Title: Razer Raiju – Time to Git Gud
Author: Stunt
Recovered Author: Stunt
Published Date: 2017-01-25
Original URL: https://geeknode.co.za/2017/01/razer-raiju-time-git-gud
Wayback URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20180205214234id_/http://www.geeknode.co.za:80/2017/01/razer-raiju-time-git-gud/
Recovery Confidence: high

- Manufacturer Razer
- Release Date 18 December 2016
- Where we got our copy Apex Interactive
- Where to buy Raru , Rebeltech , Loot.co.za , TakeAlot , Makro

- Stunt

- 1 year ago

- 0 0

The Prelude

Being a multi-platform gamer is a privilege these days, not only financially but in respect to time availability. It’s no secret that one platform will always become that step-child, dust collector you put stuff on…

In my case, that is my PS4. It’s not because I’m a stone-cold fanboy of my Xbox or PC, but rather that I’m a stone-cold fanboy of multiplayer. In my personal opinion I get the best exclusive access to that genre on my PC and Xbox, while my PS4 caters for exclusive single player experiences. Sadly, these are released pretty far apart, so about a week after an exclusive my PS4 retires to its paperweight potential as it once again awaits the release of Horizon.

The Truth

Now that the Political Correctness is out of the way, I hate playing my PS4… Not for obvious reason, but rather a particular nuance that I have come to dislike since first using an Xbox: The controller.

It creaks when I pick it up, when I hold it as tight as a 6 month old toddler does their milk bottle and even when I pull the triggers. Now I know I could just pump up the sound or use a headset to avoid hearing the cheap plastic give in on its poorly aligned seams, but that’s not going to stop me from feeling it. I can only compare the sensation to grabbing what you expect to be a fresh potato, but morbidly discover to be a rotten sack of potato ooze… It’s disheartening and personally insulting given the premium price these controllers are sold for.

For like minded people, at least, there have in recent months been some great third-party offerings for alternative PS4 controllers. One specifically, is the Raiju from Razer, who isn’t new to gaming peripherals as you may know. Designed specifically with eSports in mind, Razer is set that the Raiju is the best way to play on PS4.

Individualism allows such statements to be subjective and often false, luckily for me it reigns true.

Great Design

Already owning an Xbox Elite controller, the Raiju holds many similarities, which made it feel at home to me. It comes snug inside its own carry case, hard-shell to protect it from bumps and the odd toss onto the table when in a rush, accompanied by a braided cable and screwdriver necessary to adjust or remove the additional triggers.

It also handsomely mimics the girth and size of an Xbox One controller, which if preferable to the flimsy and creaky Playstation standard. Making for a more comfortable grip if you have bigger hands while still rewarding PS fans with the inline analog stick layout they’re familiar with, unlike Xbox’s offset layout.

I foresee many complaints with having to use a cable for the controller as most gamers sit on a couch which is best complimented with wireless connectivity and Bluetooth controllers. I personally game at a desk so it’s a non-issue for me. The cable is thankfully of high quality and decent length, to be exact, which may accommodate those willing to sacrifice some comfort or redirect the lounge traffic in order to use the Raiju.

Other than that the controller in itself is quite gorgeous. Wrapped in matte black and sporting blue grips, this lightweight beaut fits perfectly in hand. Long gaming sessions often lead to clammy hands and the textured grips definitely assist in fighting off the discomfort until you can afford to head off for a hand wash (can’t only be me who washes hands in between matches?). The same blue covers the analog stick caps that can be taken off if preferred as I can feel they’ll smooth in time and personally like the vanilla analog sticks as Razer has designed them.

Note: this controller does not yet support KontrolFreek caps, well at least not mine.

Gitting Gud

The additional buttons take a bit of getting used to. Being fairly familiar with my Xbox Elite controller, I had little issue adapting quickly and avoiding pressing the rear triggers. Regarding the additional bumpers, I did find myself reaching for them at times and still haven’t quite gotten used to their placement.

Each of the additional buttons can be assigned to replicate any other button on the standard controller layout, most commonly customised to replicate analog stick presses as these very often influence your direction of movement and/or aim when pressed. Crouch/prone and jump also allow the CoD guys to more easily pull off their xXxMLGPRO_DoritosxXx69 trick shots. Trigger stops at the back of the controller are one of my favourite features of these controllers, allowing you to shorten the travel of the trigger which is very handy when playing games that require a quick succession of trigger pulls. This can then be undone instantly by just pushing the slide back in preference of racing games which require more precise trigger control.

