I’d given up on iPad gaming until I tried the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL — now I don’t want to leave the house without it

I’ve owned an iPad since 2022, and I’ll be honest, I haven’t gotten much use out of it — until recently. I just tested the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL that has turned my iPad into a gaming powerhouse and, honestly, has breathed new life into it. The Kishi V3 Pro XL is a powerful mobile gaming controller with fantastic TMR thumbsticks, four extra buttons, and clicky triggers, all packed into an ergonomic body.

Featuring full-sized triggers and thumbsticks as well as passthrough charging, this is the only controller you need if you’re a fan of on-the-go gaming. But is it perfect? Sadly not quite. The lack of rumble and haptics on Apple devices will make its premium price tag very difficult to stomach for iOS/iPadOS users.

To find out if this is the best mobile game controller for you, read my full Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: Specs

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A gaming controller for iPads and USB-C tablets
• Who is it for? Anyone who enjoys gaming on the go and wants a comfortable controller
• How much does it cost? The Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is available for $199 / £164
• What do we like? The ergonomic design, TMR thumbsticks, passthrough charging, and compatibility with many tablets
• What don’t we like? No rumble or haptics on iOS/iPadOS and the premium price tag

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: The ups

From its ergonomic design and passthrough charging, to its powerful TMR thumbsticks and clicky triggers, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is an absolute must-have accessory for iPad owners.

Extremely comfortable and ergonomic

I’ve tested and used my fair share of mobile and tablet gaming controllers. Some have been good; some have been bad; and a few have been peerless in the comfort department. The Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL falls into the third category as it’s one of the comfiest controllers I’ve used — despite its big footprint.

The Kishi V3 Pro XL’s plate where the tablet sits measures 12.91 x 4.36 x 2.54 inches when the controller is outstretched, enabling it to accommodate a 13-inch iPad Pro. Even so, it doesn’t feel unwieldy to handle. It weighs 10.97oz without a tablet inserted, and with my iPad Air 10.9-inch slotted in, the controller weighs 1.73lbs, and I haven’t found it too heavy to hold. Having used the controller for a six-hour straight gaming stint, my hands didn’t feel fatigued or like they were cramping from the controller’s design.

This is also partly due to the ergonomic, chunky grips which feel similar to the ones you’ll find on the likes of the Xbox Elite Wireless 2 ($179). In fact, the Kishi V3 Pro XL feels like what you’d get if you sliced a Razer Wolverine V3 Pro ($199) down the middle and slotted a tablet in between the two grips. That itself speaks volumes about the Kishi V3 Pro XL as the Wolverine V3 Pro is undoubtedly the best premium PC game controller on the market.

I love the full-sized thumbsticks and triggers too which, again, feel like the ones on the Wolverine V3 Pro. I’m a big fan of offset thumbsticks as they feel more ergonomic to me (and something I always miss on my PlayStation DualSense). All in all, the Kishi V3 Pro XL is an excellent, ergonomic controller designed for all-day play.

Compatible with many tablets

If you already own an iPad or an Android tablet, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is the right choice for you. It’s compatible with the iPad Pro (11 and 13 inches), the iPad Air (11 and 13 inches), the standard iPad (10.9 inches), and USB-C Android tablets. You can connect it to your PC too, thanks to the included cable, and use it as a regular gamepad.

Included in the box are two sets of rubber bumpers for adjusting the controller to your device size, alongside two swappable thumbstick caps (one tall concave and one short convex). I found the rubber bumpers super easy to replace, and I’d recommend trying out the different sizes to ensure that your tablet fits snugly.

Powerful TMR sticks

The Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL boasts outstanding gaming performance, thanks to its TMR thumbsticks, mouse-like analog triggers, high polling rate, and more. I tested the controller with my iPad 10.9-inch, as I mentioned earlier, and played my favorite PS5 games via the PS Remote Play app. First, its polling rate can be set to either 1,000Hz or 4,000Hz, adjustable via the Razer Nexus companion app. Having tested both, I didn’t experience any latency issues or input lag.

Next, the TMR thumbsticks. Tunnel Magneto Resistance (TMR) sensors are superior to Hall Effect ones (which are also great in their own right), as they use weak electromagnetic waves rather than strong ones. This 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.

I tested this out by playing Need for Speed Heat, and I instantly noticed the performance difference between playing the game on my DualSense versus the Kishi V3 Pro XL. Thanks to the latter’s TMR sticks, I was able to not only maintain a straight line while driving, I could also go right up to the rear bumper of the car ahead of me and overtake right before making contact. This gave me a bit of a competitive advantage. I found the thumbsticks very comfortable too (I used the short convex caps), and thanks to how responsive they were, I was able to easily navigate down the winding mountain roads and turn tight corners.

I also appreciated being able to make minute adjustments in FPS titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077. With my sniper rifle pointed at a group of NPCs in the distance, I could move the right stick ever so slightly to choose the correct target, even though several of them were standing close together. It made me feel like I was in a James Bond movie, to be honest.

Mouse-like triggers and face buttons

Another thing I absolutely adore on the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is how the triggers and face buttons feel. The controller features analog triggers so while they aren’t as customizable as Hall Effect ones on the likes of the GameSir G8 Plus ($99), I’d be lying if I said they didn’t feel darn good to play with.

The triggers, along with the face buttons, two extra shoulder buttons and back buttons, feel mouse-like to press, similar to the ones on the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. They’re extremely responsive and straight out of the box, they didn’t feel stiff at all. I jumped right into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to try them out. Each button and trigger press was instantaneously registered, and I appreciated the tactile feedback I got as well. I also found it handy that I didn’t need to press the buttons or triggers too hard for my commands to register. I was able to execute perfectly timed parries and dodges in Expedition 33, which helped me win crucial boss battles.

