As someone who grew up seeing part of the evolution of mobile gaming, I think this neat USB-C gaming controller is something any gamer could ask for. You can already play a variety of games on your phone but by playing some of your favorite console games with this controller, that feeling of nostalgia comes back.In the box, you will get a Razer – Kishi Ultra USB-C Gaming Controller and some rubber cushions for either your iPhone, Android or iPad mini devices. I am primarily an Android user. I used the gaming controller with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. I first tried using the controller with my thick phone case and unfortunately, the device did not fit the controller. The inner slip inside the box says the gaming controller can fit devices with cases, but I found ... MoreAs someone who grew up seeing part of the evolution of mobile gaming, I think this neat USB-C gaming controller is something any gamer could ask for. You can already play a variety of games on your phone but by playing some of your favorite console games with this controller, that feeling of nostalgia comes back.In the box, you will get a Razer – Kishi Ultra USB-C Gaming Controller and some rubber cushions for either your iPhone, Android or iPad mini devices. I am primarily an Android user. I used the gaming controller with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. I first tried using the controller with my thick phone case and unfortunately, the device did not fit the controller. The inner slip inside the box says the gaming controller can fit devices with cases, but I found that is inaccurate. The gaming controller will fit some devices with cases. I found that the best way to use this gaming controller was with your phone outside the case and the rubber cushions installed.Once the phone is connected to the gaming controller, download the optional but helpful Razer Nexus app. The app works as a launcher for your gaming apps as well as a way to access the controller’s settings like haptics strength and Chroma RGB.I played a variety of games from mobile games to games that are meant for consoles. I can say they all ran surprisingly well. Of course, some games work better with this controller than others. For example, games that have some form of controller support like Fall Out 3 tend to run better than games that are usually mobile like Brawl Stars and PUBG Mobile. A neat feature of the Nexus app is that there is an option to enable Virtual Controller for these games that usually run on mobile devices. With the mini-GUI, you can map a physical button to a virtual one. (e.g use sight in PUBG by mapping the virtual sight button to L2) This can be a hit or miss. I was able to make PUBG Mobile playable, but I found that a mobile game like Brawl Stars is best played without a controller as no matter how you map the controls, the game is significantly harder to play with a controller. But if you plan to use this gaming controller with Xbox Game Pass, PS Remote Play, Amazon Luna, or any game streaming service, you will be fine as all these services run well with a controller.Overall, this is a neat gaming controller for your Android, iPhone, or iPad mini-device. This gaming controller is on the pricier end (likely due to the brand along with the RGB) which may be a dealbreaker for many as there are alternative options that are cheaper but do not have RGB. The controller is also best used without your phone case as many phone cases tend to add something around where the charging port is and this interferes with the USB-C plug. On the bright side of things, the controller is incredibly responsive, and games that have controller support run flawlessly on the device. Some mobile games can be a hit or miss but it all depends on the controls. Functionality is great but again, this breaks most people’s wallets. On that note, I think this is a terrific gaming controller for your mobile devices that is best when on sale.

I've been on an handheld console kick as of late. While I’ve enjoyed my time with handheld consoles, the amount of money spent continues to increase while the overall power is limited. If you can't spend your way to 4k 60 like you can in the PC gaming space, why push to spend more? In comes a device like the Razer Kishi Ultra.The Razer Kishi Ultra isn't a handheld console itself. It’s more like a controller. An awesome controller equipped with a familiar feel, haptics, and RGB lighting. An awesome controller that turns your phone (of mini tablet) into a console. You can rely on the gaming power of your device to play mobile games, which, have grown in variety a lot as of late…or, you can choose to go the the route I went, and stream games from other devices you ... MoreI've been on an handheld console kick as of late. While I’ve enjoyed my time with handheld consoles, the amount of money spent continues to increase while the overall power is limited. If you can't spend your way to 4k 60 like you can in the PC gaming space, why push to spend more? In comes a device like the Razer Kishi Ultra.The Razer Kishi Ultra isn't a handheld console itself. It’s more like a controller. An awesome controller equipped with a familiar feel, haptics, and RGB lighting. An awesome controller that turns your phone (of mini tablet) into a console. You can rely on the gaming power of your device to play mobile games, which, have grown in variety a lot as of late…or, you can choose to go the the route I went, and stream games from other devices you own. Have a high powered gaming PC? Use Steamlink and depending on your internet connection you can be playing Triple A titles at 1080p 60 with very little latency. I did just that, playing games like Apex Legends or Spiderman: Miles Morales with no issue. Have a PS5 and don’t mind paying a small fee for an app to get around Sony trying to force you into purchasing their limited PS5 streaming device? I did just that and ran some practices with my 3rd year Florida State College Football team in NCAA 25 from my bed. What I haven’t tried is cloud gaming, which is another option, accessible directly through Razer’s Nexus app.But there lies the one issue with the Razer Kishi Ultra. The value you get out of will rely heavily on what you already own. If I didn’t have a high-end gaming PC and PS5, it’d be cool to play Warzone mobile…but if you don’t have a newish mobile phone, how will that run? What if you do have the other devices, but your internet isn’t the best?The Razer Kishi Ultra is an awesome gaming accessory, but its value will ultimately be determined by what other devices you already own. If you have a house full of high end devices (mobile phones, gaming PCs, next-gen consoles) with high speed internet, the Razer Kishi Ultra is awesome. For individuals like myself I’d strongly recommend it.

