When I first saw the original Razer Kishi, I was impressed, a tiny plastic accessory that turns your smartphone into a Nintendo Switch-like device. Mobile and cloud gaming has seen a surge in popularity over the years, and the Kishi was one of the better peripherals to emerge in response to increasing demand.
Unfortunately, the original Kishi’s design was clumsy in several ways: buttons felt flimsy, and it lacked future-proofing to accommodate new phones with weird or rough camera bumps. Roughly two years later, Razer’s new Kishi V2 addresses some of the major flaws found in its predecessor — while creating some new ones in the process.
Razer Kishi V2 for Android Review
Table of Contents
Razer Kishi V2 – Design and Features
At first glance, the Razer Kishi V2’s design looks similar to the Backbone One, the flagship phone-controller attachment that’s currently only available for iPhone devices. Where its predecessor used a Joy-Con style controller that detaches, the Kishi V2 opts for a backbone-style expandable bridge design. This makes it much easier to fit a larger phone into the controller but is less portable than the original Kishi’s collapsible design. Still, sacrificing portability in favor of greater compatibility is a nice trade-off for most people—you’ll probably want to invest in a travel case.
At just 123 grams, the Kishi V2 is lighter than both the original Kishi and the Backbone One. Hand fatigue is a common problem with portable gaming, so having a lightweight device is a plus as it enhances your gameplay sessions without worrying about hand cramps. With my Google Pixel 6 (without a case), it weighs 330 grams, though the total weight depends on what device you’re using.
The Kishi V2 ships with a number of adapters to help it fit a wide variety of phones. Despite this, you will still need to remove your phone’s case. I tried it with a case I thought would be thin enough to work, but still I had to remove it. This is disappointing, especially considering that the Backbone One controller allowed me to hold my own slim case for my iPhone XR and iPhone 13 Pro during use.
Like its predecessor, the Kishi V2 features a matte black finish, offering a clean and simple design. The grips don’t leave fingerprints, but I have noticed some scuff marks on the base where the phone is mounted. However, this is a minor nitpick considering that the phone is blocking that part during use.
The Kishi V2 has two analog sticks, one on each end of the controller. They have a nice feel—not too stiff but not too loose—and are roughly the same size as those found on the Backbone One. This being a controller designed for mobile and cloud gaming, the sizing seems like a sweet spot. A Microswitch D-pad is included on the left side of the controller, which is responsive and satisfying to press. Compared to the Backbone One’s D-pad, the Kishi V2 has slightly more range in directional motion than the Backbone One’s rigidity and limited directional movements.
The Kishi V2 has a standard A, B, X, and Y button layout at the top right. The buttons feel clicky and are a pleasure to press. However, I wish Razer kept the Xbox-style color-coding, as the white on these letters looks a lot duller than on the Kishi V1 predecessor.
The buttons use microswitches—a nice upgrade compared to the meaty membranes found on the original Kishi. The microswitches make a pleasant clicking sound that isn’t unpleasant at all, and pressing each button provides a nice tactile percussion that feels rewarding to press.
There are four additional buttons on the front of the controller: a Share button (for recording screenshots and gameplay), a Menu button, an Options button, and a Razer Nexus button, which allows you to launch the free Razer Nexus app.
The Kishi V2’s four rear triggers are easy to access and comfortable to press, but I noticed they offer a bit more travel to fully press than the Backbone One. There are also two programmable macro buttons, M1 and M2 – one on each side, adjacent to the L2 and R2 trigger buttons.
Like its predecessor, the Kishi V2 includes a USB-C passthrough on the bottom right of the controller, so you can keep your phone charged while the device is in use.
Razer Kishi V2 – Software
The Kishi V2 has a free software app called Nexus — a dashboard that lets you launch games installed on your phone, spotlight other Kishi-compatible games, and those two additional programmable buttons needed to remap. Is. The Nexus app also includes a feature that lets you start a live stream on YouTube or Facebook, and Razer says Twitch support is coming later this year.
One of the worst parts of the Nexus Kishi V2, and I often avoided it. Although the app allowed me to launch my installed games with ease, its inconsistent and sluggish performance made the software feel like it was accessible early. Images for games installed on the Nexus are low-resolution and blurry, and the Nexus button on the controller doesn’t work no matter how many times I press it.
This is the exact opposite of the Backbone app, which offers useful features like a reliable gaming hub and an in-app friend system that lets you add other Backbone users and set up voice chat rooms. Paid subscription service Backbone+ adds even more features, such as the option to connect an Android device using a Lightning-to-USB-C cable or capture gameplay at 1080p at 60FPS. While Razer’s software is free, it still pales in comparison to Backbone’s free version.
Razer Kishi V2 – Gaming
The Kishi V2 feels nice and ergonomic, whether you’re playing mobile games locally or streamed through a cloud gaming service. It’s a solid upgrade over the first-generation Kishi, which I didn’t always feel like I had a firm grip on, leading to constant worry that I’d drop the device.
I tested several games including Apex Legends: Mobile, Diablo Immortal, and streamed Halo Infinity via Xbox Cloud Gaming—all of which were compatible with the controller and enjoyable to play. The only game I encountered a problem with was Call of Duty: Mobile, which was also incompatible with the original Kishi (both Android and iOS models). A Razer spokesperson told me that “it’s up to developers what they choose to whitelist,” further noting that the company is working “very closely” with publisher partners to support full integration with their products. does. I also reached out to Activision, which confirmed that the game is not currently supported, but could possibly be in the future. Either way, it’s disappointing considering Backbone works flawlessly with Call of Duty: Mobile on iOS.
Like its predecessor, the Kishi V2 doesn’t include a 3.5mm headphone jack. While this may not sound like a big deal, especially since most smartphones today don’t include a headphone jack, audio lag is a known issue on Android. Although it is getting better, it is still an ongoing problem that varies depending on your Android device. While Razer isn’t to blame for the Android issue, a headphone jack would have completely alleviated the problem.
purchasing guide
The Razer Kishi V2 for Android is available on Amazon, Best Buy and the official Razer website for $99.99.
Source
