Back in 2016, Razer released the Raiju, a pro-oriented (and suitably expensive) wired PS4 controller that aimed to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding esports market.
Fast forward a few years and we get the Raiju Ultimate (£199/AU$349, around $250), an officially licensed premium peripheral that improves on its ambitious predecessor’s intentions in almost every way.
Most notably, it adds wireless Bluetooth functionality, but strangely, it’s this casual new feature that ultimately stumbles, tripping up the otherwise flawless performance of this promising accessory.
Design
The first thing you’ll observe about Razer’s Raiju Ultimate is how significant it feels in comparison to other PS4 offerings, like Sony’s standard DualShock 4, or even SCUF’s comparably high-end Vantage: it weighs in at a noticeably hefty 352 grams/0.77 pounds, and it’s immediately apparent how dense and physically solid this peripheral is. Unfortunately, you can’t adjust the mass of of the Raiju Ultimate like, say, Nacon’s Revolution Pro 2 controller, so if you’re not a fan of heavier accessories, there aren’t any swappable weights to change out.
With its traditional side-by-side analog sticks, the Raiju Ultimate is decidedly more DualShock 4 than Xbox One gamepad, a design choice that honors traditional PS4 input layout, but is sure to disappoint gamers who prefer Microsoft’s off-kilter alternative (for those players, the cheaper Raiju Tournament Edition is highly recommended). The metal sticks feel absolutely sublime, though they may come across as a bit loose to some - it’s not that whipping back to center is delayed or anything, but they do reset in a slightly relaxed manner, especially when compared to options like SCUF’s Vantage or even Sony’s pack-in controller.
Magnetized thumbstick tops can easily be pulled off and switched out for any of the included concave or convex rubberized options, even one that adds some nice height to the mix. The same goes for the two pack-in directional pads, though each possess a sort of cheap plastic rigidity, so neither feel ideal.
