Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro is finally here, and two years after the release of its predecessor, Razer has managed to iron out just about every major issue. But, is it worth $200?
Razer is no stranger to making controllers, having used the Wolverine V2 Pro on PS5, it was clear that the company’s design was there, but the execution required some major refinement.
Elements like an additional carry case, Hall Effect sticks, and more ergonomic design are all elements that the company has added to the new iteration of the Wolverine series lineup.
But, considering its $200 price tag, does it manage to justify the costs where more basic controllers can offer many of the same elements at a much cheaper price point? I’ve been testing the controller in dozens of titles to give you the lowdown.
Key specs
- Connectivity: USB-C, Wireless (2.4GHz via dongle)
- Compatibility: Xbox, PC
- Battery life: 10 – 15 hours
- Price: $199.99
- Features: Six remappable buttons, stick cap replacements, HyperSpeed Wireless, Mecha-Tactile Buttons, two-point trigger stop, 1000Hz polling rate, Hall Effect sticks, Razer controller app
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Unparallelled build quality | Mediocre battery life |
| Hall Effect sticks | Using the app on PC requires yet another piece of software |
| 1000Hz wired polling rate | |
| Great-feeling buttons & D-pad |
Design
The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro sports a wide, stout body, especially when compared to the standard Xbox Series controller, but that’s no bad thing. In your hands, it’s extremely comfortable, even for those with smaller hands.
As you grip it, the build quality of the plastic shines, with a matte black finish and rubber grip panels along the side, it’s immediately obvious that what you’re holding isn’t exactly a cheap piece of tech.
Moving onto the face buttons, these are the same mecha-tactile buttons we’ve seen before on the Wolverine V2 Pro. They require a bit more force to use than a traditional button, but they feel extremely satisfying to press.
The same goes for the D-Pad, which sports a Sega Saturn-style disc, with microswitches for every cardinal direction. This remains unchanged from the Wolverine V2 Pro and Kishi Ultra for a good reason: It’s damn near perfect for just about any game, including high-octane fighters.
The button caps here use a latch system, unlike the V2 Pro’s magnets. While I had no issue with the magnets in the controller’s predecessor, the latches feel much more secure; though they are tighter to pop on and off.
The Hall Effect sticks, when reviewed by a controller tester, had some biases towards intercardinal directions that resulted in an error rate of around 13%. This is likely to keep inertia smooth when changing between intercardinal and cardinal directions, it’s much more accurate than a standard controller’s 20% or higher error rate.
Features
Up top, you find six buttons: triggers, bumpers, and a pair of M1 and M2 buttons, which feel easily accessible, meaning you don’t have to curl up your hands in an odd way to press them.
The trigger stop function lies on the back here, and as you slide it into place, the short-throw trigger is actually a mechanical button, instead of a harsh bottom-out like many other competitors. It’s a nice touch that goes a long way into making the Wolverine V3 Pro feel extremely premium.
The back panel of the controller has been completely designed, away from a vertically stacked module of four buttons, over to a more traditional paddle design, which slightly hut out from the rear of the pad.
These feel easily accessible, even for someone with smaller hands, something that couldn’t be said for the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro, it’s a straight upgrade.
Software
The Razer controller app for Xbox and PC is used for configuring the Wolverine V3 Pro, and it’s here that you can configure the response curves of your Hall Effect sticks, assign button macros, and more. It’s fairly simple to use and configure custom profiles within the software.
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You can also execute a simple button combo to assign macros, but the visualizations you get in the app make things feel a lot smoother.
But, it’s frustrating having to download yet another Razer app (that isn’t Razer Synapse) to configure your peripherals, when things like my Kiyo Pro Ultra webcam and Naga V2 Pro mouse run through Synapse already.
Gaming performance
The Razer Wolverine V3 is a joy to use in just about any genre of game. Assigning my paddles and macros in Black Myth: Wukong with a couple of clicks and swinging my mighty pole away was a breeze.
Using it to execute drive rush combos in Street Fighter 6 was extremely simple, thanks to the high quality of the D-pad and buttons. It could easily be your next fighting gamepad, despite the lack of a six-button module like the Victrix Pro BFG.
In shooters like Fortnite, the sticks felt very responsive and accurate, with the extra binds coming in handy for whenever a prime opportunity to emote over an enemy’s dead body arose.
Battery life in games took me to around fifteen hours from a full charge, which is no slouch, either. All you need to do is remember to charge it every couple of days. There is headroom for improvement in the battery department, as I would have liked to have seen a slightly stronger performance here.
If you’re playing on PC, you can also enter a 1000Hz wired mode, which can be enabled through the app. This offers the pad quadruple the response rate of a standard PC pad, which makes it a prime candidate for use in high-level competitive play.
Should you buy it?
The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is the complete package, from the included premium carry case to a 10ft cable. It ticks just about every box for every genre of game you want to throw at it, too. Compared to the Nacon Revolution 5 Pro, it stands out as a worthy competitor in a crowded premium controller market. I just wished that Razer would have also launched a PS5-compatible version at the same time.
Verdict – 5/5
While $200 is a steep price, the Wolverine V3 Pro addresses all of the issues with its predecessor and also undercuts it by $50, too. While other controllers out there manage to offer Hall Effect sticks at a budget price, it’s the premium build quality and features like a 1000Hz mode that make the V3 Pro truly exceptional.
The $99 wired variant also houses many of the same improvements but sacrifices some features like wireless operation and a carry case, on a strict budget.
The only real thing missing here is that Razer is seemingly playing catch-up with stick technology, as new controllers are now offering TMR sticks – a Hall Effect-style stick that uses up much less power than current sensors. Could that be waiting in the wings for a future Wolverine V4?
Until then, this might just be the most accomplished third-party controller out there right now.
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