Razer Wolverine V3 Pro controller review: Pressing all the right buttons (2024)

Whether you play on an Xbox Series X|S or prefer the feel of a great gaming controller when playing on your gaming PC, finding the model that fits your needs can be tricky. Racing games have slightly different needs from those of multiplayer shooters, as do sports games or retro emulators. While the Xbox controller is often said to be the standard to live up to, sometimes you want extra buttons or the ability to change the thumbsticks for differing heights or shapes. That's where custom controllers like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro come in, and while it's expensive at $200, it's now my favorite Xbox-style controller.

Custom controllers are all about customizability. At a minimum, they let you reassign buttons to other commands, while the better ones add extra customizable buttons, trigger stops for a more mouse-click feel with reduced reaction times, and removable thumbsticks that can change height and shape or be replaced when worn. This new controller has all these things and adds improved ergonomics, ABXY buttons with microswitches so they aren't mushy feeling, 2.4GHz wireless, and a bonus for PC users: a 1,000Hz polling rate when connected via USB-C. The only thing missing is Bluetooth connectivity, which is a shame as I'd love to use this controller with every device I own.

About this review: Razer provided a Wolverine V3 Pro controller for review. The company had no input in this article and did not see its contents before publishing.

The new Pro standard

Razer Wolverine V3 Pro

Pro gamers, this is your next controller

9.5/ 10

The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is a wired and wireless Xbox-style controller for the Xbox Series X | S and PC. It has great ergonomics no matter your grip style and is customizable physically and through an extensive software package.

Pros

• Hall effect joysticks with interchangeable thumbsticks
• Tactile mouse-click buttons
• Smooth triggers with trigger stops that make them feel like mouse clicks

Cons

• 1,000Hz polling rate is PC and wired-only
• Expensive
• No Bluetooth connectivity

$200 at Amazon$200 at Razer

Pricing and availability

Razer announced the Wolverine V3 Pro on August 28, 2024. It's available to purchase from multiple retailers, including Razer and Amazon. The premium controller costs $200 and is only available in black. It works with Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows-based PCs running Windows 10 or 11.

What I like

Great ergonomics and solid build quality, among others

Since even budget controllers come with Hall effect sticks, that isn't enough to make a controller stand out - it's just the table stakes. Razer wisely went with them on the Wolverine V3 Pro, joining Turtle Beach and Victrix in the small group of premium Hall effect Xbox-style controllers. With Microsoft and SCUF still to release anything with Hall effect sticks, Razer's first wireless Xbox controller needed to nail the basics, and the rest, but I didn't expect them to nail it so completely.

The magnetic sensors won't get stick drift, and they also feature magnetic and replaceable thumbcaps, which come in various heights with convex and concave tips. This is useful when switching it up for different game styles, and it also enhances longevity as you can swap them when they wear out. The D-pad is also a new design I've not used before, with a floating pad that feels almost analog but only registers in the usual eight directions. It gives great feedback to your thumb, and the floating design makes fighting game moves easier to pull off than the usual cross-shaped pad.

The springs in the thumbstick modules and triggers have more pushback than those in standard controllers. That comes in handy for flicks and going back to center position, and also for holding aim positions for longer times, something that I find difficult without the added resistance. The triggers have easily activated trigger stops, turning them into microswitch mouse buttons for fast action. The top surfaces of the controller are also treated with a soft-touch coating that's almost suede-like, if suede was made of plastic, and the bottom of the controller has a knurled grip pattern that's not sharply defined enough to hurt but has plenty of grip.

I have big hands, but even those with smaller hands will appreciate the ergonomic tweaks Razer has made to the Xbox blueprint. The hand grips are shorter and stubbier, so they sit nicely in your grip. The extra buttons on the back and near the triggers are easier to reach than other premium controllers and have a satisfying click when pressed. The ABXY cluster also uses mouse-style microswitches under the usual membrane, so they're familiar, but click with enough feedback that you know you've pressed them properly. After going through several mushy-feeling membrane-only premium controllers recently, the feeling of these new buttons is a welcome change.

Extremely customizable

Like Hall effect sticks, customizability in software is also a table stake for any premium controller. The Razer Controller Setup For Xbox app has a ton of utility. It allows you to assign any function to the six extra buttons, including the right and left triggers, which I've never seen before. It also has a Sensitivity Clutch feature that either increases or decreases the sensitivity of either thumbstick when held down. That's great for precision sniping or perhaps minor adjustments in racing games. You also get control over the strength of the haptic motors, the ubiquitous Razer Chroma RGB lighting, and things like power-saving settings.

These customizations can be saved in multiple profiles, and the software enables a special 1,000Hz polling rate when connected to a PC via USB-C. That's four times the regular Xbox polling rate, making your reaction speeds the only significant factor when gameplay gets hectic. Plenty of features can be changed without going into the software, simply by holding the small function button and pressing various combos like RB to increase the haptics strength or LB to decrease it.

What I don't like

The lack of Bluetooth seems an oversight

While the PC experience is great, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is missing one thing: Bluetooth connectivity. This is a real shame because I want to use this controller on every device I own. Seriously. I do most of my gaming on the PC, but I also own a huge assortment of consoles, phones, tablets, and other devices that can all use Bluetooth input. Every other aspect of the controller is ideal, including battery life, ergonomics, button feel, and accuracy of the analog sticks, and that's why I want to use it on more things.

To be fair, Bluetooth connectivity isn't a must-have feature for the premium market. The solid Hyperspeed 2.4GHz wireless connectivity is more stable than Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Dongle for Windows, which uses Wi-Fi Direct. All my other Xbox controllers have connectivity issues in my office, from drop-outs to missed inputs, but not the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. It's hard to definitively say it won't have problems, as I've only used it for a month now, when I've had the other controllers for significantly longer. But, I have high hopes based on other Razer wireless devices I have owned for longer.

Should you buy the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro?

You should buy the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro if:

• You want Hall effect joysticks with interchangeable thumbstick heights
• You use either a normal or claw grip
• You want a premium controller with customizable buttons

You should NOT buy the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro if:

• You need a gaming controller with Bluetooth
• You won't use the additional buttons
• You want a more affordable controller

Premium gaming controllers live in a weird space, where extra buttons might not be to everyone's taste. Once dominated by a couple of big names, the market is growing with the rising popularity of esports and the fans who want to emulate their heroes. However, with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, one of the biggest names in gaming is now at the forefront. This is the best PC and Xbox gaming controller I've used to date, and I've used pretty much everything from no-name drop-shipped controllers to customizable ones that cost more than the Wolverine V3 Pro.

Until Microsoft or SCUF releases Hall effect controllers, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro will rule the roost (and probably the pro circuit). If you want a solidly built controller with premium features and a great feel, this is it. It might even do enough to keep the top spot once the bigger names join in with Hall effect controllers of their own.

The new Pro standard

Razer Wolverine V3 Pro

Pro gamers, this is your next controller

9.5/ 10

The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is a wired and wireless Xbox-style controller for the Xbox Series X | S and PC. It has great ergonomics no matter your grip style and is customizable physically and through an extensive software package.

$200 at Amazon$200 at Razer