Drifting and braking in Need for Speed Heat was a walk in the park thanks to the triggers as well. They’re full-size which means that there’s plenty of room for your fingers to sit atop the longer R2 and L2 triggers. Again, I didn’t find it fatiguing to hold down L2 in drift challenges. I also appreciate the addition of four extra clicky buttons (two on top, two around the back). I remapped the M1 button on the back as the nitro (N2O) button so all I had to do was use my right middle finger to toggle it when I needed a speed boost, which freed up my thumb to remain on the right thumbstick.

User-friendly companion app

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As I alluded to before, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is accompanied by the Razer Nexus app which is free to download on iOS, iPadOS and Android. Razer Nexus sports a clean user interface and is your one-stop shop for all the games installed on your device, and for launching apps like PS Remote Play, Steam Link, and even emulators. It’s easy to navigate and there are no intrusive pop-ups that deter from the experience.

Razer Nexus is also your hub for customizing the Kishi V3 Pro XL. Within the app — which can be quickly accessed by hitting the Nexus button located under the right thumbstick — you can customize the four extra buttons, remap the others, adjust the TMR sticks’ deadzone, swap between analog and digital triggers, and adjust the controller’s polling rate. Simple enough to do, and thanks to native compatibility, you can even adjust a few of these settings from the iPad’s Settings menu too.

Passthrough charging

Last but certainly not least, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL features passthrough charging. It’s important to note that the controller doesn’t feature a built-in battery and is instead powered by your tablet, so passthrough charging is a must. This basically means that you can charge your iPad or Android tablet while it’s slotted into the Kishi V3 Pro XL. The USB-C port is located on the right grip.

Passthrough charging has quickly become a non-negotiable for me, and I hate it when a controller doesn’t feature it — the GameSir G8 Plus and the Scuf Nomad ($99), for instance. It’s also something we’ve seen on the Backbone Pro ($169) and the GameSir X5 Lite ($34) and, in all honesty, if Razer didn’t include passthrough charging at this price (more on that shortly) I would’ve been flabbergasted.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: The downs

Alas, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL isn’t perfect. There’s no rumble or haptics on Apple devices, and the price tag is a little difficult to stomach.

No rumble or haptics on Apple devices

One of the most disappointing things about the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL, and perhaps a dealbreaker for some, is the fact that its rumble and haptics don’t work on iOS and iPadOS devices. You’d best believe it when I say that I let out the biggest sigh possible when I plugged in my iPad and there was no rumble in the games I played. Razer does state this on the official product page, but in small print that might get missed by most people as it’s accompanied by bold letters stating “Next-Gen Tactile Feedback” and “RAZER SENSA HD HAPTICS” in all caps.

This is a limitation confined to iOS and iPadOS (as the rumble works with Android tablets), but Apple added rumble support on iPadOS 15, so Razer isn’t off the hook here.

Even if it were an issue stemming from iPadOS or the PS Remote Play app, it would’ve been nice to have the incompatibility warning a little more prominent. I’ve seen many people complain about the lack of haptics on iPadOS on r/razerkishi and r/razer subreddits, and many have stated that they’ve ended up returning their Kishi V3 Pro XLs for this reason. I won’t lie, it’s certainly disappointing especially given that the controller is advertised as one designed for iPads.

But I’d also like to note that rumble and haptics aren’t found on that many mobile controllers. These are missing from the GameSir G8 Plus and the Backbone Pro, for instance, and are a limitation of iOS and iPadOS. I really can’t think of any other iPad controller that does feature haptics. This is a major pre-purchase consideration for you to chew over, and the only drawback of using the Kishi V3 Pro XL and other controllers with an iPhone or iPad. In the meantime, I’ve reached out to a Razer representative to get a clearer picture and understanding.

Costs a premium

While the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is an excellent iPad controller, there’s no sugarcoating the fact that it’s quite expensive. It retails for $199 / £164 at Amazon, making it the most expensive mobile controller I’ve tested so far (at the time of writing). This makes the Kishi V3 Pro XL as expensive as the PlayStation Portal ($199). The standard, smaller Kishi V3 Pro model designed for smartphones is a little cheaper at $149, but is the $50 price difference justified, especially when rivals like the GameSir G8 Plus ($99) are available for far less?

But the Kishi V3 Pro XL doesn’t have many other competitors. Most other controllers compatible with the iPad take the shape and form of your regular gamepad, like the PlayStation DualSense (which works just fine with the iPad). The biggest difference is, of course, the fact that you need to prop your iPad up on a table to use a standard gamepad, which you don’t need to do with the Kishi V3 Pro XL. It is, then, perhaps justified that the controller costs so much, but the fact that rumble and haptics don’t work as intended leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL review: Verdict

Razer knows how to make a good gaming peripheral, and the Kishi V3 Pro XL is one of the best iPad accessories you can buy today, especially if you’re a gamer. The controller is ergonomically designed with full-size thumbsticks and triggers, making it perfect for all-day gaming. Passthrough charging also means that you don’t have to worry about your tablet running out of charge mid-gaming.

I love the TMR thumbsticks and mouse-like analog triggers and extra buttons. They’re all highly responsive in FPS, racing and RPG titles, and they can be customized via the user-friendly app too. But is all of this worth nearly $200, especially when there’s no haptics or rumble on Apple devices? Kinda. The Kishi V3 Pro XL has carved out a niche for itself, and if it’s an ergonomic iPad mobile game controller you need, it’s really the only one to get.