Razer Raiju V3 Pro review: a great premium pick with a better Xbox counterpart

After roughly two weeks with the Razer Raiju V3 Pro, I can confidently say it’s one of the best PS5 controllers I’ve tested to date. While it’s arguable that the space doesn’t have all that many compelling third-party options – outside of the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded at least – Razer’s controller nonetheless sets a new standard for PS5 pads.

It accomplishes this partly through its inclusion of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) thumbsticks. That’s not as glamorous as it sounds – simply providing a highly drift resistant pair of sticks similar to Hall effect – but it’s an overdue inclusion among the best PS5 pads that significantly cheaper offerings on rival platforms have had for a number of years now. See the GameSir Tarantula Pro or 8BitDo Ultimate 2 for proof of that.

But that’s not the only reason to consider buying the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. Like with the Xbox-compatible Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, Razer’s own mouse click tech powers its remappable rear buttons, bumpers, and triggers, and they all feel so amazingly satisfying to press. As an esports-facing controller, rapid responsiveness for button presses is paramount, and the immediacy on offer here is simply excellent.

Aspects that I loved about the Wolverine V3 Pro are here on the Raiju. Razer has arguably the best trigger locks in the business, again leveraging that mouse clickiness for quick and satisfying results. The circular d-pad design remains one of my favorites, too, allowing for a heightened level of precision over traditional 4-way d-pads; truly a wonderful thing for the best fighting games, especially.