acquisition if you’re hunkered down connected the couch.

The Kishi V3Pro XL has little nonstop contention than the remainder of the Kishi V3 lineup. Backbone’s $169.99 Pro controller doesn’t effort to acceptable devices larger than a phone. But dissimilar the Kishi V3 series, it tin beryllium utilized arsenic a standalone Bluetooth controller for your different devices — including tablets — erstwhile a telephone isn’t wedged into it. The GameSir G8 Plus is simply a cheaper enactment astatine $79.99, and tin agelong to acceptable an iPad Mini oregon the archetypal Nintendo Switch, but it can’t acceptable a full-sized iPad similar the Kishi V3 Pro XL can. 

While I’m not thrilled with the $199.99 price, there’s an assemblage that’s been asking for thing similar the Kishi V3 Pro XL to beryllium and volition astir apt wage for it. It’s a large mode to usage your tablet arsenic a console-like gaming device, putting its surface and speakers beforehand and center. As for me, I’m thrilled to person much amusive things to bash with my iPad Air alternatively of utilizing it exclusively arsenic a Ms. Rachel instrumentality for our 1 twelvemonth aged (no shadiness to Ms. Rachel).