Razer Wolverine Ultimate

I FIND IT HARD to get excited about controllers. The use cases are slim, but a good controller is an essential part of any gaming enthusiast’s PC toolkit. After all, you can’t play every game with a mouse and keyboard. Well, you can, but lots of titles simply aren’t as enjoyable without a game controller. Platformers, racing sims, and fighting games all feel much better on a controller than with a precision pointer and clacky keys.

I’ve tried a few aftermarket ones in the past, so when Razer offered me the opportunity to try out its latest Wolverine controller, I jumped at the chance to give the big ugly mammal a run for its money.

So, it’s $160. It’s challenging to justify spending that much on a controller, especially when you can pick up a cheap Xbox one for just $26 on Newegg. Mind you, it does come with everything you’d ever need: an extensively long USB cable, three swappable thumbsticks, d-pad layouts, a cornucopia of buttons (with multiple triggers hidden away at the back), fully remappable buttons, and, of course, that old Razer favorite and drifter from the world of PC peripherals, RGB Chroma lighting.

That aside, the design is really nice. The sandblasted finish dodges greasy fingers well, and the rubber grips at the back feel premium and secure. Everything is solid, and it’s a stunning piece of gear to use, ergonomically slotting into your hand sweetly enough. The one thing I do wish is that it featured lighting on all the buttons. That said, if you got the cash, it’s actually a fair product for the price. $160, www.razerzone.com