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I have to give the Razer team a lot of credit. I’ve been playing and testing the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC controller for the last couple of months as my daily gaming driver (when I’m not on my console of course), and I can’t think of a better way to say it than this – The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC is the best controller I’ve ever used, bar none.
What’s in the Box?
The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC ships in the sleek packaging you’d normally associate with Razer product, all bright greens and sleek blacks, with the internal packaging comprised of nice and simple recyclable cardboard.
Inside, we have the controller (obviously), a USB-C braided charging cable, a USB-C wireless dongle for connectivity to your PC, two additional thumbsticks and a nice black carry case, emblazoned with Razer’s Triple-headed snake logo. The carry case itself is nice and sturdy, with a slot for the wireless dongle, and a netted pouch to put the USB-C cable into. So far, so premium.
The controller itself is what we’re all here for, and after a couple of months of use across a multitude of different video games, I am in love. The overall shape and layout of course closely mimics what any Xbox controller user would be familiar with. We’ve got our set of ABXY face buttons, thumbsticks and triggers all in the right place, as expected, but there are a number of difference in feel and size here, and honestly, if you’re coming from something like the Elite Series 2 from Xbox, I think you’re going to love this.
Controller Hands-on
With the controller out of the box, it’s time to admire just how sleek this thing is. First up is the overall shape and feel when it’s actually in your hands. When compared to something like NACON’s Revolution X Unlimited it is noticeably smaller and much lighter than NACON’s monster controller. It’s nice and grippy, with a textured material wrapping around the handles. That textured material is fantastic, and where my somehow abrasive hands have worn my Elite Series 2 to a more smooth feel, this has maintained its texture after a couple of months of abuse.
The thumbsticks are asymmetrical, as they should be, and feature Razer’s magnetic TMR (Tunnel MagnetoResistance) technology. Fancy name aside, Razer say they deliver ‘higher resolution input tracking’. Using Razer’s Synapse platform, you can customise all of this, and fine tune the responsiveness curve to your liking.
The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC is much stubbier than most Xbox-style controllers I’ve used, and if you have larger hands, you may not get on with this, versus something like NACON’s Revolution X Unlimited, which is much ‘tankier’ in overall feel, especially with the added weights. And while I really like a weighty pad, I got on very well with this Razer controller, even though it’s a little too light for my usual tastes.
On the back and top of the controller, we have a whole host of additional buttons to use. The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC is designed for competitive gamers, and the back of the pad hosts 4 ‘mouse-grade’ switches for each of the back paddles. The goal here is responsiveness, with the aim to provide that same speed as Razer’s top-tier gaming mice.
The triggers utilise Razer’s ‘Pro Hyper-trigger’ technology, again with a similar mouse style click if you engage the trigger locks. With them unlocked, the triggers have a smooth motion, and work well for things like racing games where you want to control the throttle.
Lastly, there are two additional buttons next to our shoulder buttons and triggers, and per Razer are ‘ergonomically positioned’ to support players that utilise a more claw-like grip when using a controller. That’s not me, but I’ve found a use for them by programming them to be a keyboard button in games where I want an extra button available to me, much like the four rear paddles.
We can make you faster, stronger…
Outside of the excellent ergonomics and overall feel, we’ve got what is arguably the big feature of the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC controller, and that’s focusing in on the whole ‘8K’ thing. No, it’s not about resolution, but about polling rate.
If you’re scratching your head in mild confusion, that’s okay. The polling rate is essentially how frequently a device reports to your machine, and it’s measured in Hertz (Hz). A polling rate of just 1000Hz means that your average controller is pinging your PC with data 1000 times a second. Admittedly, that already sounds like a lot, and 8000Hz is kind of nuts.
What it really means, outside of all the technical jargon is advantage. You are faster with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, and if you’re a competitive gamer that is looking for every possible edge in your online competition, this is the best of the best. Just be aware, that running it at 8000Hz will have an affect on the battery life of the controller. But honestly? – it’s so worth it. Battery life is pretty great for the most part, and as I’m using it at my desk, a cable isn’t too far away if I need it.
Razer’s Synapse software has thankfully seen vast improvements over the years, and as someone who uses plenty of Razer gear, it’s now a doddle to use. With it, you can adjust your thumbsticks deadzones, adjust your D-Pad to be 4-way or 8-way, and even tell the controller how long it should stay on for if there’s no activity. One minor irritation, that even after a few months I still get weirdly annoyed by – turning the damn thing on. It feels like you have to press and hold the nexus button for just a smidge too long, and I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve ‘let go’ thinking it was long enough, but it fell just a little shy. I’m nitpicking here of course, but still – it’s worth mentioning.
My New Favourite
After a couple of months of use, I can’t go back. The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC is my new favourite controller when gaming on PC, and it’s not even close. I miss it when I’m gaming on my Xbox, so much so that I’ve started using the wired Xbox Wolverine V3 controller, just because I like the feel so much. I never thought it would replace my day-to-day use of my Halo Infinite-branded Elite Series 2 on console, but after some extended time with the competition, Microsoft, and other controller manufacturers have got a real competition on their hands.
The big downside of course is the price. The Razer Wolverine V3 8K Pro is $199.99 / €199.99 / £178.98 – and that’s a hefty amount to pay for a controller. However, if you’re a hardcore gamer, or a competitive one, it is the primary way you’ll play games outside of a mouse and keyboard. Whether it’s worth the price of entry, is up to you.
If the cost is of major concern, and you’re not too fussed about wireless connectivity, you can absolutely consider the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition 8K PC instead – it’s the same controller, but lacks the carry case and wireless capability. It’s a little lighter due to the lack of an internal battery, but all of those compromises make it a fair bit cheaper.
If you’re on Xbox, and want to get your hands on this controller, I’ve also been using the white, wired console version of the Wolverine V3 Pro, which is $99.99. For the wireless Xbox console version, again expect that cost to be in a similar range….but then they do a lime green version, which has absolutely caught my eye…
Where to Buy?
| Wolverine V3 Pro | Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC | Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition | Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition 8K PC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
| Best Buy | Best Buy | Best Buy | Best Buy |
| Razer | Razer | Razer | Razer |
| NewEgg | Unavailable | NewEgg | Unavailable |
Razer Wolverine V3 8K Pro
PROS
- Sleek, comfortable design
- Super grippy texture that hasn't worn down
- Great thumbsticks, triggers and additional buttons
- Razer Synapse is actually pretty good!
CONS
- A little light for my tastes
- Powering it on takes too long!
Honestly, it is a technical trash, simultaneouly this is contempt for customer eg: the build quality, the quality of d-pad is much worse than the version 1’s d-pad.