Review: Razer Raiju Tournament Edition Controller — Simply the best

Whether you’re gaming on a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, the controller you’re playing with matters. Nowadays, it’s largely accepted that an asymmetrical thumbstick layout is better than the traditional symmetrical one. However, when it comes to the PlayStation 4, your choices are rather limited. Let’s say that you want a device along the lines of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. Beforehand — aside from going with a modified standard PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller — you had no other options.

A few weeks ago, Razer announced the Razer Raiju Ultimate and Tournament Edition wireless controllers for PlayStation 4 and PC. The Raiju Tournament Edition is geared towards the eSports market because it features hair triggers and additional bumpers on the top and back. Any gamer looking for an experience similar to the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller on PlayStation 4 should consider picking one up. The asymmetrical thumbsticks are the highlight here.

The bumpers are also remappable. For example, let’s say that you prefer the back paddles to be mapped a particular way for a racing game versus a shooter. You can quickly connect the controller to the companion application, and make all the adjustments you want, including vibration strength.

Unlike the wired Xbox One controllers Razer offers, the Raiju Tournament Edition features a companion application for iOS and other platforms. This allows you to wirelessly adjust the controller’s settings. This is one of the most significant innovations because the Raiju Tournament Edition features Bluetooth. Unfortunately, all of the company’s Xbox One controllers don’t support this because it seems that Microsoft doesn’t allow competing wireless products. This alone gives the Raiju Tournament Edition a massive edge.

Unfortunately, the €199.99 Raiju Ultimate features symmetrical thumbsticks, but comes with additional features like interchangeable thumbsticks and a removable D-pad. The plastic used on the bumpers also feels more premium than what’s found on the Raiju Tournament Edition. Lastly, the metal thumbsticks and Razer Chroma lighting are also missing. As a result of this, the Raiju Tournament Edition costs €50 less, but by no means is it a low-quality product. It’s actually better than the Raiju Ultimate in many ways.

The first factor that immediately stands out is the superb build quality. Not only is it lighter than the Raiju Ultimate, but it has a cleaner look. There are less buttons dotted across the controller, and this makes it a little smaller. This means that the Raiju Tournament Edition is much more comfortable to hold, and feels almost identical to the Xbox Elite Controller in many ways.

Just like the Raiju Ultimate, we rigorously tested out the Raiju Tournament Edition with a PlayStation 4 Pro and PC. Playing Bloodborne, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Destiny 2, God of War, Nioh, and Spider-Man definitely put the thumbsticks and triggers to good use. There were vigorous bumper and button presses involved. Not once did we notice any unregistered presses or other mechanical issues indicating a problem with quality. However, these issues tend to show up after the first month or so, so we’ll continue testing both products.

The Raiju Tournament Edition features proper bumpers and triggers, which feel like those found on the Xbox Elite Controller. They aren’t the shallow and small ones that come with the standard DualShock 4.

The only issue we have with the Raiju Tournament Edition is the materials used. Why couldn’t such an expensive product feature metal thumbsticks and silver plastic like the Raiju Ultimate? This controller comes in at €149.99, it should look it too because it’s the same price as the Xbox Elite Controller.

Overall, the Raiju Tournament Edition is a better product than the Raiju Ultimate. This is solely due to the fact that it’s a little smaller, lighter, and features asymmetrical thumbsticks. In our opinion, every PlayStation 4 gamer should buy the Raiju Tournament Edition because it’s by far the best controller on the market for those who prefer that platform.

9/10

Razer Raiju Tournament Edition Controller

Unlike the standard Microsoft controller warranty for ninety days, the Raiju Tournament Edition come with a full year. This should give users more confidence in their purchasing decision.

The score of 9/10 is an average of various factors. We gave the build quality compared to price a 9/10, the added physical features a 9/10, the shape and size of the controller 9/10, and the software to customize the experience a 9/10. The average of these four figures comes to 9/10.