Razer Kishi controller review: Unlock your phone's gaming potential

We've been sent a review unit of the Razer Kishi mobile controller (specifically the V2 edition for iPhone) and we've been testing it out on our iPhone 12 Pro of late to really put it through its paces. But how is it? Does it meet our mobile gaming needs? Read on for our full thoughts!

Jump to:

• Razer Kishi review summary
• What is the Razer Kishi?
• How much does the Razer Kishi cost?
• Razer Kishi setup
• Razer Kishi design
• Razer Kishi features
• Razer Kishi performance
• Should you buy the Razer Kishi?
• Where to buy the Razer Kishi

Razer Kishi review summary

If you'd like to get to the point nice and quickly, suffice it to say that the Razer Kishi delivers exactly what we'd want it to. Mobile games that support controllers will work like a dream with it, as will cloud services (depending on your internet signal's strength), and the setup process quite literally takes mere seconds.

There's no audio jack, so you'll need your Bluetooth headphones if you're playing on the go, but other than that this a perfect mobile-gaming controller.

What is the Razer Kishi?

The Razer Kishi is a controller designed for mobile phones, but with a difference! Whereas most tend to connect via Bluetooth, this connects directly, which means that the annoying lag you can get should be virtually non-existent. So AAA games will now be playable, dependent on the title, and you can really take your gaming on the road with you now!

How much is the Razer Kishi?

The Razer Kishi mobile controller's recommended retail price is around the £99.99 GBP mark – depending on which version you opt for on the Razer website – but you might find it a little cheaper in places such as Amazon. Shop around and you may be able to get one for closer to £65, which is a tidy saving if you ask us – so it's worth browsing around before buying. Note that we reviewed the V2 iPhone edition.

Razer Kishi setup

We're pleased to report that setting up the Razer Kishi is remarkably easy. We reviewed the iPhone version, and all we had to do was take the Kishi out of its box and attach it to our iPhone. The Kishi is adjustable in its width, so it should fit all the modern iPhones just fine.

You stretch it over the back of your phone, making sure the input bit goes into your phone's charging port, and that's all it takes. It really is that easy! Your phone should detect the device instantly (ours did) and you will be prompted to download a Razer app that can point you towards compatible games.

Razer Kishi design

The design of the Razer Kishi is exactly what you'd expect from Razer. That is to say, it's darkly coloured and sleekly shaped, without being so over-the-top that you'd be embarrassed to be seen with it in public. In fact, we'd say it's so cool-looking that you'll be actively hoping that people spot it and ask you questions about it. The buttons and D-pad have a satisfying amount of 'click' to them, and the triggers have a generous amount of give, while the analogue sticks feel impressively responsive for such a small form factor.

Here's one design point we'd particularly like to shout about: the Kishi has a subtle-looking but strong-feeling grip on its rear, meaning that you shouldn't have to worry about slips and spills on your commute (or wherever else you fancy using it). And here's one design point that slightly disappointed us: there's no 3mm audio jack here, meaning that you'll need to connect Bluetooth headphones rather than wired ones.

Of course, Razer has you covered in that regard – you can buy the Razer Hammerhead earbuds from Amazon, and they will work perfectly with the Kishi. These are now available for 60 per cent off the original price at just £32.

On the flipside of that: the Backbone One, one of the main competitors to the Razer Kishi, has the opposite problem. While it does have a headphone jack, the Backbone One does not have a good amount of grip on its back. So if you're wondering how to pick in the Backbone One versus Razer Kishi battle, that might be the deciding factor - which would you rather have out of those design options?

Razer Kishi features

In terms of features, the Razer Kishi's offering is fairly self-explanatory. This gamepad's primary feature is that it connects to your phone, making your Apple or Android handset look a bit like a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck, allowing you to play the best mobile games on the market in more of a console-like way. (Saying that, it's worth noting that not every mobile game supports controllers, although it is becoming more common. We'd recommend knowing which games you want to play on a Kishi before you buy one.)

The Razer Kishi is compatible with a number of native mobile games as well as Apple Arcade, Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Remote Play (the latter of which will allow you to stream gameplay from your PS4 or PS5 straight onto your mobile screen, with the Kishi controlling your input). It does also work with Google Stadia, although that streaming service is shutting down soon. It'll work with NVIDIA GeForce Now, as well, which allows you to play a number of PC games on your phone over the cloud. In short, the Kishi unlocks the gaming potential of your phone. That's its sole reason for existing and we'd say it does it very well.

Razer Kishi performance

The Razer Kishi's performance is basically faultless. When you're playing a native mobile game that supports controllers, it really does feel like you've transformed your phone into a mini console. With these types of games, there's no discernible lag between your input and the movement on the screen, and the overall experience is a very positive one. Downloadable games from the likes of Apple Arcade and Netflix Gaming run like a dream here, as will any offline games you grab from the App Store or Google Play Store.

As ever, with products like this, it's worth noting that game-streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, PS Remote Play, Google Stadia and NVIDIA Geforce Now do rely on a strong internet connection. And when you're streaming a game over the web, there's always a chance that your internet will drop out or sink to speeds where lag and lost connections are possible.

If you're playing in a casual, chilled-out way, this won't be a problem. But if you're playing a competitive shooter or a sports game where milliseconds of stuttering could ruin your match, you'll want to make sure you're nearby to a powerful router if you're trying to use the Kishi and your phone to compete. The Kishi works just fine with all those services, but you're at the mercy of the internet!

Our verdict: Should you buy the Razer Kishi?

In the final analysis, yes, we would say that the Razer Kishi is worth it. If you're thinking about buying one, we're sure it will live up to your expectations. The price of admission isn't that high, and the potential you unlock with this purchase is significant.

As is always the case with gaming tech, we'd recommend checking first which games you actually want to play with the Kishi before you buy one. The free Razer Kishi app is a handy way to check which controller-enabled games are available on your device.

Are you away from your PlayStation enough that a dedicated remote-play controller is worth it? Does the Xbox Cloud Gaming library have titles you're dying to play? Are there native mobile games with controller support on your mobile of choice? If the answer to any of those questions is yes, game on!

Where to buy the Razer Kishi

The Razer Kishi mobile controller can be bought from a lot of major retailers, including the likes of Amazon and Argos. There is also an official Razer website, where you can browse the whole range and order directly from the source if that's what you'd prefer. Our handy widget below should pull together deals from around the web.

If you'd like to see the controller in action before you buy it, take a look at the trailer below. The version we reviewed was the Razer Kishi V2 for iPhone.

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