Razer Kishi controllers are among the best telescopic controllers you can buy to get a Switch-style gaming experience from your mobile phone. TheKishi Ultrais the newest, most fully fleshed-out option the company has offered yet. The “Ultra” moniker lands you extra perks that do make the controller better for gaming, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best option for everyone.
Razer Kishi Ultra
The Razer Kishi Ultra is Razer’s most premium telescopic mobile game controller yet, with RGB lights and full-sized console controls.
Pricing and Specifications
The Razer Kishi Ultra comes in one model, which is solid black with white lettering on black buttons.
The $149.99 price tag is fifty dollars more than the company’s other telescopic controller, the $99.99Razer Kishi v2. The Ultra is three times the cost of other similar controllers from competitors like theGameSir X2.
A Comfortable Controller for Extended Gaming
I’ve used the Raser Kishi v2, and the Ultra is much more comfortable to hold. If the Kishi v2 feels like holding a Nintendo Switch, the Ultra feels more like holding a PlayStation Portal. You have comfortable grips that make the unit easier to hold for longer playing sessions. The buttons are solid and clicky, which feel substantial but may annoy someone nearby if you’re gaming in a quiet room. The two joysticks stand a bit taller, again, like a traditional gamepad.
Unlike many modern game controllers, there are no paddles on the back. Instead, there’s a third programmable shoulder button on each side.
The face button placement follows the Xbox style. Pairing the Razer Kishi Ultra with Xbox Game Pass feels right at home. It’s also a good fit with NVIDIA GeForce Now. This layout works well with most games, really, with the possible exception of emulating Nintendo titles.
The more comfortable controls mean the Ultra is larger than any previous version of the Kishi. This unit isn’t going to fit in any pocket that I own, but the Kishi v2 wasn’t exactly pocketable either, so I don’t find this makes all that much of a difference in practice. You’re still going to want to drop it in a bag.
The Kishi Ultra comes with multiple grips to secure a fit with your phone so you can use your device with or without a case. The setup legitimately felt like a handheld console when I connected the controller to a Motorola Edge+ 2023. The fit is less ideal with my Galaxy Z Fold 5. How natural things feel depends in part on where the USB port sits on your phone. Sadly, there’s nothing Razer can do about this short of making the Kishi Ultra a Bluetooth controller instead.
Personally, I would be happy to see a Bluetooth option. The larger screen of the Z Fold 5 allows for an immersive gaming experience, but the phone sits off-center on just about every USB telescopic game controller since the center of the screen lines up with the hinge, not the USB port.
The Kishi Ultra has a USB-C port on the bottom. This port makes this Razer’s first Kishi controller that isn’t limited to use with your phone and small tablets. With a USB-C cable, you’re able to connect to any tablet larger than eight inches. You can also plug the controller into a computer for PC gaming.
This versatility addresses an issue I had with the Razer Kishi v2: It felt so different from my other controller that I had issues readjusting to buttons whenever I switched. If you fall in love with the Ultra, it can be the one controller for your phone, tablet, and PC. Frankly, it’s large and comfortable enough that it probably wouldn’t feel like a sacrifice, assuming you’re okay with being tethered by a physical cable.
Familiar Software With a Few Additions
The optional Razer Nexus app (available forAndroidandiPhone) that pairs with the Kishi Ultra is the same that connects to all of the company’s other phone controllers. You don’t need it to use the controller, which works just fine out of the box, but you do need the app if you want to change any of the default settings.
The Nexus app serves as a game launcher that can appear automatically whenever you attach the controller to your phone. You can also return to the Nexus app whenever you press the dedicated key on your controller. It makes your phone feel like a dedicated handheld, with an interface that’s mostly navigable using physical buttons. Things only get awkward when you click on a game recommendation that kicks you out to the Play Store or App Store, requiring you to use the touch screen and likely rotate your screen.
The settings available within the app allow you to adjust haptics and configure the joysticks. While haptics support is present, I didn’t notice it in any games I tried, and it’s not easy to find a list of supported games. It’s nice to know it’s there, but I wouldn’t consider this a big reason to go out and buy this particular controller.
Razer controllers give you the option to button map some games that don’t have controller support. Unfortunately, you don’t get to choose which games will give you the option. GRIS, for example, is a game in my library that lacks controller support on Android. Razer Nexus does not allow me to assign virtual buttons with GRIS. If there is a particular game you wish to play that lacks native controller support, be sure to do your research before purchasing a Razer Kishi Ultra as a possible solution.
RGB Lighting, for Better or Worse
Out of the box, the RGB lighting strikes me more as a distraction than anything else. I get it—nothing screams “gamer” like colorful lights, but I would personally prefer a version without them. I find them to be particularly off-putting when gaming at night since the lights are directly adjacent to the screen.
Fortunately, the Nexus app allows you to customize the lighting. There are three effects to choose from: static, wave, and spectrum cycling. You can select your colors, and while there are presets, you can also pick from millions of precise shades. I appreciate the brightness setting, which reduces how distracting the colors are in a dark room.
Unfortunately, the lighting still didn’t get as dim as I would have liked. Thankfully, there is the option to disable the lights entirely, which was my number one prerequisite before I would consider owning this controller.
Stay Charged and Stay Connected
The controller lacks a battery and pulls power directly from your phone. I haven’t noticed it drain the battery any faster than the game itself does, but if your phone does need a charge, how do you power it back up when the controller occupies your own USB port? This is where the controller’s USB-C port comes in handy again. It enables you to charge your phone while gaming.
The controller is capable of 15w passthrough charging. That’s slower than my Z Fold 5’s max charging speed of 25w (which isn’t particularly fast by modern standards), but you also don’t need your phone getting that hot while it’s already pushing itself during a graphically intensive game. If you want a smooth experience, heat is the enemy of passively cooled devices like phones.
There is also a headphone jack in case you want to plug in headphones. The experience is built for gamers who want to minimize latency and maximize sound quality. It also allows you to use wired headphones with a phone that lacks its own headphone jack.
Should You Buy the Razer Kishi Ultra?
TheRazer Kishi Ultrais a nice controller. I won’t deny that. The thing is, you can buy a lot of nice controllers for a third of the price. My personal go-to is the8BitDo Pro 2, which I snagged on sale for $39.99. After spending time with the Kishi Ultra, I still prefer my Pro 2. Since I’m typically not gaming on a subway or in the backseat of a car, I just don’t find telescopic controllers a big enough improvement over using my phone on a stand.
Even if you prefer this type of controller, there are many cheaper options out there that offer a comparable experience. Some even have RGB lights. I’d probably prefer to use the Kishi Ultra over all of them, but at three times the price? That’s a tough ask. Though, if you can catch this controller on sale, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