Most notable and useful on the controller is the addition of a quick access comms panel at the bottom of the controller, very similar to the Microsoft Stereo adapter, allowing you to very easily adjust game and mic volume, switching profiles and muting yourself as well. Supporting all 3.5mm jack headsets will make the investment lighter on the pocket by supporting most standard headsets that PS4 owners already have.

The buttons on the controller are great, responding with a tactical click when pressed it can only be faulted in one area, the D-Pad. Instead of having a rocking mechanism, each of the 4 D-Pad buttons is exactly that, a button. This makes hitting the diagonal direction like say, Up+Left neigh impossible, handicapping amateur fighter game players like myself, to analog stick trickery which I found to be poor.

Where to get it:

Now, before I say where, I have to note the absolute worst aspect of the Razer Raiju. Its cost. It’s not a light investment and you can almost buy 3 standard PS4 controllers for the price of a Raiju.

Coming in at around R2,500 you can find the Raiju at the following retailers, prices will vary:

- Raru

- Rebeltech

- Loot.co.za

- TakeAlot

- Makro

The Prelude Being a multi-platform gamer is a privilege these days, not only financially but in respect to time availability. It's no secret that one platform will always become that step-child, dust collector you put stuff on... In my case, that is my PS4. It's not because I'm a stone-cold fanboy of my Xbox or PC, but rather that I'm a stone-cold fanboy of multiplayer. In my personal opinion I get the best exclusive access to that genre on my PC and Xbox, while my PS4 caters for exclusive single player experiences. Sadly, these are released pretty far apart, so about a week after an exclusive my PS4 retires to its paperweight potential as it once again awaits the release of Horizon. The Truth Now that the Political Correctness is out of the way, I hate playing my PS4... Not for obvious reason, but rather a particular nuance that I have come to dislike since first using an Xbox: The controller. It creaks when I pick it up, when I hold it as tight as a 6 month old toddler does their milk bottle and even when I pull the triggers. Now I know I could just pump up the sound or use a headset to avoid hearing the cheap plastic give in on its poorly aligned seams, but that's not going to stop me from feeling it. I can only compare the sensation to grabbing what you expect to be a fresh potato, but morbidly discover to be a rotten sack of potato ooze... It's disheartening and personally insulting given the premium price these controllers are sold for. For like minded people, at least, there have in recent months been some great third-party offerings for alternative PS4 controllers. One specifically, is the Raiju from Razer, who isn’t new to gaming peripherals as you may know. Designed specifically with eSports in mind, Razer is set that the Raiju is the best way to play on PS4. Individualism allows such statements to be subjective and often false, luckily for me it reigns true. Great Design Already owning an Xbox Elite controller, the Raiju holds many similarities, which made it feel at home to me. It comes snug inside its own carry case, hard-shell to protect it from bumps and the odd toss onto the table when in a rush, accompanied by a braided cable and screwdriver necessary to adjust or remove the additional triggers. It also handsomely mimics the girth and size of an Xbox One controller, which if preferable to the flimsy and creaky Playstation standard. Making for a more comfortable grip if you have bigger hands while still rewarding PS fans with the inline analog stick layout they’re familiar with, unlike Xbox’s offset layout. I foresee many complaints with having to use a cable for the controller as most gamers sit on a couch which is best complimented with wireless connectivity and Bluetooth controllers. I personally game at a desk so it’s a non-issue for me. The cable is thankfully of…

Tech Review: Razer Raiju – Time to Git Gud

Tech Review: Razer Raiju – Time to Git Gud

2017-01-25

Stunt

Quality at a price

Total - 7.5

75
7.5

A decent controller, that brings a great, even if wired, alternative to the scuff offerings. Unfortunately at quite a heavy cost.

User Rating: Be the first one !

8

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Stunt

Gaming Editor / Tech Author at Geek Node

Some say that he sees the world at 144 frames per second and his thumbs are actual analog sticks. All we know is he's called Stunt.

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Article Tags:
3rd party · controller · Peripheral · PS4 · Raiju · Razer

Article Categories:
eSports · Tech · Tech Review
