Razer Wolverine V3 Pro review: an excellent Xbox controller

Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro is a great controller

You can recognize the manufacturing quality of a controller by the sound its buttons produce when you press them. On this point, the Wolverine V3 Pro is very, very satisfactory thanks to a mechanical design which makes a very pleasant “click” to the ear, whose ultra-short stroke allows it to be even more responsive. An asset which will not necessarily speak to a less knowledgeable audience, rather intended for those who are up to the millisecond. This point also applies to the impeccable directional cross (the best on the market), which will appeal to fans of fighting games.

The Wolverine V3 Pro is also distinguished by its atypical design, materialized by shorter and coated handles. They are surrounded by a light grip that grips the palm. Robust, the Wolverine V3 Pro weighs its weight (304 grams, compared to just over 240 grams for the Xbox pad) but offers ideal comfort, even during long sessions. We feel that the shape has been designed to fit a maximum body shape, with asymmetrical sticks that fall naturally under the thumbs, well-placed triggers and overall very well thought-out ergonomics. Even the six shortcuts (!) are well positioned. In some cases, they are difficult to reach.

Another good point, the Wolverine V3 Pro relies on hall effect sticks, more precise, and above all more robust (because they are spared from the phenomenon of drift). Note that the controller comes with four sticks in total: two normal ones with a hollow dome, one longer and one with a rounded dome. This allows a hint of hardware customization (no need to pull hard on a stick to remove it), in addition to reducing the travel of the triggers (with imitation of a mouse click when it is reduced to the lowest).

Let’s also highlight the sobriety of the Wolverine V3 Pro, dressed all in black, with no green touches (unlike the V2) and a pleasantly grainy plastic to the touch. We will just be able to offer it a little eccentricity with the luminous Razer logo (read: choose the color), to be configured in a dedicated application. The controller comes in a very sturdy storage case.

Software customization in the spotlight

If the Wolverine V3 Pro ultimately offers relatively few hardware modifications, we must recognize that it makes up for it with its software possibilities. Everything is brought together in an application available on Xbox and PC (Razer Controller Setup For Xbox). The interface is a bit austere, but everything is clear and in its place. The idea is to be able to create several profiles, depending on gender. It’s a shame, however, not to be able to change it on the fly without using the application. Especially since we could have figured it out by assigning a color to each profile.

Concretely, we can:

• Independently configure the six shortcut buttons (four of which offer a mouse-like feel), including assigning more complex functions (clicking the stick, or even both at the same time);
• Customize stick settings (dead zones, circularity mode, etc.);
• Manage the intensity of the vibration (seven levels);
• Choose the lighting effect of the logo (brightness, spectrum cycle, static, etc.);
• Set power saving mode

Outside of the application, it is possible to use a function button, which can activate commands using key combinations (example: increase the volume). All you have to do is press the function button and the shortcut button simultaneously, then press the button you want to assign. This is a super quick way to assign a shortcut, if you realize you need it in a specific video game.

Last point, and not least, the Wolverine V3 Pro is a wireless controller, supplied with a USB dongle to plug into your PC or Xbox console (the charging cable is provided, with USB-C to USB -HAS). Battery life is promised for 20 hours, which is more than enough to see it coming. Note that there is a bug in the Xbox interface: the remaining battery life of the controller is not displayed correctly and suggests that it is still charging. To know the status of the battery, you have to rely on the Razer application.