Raiju Tournament Edition
RAZER $170
There’s no getting around it: The Razer Raiju Tournament Edition controller is a luxury item. Designed as a premium alternative to the PS4’s DualShock 4, at $170 it’s more than triple the price of its first-party alternative.
The most obvious difference between the Raiju and the DualShock 4 is the former’s size: It’s definitely more of a fistful, and yet it’s a delight to hold—especially for those who prefer the bulkier dimensions of Microsoft’s Xbox One controller. There’s a textured grip on the underside of each wing, and the L2/R2 buttons are more angled upwards at the edges. The four face buttons audibly click when pressed, and the ‘Share’ and ‘Option’ buttons protrude from the controller itself, making them much easier to press on the fly.
You also get four new buttons, mapped with the four face button functionalities by default, but if you want to change them—and you will, since that’s the whole point—you’ll need to download the Raiju app on an iOS or Android device. Using Bluetooth, the app lets you assign these four extra buttons as you like, and new profiles can be created and swapped between via a smartphone or tablet.
The Raiju is basically a third-party PS4 equivalent to the Xbox One Elite Controller. With that in mind, it’s harder for the Raiju to compete for the title of best ‘pro’ game PC controller: The market is less crowded on PS4. But it’s a step in the right direction.