Razer’s Controller Turns Your iPad Mini Into an XL Gaming Handheld
The Kishi Ultra may be monstrous, but it's still "handheld."
A larger display may make mobile gaming better on a tablet as opposed to a smartphone, but you still have to deal with those clunky touchscreen controls. Instead of furiously tapping on a tablet, however, Razer now offers the Kishi Ultra controller that can fit an iPad mini or other tablets with displays up to eight inches.
It may feel a little absurd to cram a tablet between a controller, but the Kishi Ultra’s design makes for a more premium handheld gaming experience with better ergonomics. It can still fit iPhone 15 and other smartphones, but since it uses a USB-C connection, those with older iPhones and iPads are out of luck.
The Kishi Ultra in all of its excessive glory.
Not Your Typical Mobile Controller
The Kishi Ultra isn’t just some flimsy mobile controller. It’s about as close as a traditional console controller ripped in half as you can get. Razer delivers on the Ultra branding since it’s a full-size controller complete with an eight-way D-pad, ABXY buttons, extra programmable buttons, and Hall effect triggers. Surprisingly, Razer didn’t go with drift-proof Hall effect joysticks here and instead opted for “pro-grade thumb sticks with anti-friction rings and a medical-grade TPSiV surface.” Only time will tell if these get stick drift, but Razer says they’ll have “enduring quality.”
The chunkier shape of the Kishi Ultra almost looks like it’s too big for the iPhone 15, but Razer is using an “island” design for its USB-C port that can fit your smartphone or tablet even if it’s in a case. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Razer product without some RGB lighting, so the Kishi Ultra has some light strips on the sides of the controller to let people know you’re a hardcore gamer. To round out the package, the new controller supports Razer’s new haptics engine and wired play with a PC.
The Kishi Ultra makes mobile gaming on your smartphone feel like using a high-end handheld.
A Much Tamer Option
The Kishi Ultra is available on Razer’s website for $149.99, which feels expensive compared to the Backbone One or even some similar options from lesser-known brands like GameSir. Still, you’re getting a full-size controller with the Kishi Ultra, instead of the other mobile controller designs that look toy-like by comparison.
If you don’t feel the need to augment an eight-inch tablet with half a controller on each side, Razer also updated its popular Kishi V2 controller that now supports wired play with your PC or iPad. It’s a fair bit cheaper at $99.99 and is also available now.
