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HARDWARE REVIEW

Razer Raiju Review

by Luke Walsh, August 23rd, 2017

Growing up in the era of the PlayStation (One) and original Xbox, third-party controllers have a pretty bad rep in the past. Usually they have been cheap to buy but also cheaply made, making the official controller’s standout amazing.

The Razer Raiju, on the other hand, is not cheap to buy and boy is it not cheaply made either, Razer are about to show you how third-party controllers can be done better. It builds upon the already staple functions of a PS4 controller that Sony have mastered over the years adding in additional triggers and programmable buttons. For these upgrades, however, it will set you back about £150 and does miss some tricks.

Of course, in terms of the layout, it is a PlayStation 4 controller but the shape is more reminiscent of an Xbox One controller being much bigger weighing 350g and 168 mm / 6.62” (Length) x 105 mm / 4.14” (Width) x 65 mm / 2.56” (Height). This is great if you are someone with big hands but if you are on the smaller side, you might find it a bit cumbersome when using the analogue sticks. This is partly due to the four buttons which are below the sticks, allowing you to switch between available profiles, muting the mic and controlling the volume. Although a little bulky the additional buttons are welcomed being able to control the volume without heading into the menu.

At the top of the controller, there are some sliders which allow you to control the actuation point of the L2 and R2 buttons. Short travel is better if you want a quicker response which is ideal for shooters and a longer travel point is useful when having to half depress them in genres such as driving games to control your speed.

You’ll find the USB port on the top of the controller and is situated inside a recess and this works in theory but I did have problems using certain USB cables as the housing stops some wider cables from being able to reach the port. As the Raiju is a wired-only controller it is probably quite important that you can use any cable you have but thankfully you do get one included in the box (braided 3m cable). It is also pretty staple to see wired controllers at LAN or gaming tournaments as wireless would add input lag. So if you’re worried about moving away from your cable-free system, it is worth the trade-off.

Four additional triggers are in the Raiju which can be programmed and two extra bumpers found next to the controller’s standard L2 and R2 triggers. The two additional triggers are under the controller on the bottom, and each of the four buttons can be programmed to take the place of any other button. This is useful for remapping such actions such as crouching which is usually bound to the L3/R3 by clicking in the analogue stick or throwing grenades or melee attacks in titles like COD or Battlefield.

Customising is pretty good but not perfect. All the buttons are included in such a way you don’t feel like your fingers are fumbling on top of each other but sadly, there are no interchangeable thumbsticks or D-pad. You can remove the back triggers but the buttons are still exposed giving away to chance accidental presses. The D-Pad is also separate individual buttons rather than a full unit, potentially making it harder to use for fighting games to string combos.

Little rubber covers come with the analogue stickers, a neat little addition to protect them from being worn out while providing additional grip. A screwdriver is also included to remove the previously mentioned triggers and all fit within the hard carry case, making it tournament focused.

In game, the controller worked well for Destiny 2, it was a useful to be able to tweak the trigger pressure to make it more reactive. This was also the same for Battlefield, where tweaking the triggers and button scheme made playing much easier. Playing through other titles though such as Bloodborne, The Last of Us or The Last Guardian there was less of a noticeable improvement from what you’d get with the standard controller.

The Razer Raiju is a decent controller but will struggle to convert the masses to update from their original Dualshock for the extra £100. It includes upgrades which will tempt gamers who play first-person shooters but not all round enough to make is accessible for all. This is partly due to the wired nature which will be more for tournament goers than couch gamers. It also shows in where the controller performs better in more fast-paced action titles than your more casual single player games.

Really though, Razer has consciously built it for eSports players and professionals. It won’t make you a gaming legend just by picking it up, but if you’re reading this review you’re probably considering one because you’re in the right scene anyway. If so, in terms of performance it is most likely a step up for your needs.

8
It's not the perfect controller for all but the Raiji for eSports players and professional gamers more in the shooter scene it is worth a look at.

Filed under: Controller hardware Razer Razer Raiju

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