Club Benefits
I love my PlayStation 5. It's one of the best things I've bought with my own money, and I've spent an ungodly amount of hours playing the likes of Baldur's Gate 3, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Alan Wake 2, and FIFA (sorry, EA Sports FC) on my PS5 Slim. While I take my Nintendo Switch 2 with me when I'm traveling, it just doesn't have the same, diverse game catalog that I like.
So, for a while now, I've been considering getting the PlayStation Portal — it was even sitting in my cart for a few days during the 2025 Black Friday sales. But truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced by the Portal because I've heard mixed reviews. Do I also want to pay nearly $200 for a remote player? Kinda but also no. Then it hit me: what if I just used the PS Remote Play app on my iPad and got a controller designed specifically for the iPad. Enter the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL.
The Kishi V3 Pro XL is a beast — and I'm not just talking about its stature. It's fitted with powerful, highly responsive TMR thumbsticks, mouse-like clicky triggers and face buttons, and it features four additional remappable buttons too. Ergonomically designed and comfortable to hold all day long, it's an utter delight. Is it perfect? Nope. Do I still love it? Heck yes, and here's why.
Article continues belowErgonomics galore!
There's no point in spending any amount of money on a controller if it isn't designed ergonomically and hinders you from being able to play all day. Thankfully, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is an extremely comfortable gamepad, one that I've used for a six-hour long stint without feeling like my hands were cramping. That's thanks to the the controller's chunky grips, full-size thumbsticks and triggers, and offset sticks which, in my opinion, feel more ergonomic.
In terms of size, the Kishi V3 Pro XL's plate where the tablet sits measures measures 12.91 x 4.36 x 2.54 inches when the controller is outstretched. This means that it's big enough to accommodate even a 13-inch iPad Pro! It's a joy to handle too, and doesn't feel unwieldy even when a tablet is slotted in. Without one, it weighs 10.97oz. I used the controller with my iPad Air 10.9-inch which bumped the weight up 1.73lbs. Even so, I didn't find it uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time.
I can't tell you how much fun it is to game handheld on a screen that big. The PlayStation Portal's 8-inch screen is also good, no doubt about that, but I really like the iPad Air's bigger screen. It makes for quite an immersive gaming experience. Plug in your favorite gaming headset into the 3.5mm port on the right grip and you've got a winning combo.
So smooth, so powerful
There's a lot to love about the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL's gaming performance. First of all, its thumbsticks are fitted with Tunnel Magneto Resistance (TMR) sensors, which are more responsive and longer-lasting than Hall Effect ones. They use weak electromagnetic waves which means that smaller adjustments and minute movements are picked up by the sensors, and the boost to accuracy in racing and FPS titles is certainly noticeable.
Then there's the Kishi V3 Pro XL's triggers, face buttons, two extra shoulder buttons and two back buttons, which are mouse-like to press. They feel like the ones you'll find on the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. In fact, the Kishi V3 Pro XL feels like someone sliced the Wolverine V3 Pro down the middle and slotted a tablet in between the two grips. The performance is incredible, and I've had so much fun playing games like Cyberpunk 2077, Expedition 33, and Need for Speed Heat on this controller.
You can read all about the performance in my full review, of course, but in a few words, the Kishi V3 Pro XL gave me a competitive advantage in FPS and racing titles as I could tailor my movements down to a T, and all of my commands were promptly registered thanks to the 4,000Hz polling rate. I have no complaints in the performance department.
There's one problem though...
By now, I'm sure you know that I love the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL. It's a fantastic iPad controller. But I'd be lying if I said it was perfect — after all, I gave it 4-stars in my Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review. Unfortunately, the Kishi V3 Pro XL costs a premium, retailing for $199 / £164 at Amazon, which makes it the same price as a new PlayStation Portal. Of course, if you already own an iPad and want to game on it, the Kishi V3 Pro XL might be worth the investment.
But the lack of haptics and rumble makes it hard for me to recommend it to anyone who wants a truly immersive gaming experience. Having played games using the PS Remote Play app as well as the ones downloaded on my iPad, I instantly noticed the lack of rumble which came as a surprise to me, as Razer specifies "next-gen feedback" on the controller's product page. Here's the kicker: In very fine print, Razer notes that rumble doesn't work on iOS and iPadOS devices.
Now, this could be a limitation of iOS and iPadOS devices as, apparently, rumble should work fine with Android tablets. Or it could be a limitation of the PS Remote Play app. But does that stop me from feeling disappointed? Nope. Even so, not many controllers feature haptics, so can the Kishi V3 Pro XL really be chastised for it? I don't know. Is it a dealbreaker for me? Well, I'll happily use the Kishi V3 Pro XL until I eventually do get a PlayStation Portal, so we'll leave it at that.
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