The Razer Kishi Ultra is the first mobile control attachment I've used from Razer, but I've used both the iPhone and Android versions of a competitor product for a few years now. I love the capability these devices provide for those with decently sized phones, especially if you are a Geforce Now user or have Xbox or Playstation streaming capability through their subscription plans. Razer's take on this market with the Kishi Ultimate is very well done and a significant upgrade from others I've used in a few areas.#Unboxing, First Impressions#In the box, the Razer Kishi Ultimate is fitted with the inserts for the iPhone 15, but comes with a very handy little card to show you which inserts to use for other devices. Swapping to the type for my S22 Ultra was simple. I ... MoreThe Razer Kishi Ultra is the first mobile control attachment I've used from Razer, but I've used both the iPhone and Android versions of a competitor product for a few years now. I love the capability these devices provide for those with decently sized phones, especially if you are a Geforce Now user or have Xbox or Playstation streaming capability through their subscription plans. Razer's take on this market with the Kishi Ultimate is very well done and a significant upgrade from others I've used in a few areas.#Unboxing, First Impressions#In the box, the Razer Kishi Ultimate is fitted with the inserts for the iPhone 15, but comes with a very handy little card to show you which inserts to use for other devices. Swapping to the type for my S22 Ultra was simple. I appreciated that this card is prominently placed over the top of the controller in the box and almost impossible to miss. The packaging is all dense cell foam, which feels very protective for shipping but isn't easily recyclable like cardboard. However, I always end up finding a use for this foam for home projects so it doesn't go in the trash.Fit and finish of the controller are excellent. The buttons and triggers all feel similar quality to a modern console controller, although not perhaps as premium as an "elite" controller. Still, this is a notable step up from the $69 and $99 price point mobile controllers that I've used. The back of the controller is stretched to fit up to "mini" tablets (around 8 inches in size) and feels solid even when fully expanded.#Gaming#I installed the Razer Nexus app for Android and was happy to find Geforce Now, Retro Arch, and Steam Link right at the top of the app and ready to use, which shows Razer has done their homework. I had to add Xbox Cloud Gaming to the Favorites for some reason as it did not detect it initially. I ended up leaving the controller in permanent Xinput mode as none of the gaming platforms I am using seem to care about being an HID device and Xinput mode allows for vibration.All of the gaming platforms I used worked flawlessly with the Kishi Ultra. The added comfort of the hand grips over the smaller sized units I've been using was a welcome change. I could easily game for hours with this device.I also used the controller with my PC, in place of a standard Xbox Series X controller. For PC gaming, the Kishi Ultra works very well, with the only caveats being that the controller has the USB-C port on the bottom, and it ends up being a little wider than normal even without a device installed, which can feel a little weird. Still, for gaming on the road this is a one-stop-shop for using with a gaming laptop or with your phone, and that's pretty awesome.#Final thoughts#So - who is this for? To me, the Kishi Ultra is a solid upgrade from the mobile controllers I've used previously thanks to the MUCH more comfortable size and grip design. The compatibility with 8" tablets like the iPad mini opens up some great options for upgraded mobile gaming and has me seriously considering an iPad mini for myself soon. The Razer Nexus app is kind of take it or leave it - it's useful for changing the controller to Xinput mode (either manual or automatic) or as a launcher for your gaming platforms, but it feels like less of a value add than some other mobile control apps I've used. The Kishi Ultra is easily going to replace my existing mobile controller of choice and will help me get a lot more use out of my Geforce Now sub going forward.