STACK #243 January 2025
GAMING FEATURE
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Gaming by tapping the screen on a smartphone or small tablet can be fun, but what if it could be more like the full console experience, using a dedicated controller? With the nifty Razer Kishi Ultra USB-C Gaming Controller, it can! Words Amy Flower GO ULTRA!
Razer Nexus? When it comes to handy gaming apps, Razer’s free Nexus ranks right up there, and paired with the Kishi Ultra it truly is a winning combination. As well as allowing housekeeping such as firmware updates and control customisation like button remapping, the app functions as a gaming hub for your mobile device. On top of listing all of your installed games, it has a hub-type layout to allow you to find your next favourite game. But that’s not all, it also acts as a conduit for Xbox and other cloud gaming, meaning you have as much controller power in your hands on the go as you have at home on your traditional console or PC gaming setup. Bells and whistles! Razer’s products are renowned for their brilliant Chroma RGB lighting, and the Kishi Ultra is no different. Insert your device, power it on and enjoy the bonus lightshow, with all 16.8 million colours adjustable to your taste via the Nexus app. The Kishi Ultra also delivers Razer Sensa HD Haptics – programmed vibrations – on certain Android 12 (and higher) and Windows 11 devices where games support the function. MAGIC TOUCH! Do you have a favourite touchscreen game that you’d like to try out with more traditional controls? You can add such functionality to many of the biggest mobile games via Virtual Controller Mode, which lets you remap touchscreen controls to the Kishi Ultra.
Introducing Kishi Ultra Upon opening the box, extracting the unit, and holding it in your hands, you’re struck by the Kishi Ultra’s feel – it’s solid without being unwieldy, and it feels very much like you’re holding a full-sized classic Xbox controller. That’s because it essentially is a full-sized controller, just with a handy expandable space in the middle in which to pop your device – almost anything with up to an 8” screen. There’s a USB-C plug built-in, so be it Android or newer iOS device, it’s ready to give you a more dedicated gaming experience than ever before.
There’s a handy USB-C passthrough so that you can charge as you play, as well as a convenient passthrough for 3.5mm audio. Buttons!
We mentioned the Xbox controller earlier, as the asymmetrical layout of that trusty device is what’s been emulated by Razer with the Kishi Ultra. As such there are clickable analog
• The Razer Kishi Ultra is out now!
thumbsticks either side, with an eight-way D-pad at left, and classic ABXY buttons at right. As well as your typical analog trigger and bumper buttons at top left and right, there are extra bumper buttons either side of them that are individually programmable. On the face there are further handy buttons, including one for quick and
easy screenshotting, and one that brings up the Razer Nexus app in game.
First impressions When you initially grab hold and pull each springy side outwards
EXTRA CONTROL Not only is the Kishi Ultra a brilliant solution for gaming on the go, tethered via a USB-C cable it can perform as a top-notch controller for PC gaming.
According to legend, the kishi is an Angolan demon with a human man’s face on the front, and a hyena’s face on the back. DYK?
you could be mistaken for thinking that the Kishi Ultra lives a double life as an exercise device. This ability to stretch is, of course, so as to house different sized devices. The Kishi Ultra is ready to go whether you have a case on your device or not, too, with small rubber
stoppers either side that are easily removable when required - just remember to store them somewhere safe!
10 JANUARY 2025
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