It’s been nearly five years since Razer’s last PlayStation-centric controller, the Razer Raiju, was released. Now that we’re firmly into the PS5’s lifecycle, Razer has introduced its Wolverine V2 Pro tournament-focused controller to players looking for a competitive advantage. While it’s one of the most expensive options available for PlayStation players to date, it’s still got a handful of features that make it rise above the deluge of “Pro”-style controllers flooding the market these days.
Razer Wolverine V2 Pro Wireless – Design and Features
First and foremost, the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro uses an offset-style analog stick layout, despite being an officially licensed PlayStation controller. If you’re a diehard PlayStation player, this might be a bit of an adjustment for you. However, if you’ve got experience using Xbox or the Nintendo Switch Pro controller, this should be a fairly minimal change.
One of the biggest changes the Wolverine V2 Pro makes over its predecessor, the Wolverine V2 Chroma, is the ability to play wirelessly, in addition to the standard wired mode. This gives the controller much more flexibility for more casual play, allowing you to kick back and relax without being tethered to your console. This 2.4GHz wireless mode works across both PS5 and PC using the included USB-A adapter. You can easily swap between platform and connectivity options by flipping the toggles on the rear of the controller.
One of the best features of Razer controllers is the Mecha-Tactile Action Buttons – and thankfully they are back with the Wolverine V2 Pro. For those unfamiliar, Razer’s face buttons feel much different from standard controllers. They have a tactile and incredibly satisfying click when pressed, which feels very similar to that of a mouse click. Not only does this provide tactile feedback so you know when the button has been pressed, it also has a much shorter actuation distance, allowing you to input commands more quickly. Razer claims these Mecha-Tactile Action Buttons have a 0.65mm actuation distance – or 35% less than that of standard membrane buttons. The speed at which these buttons can be pressed could theoretically shave off milliseconds of input time, potentially giving you the upper-hand over your opponents.
Similar to the unique face buttons, Razer also implements a similar technology in its D-Pad. The 8-Way Microswitch D-Pad is a raised circular shape, allowing you to quickly input commands in something like a fighting game by simply running your finger around its edge, while clicking at each point to let you know the input was registered.
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The analog triggers also feature Razer’s HyperTrigger technology, which gives you the ability to lock them into a fast-firing mode or unlock them for full range of motion. This can be done for both L2 and R2 independently, giving you full control over your analog trigger experience. When engaged, the triggers also have the snappy responsiveness of a mouse click, providing some satisfying tactile feedback when pressed.
Aside from the physical buttons, Razer’s additional “Pro” offerings for this controller include two interchangeable magnetic thumbstick caps: a single tall concave and short convex option, for sniping and run-and-gun situations, respectively. Both analog thumbsticks feel incredibly snappy and responsive, and the plastic inner ring gives you smooth 360-degree control. However, much like the Wolverine V2 Chroma, there’s no carrying case to store the interchangeable parts or braided USB charging cable, which feels like a miss – especially when compared to Sony’s recent DualSense Edge pro controller.
Additionally, there are six customizable buttons: four on the rear and two on top, in the middle of L2 and R2. Nothing has changed here from the Wolverine V2 Chroma, and I’m still not the biggest fan of the placement of the back buttons. They are located near the center of the rear of the controller, putting them in a place that’s conveniently out of the way when you don’t need them, but make them awkward to press when you do. This is especially uncomfortable when you want to have all four buttons covered, as you’ll need to give up both of your middle fingers and ring fingers, leaving just your pinky fingers on the grips for support.
If you’re looking to use this controller for both casual and tournament play, you may be disappointed to find out there’s still no built-in rumble. While this isn’t uncommon in Pro controllers that are used for competitive play, it still feels as though it should’ve been included with the option to disable it given the price. It seems like an odd decision to provide wireless functionality (which traditionally isn’t used in competitive settings), but omit rumble. Likewise, you won’t find any of Sony’s Adaptive Trigger technology in the analog triggers, as this is still a feature exclusive to the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers. However, other features such as the Touchpad, built-in microphone, and headphone jack, as well as the Option and Share buttons are present.
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One aspect to note about this controller is that it’s quite a bit heftier than both the Wolverine V2 Chroma and standard DualSense controller. The Wolverine V2 Pro measures 167.5mm wide, compared to the DualSense at 160mm and V2 Chroma at 161.5mm. As far as weight goes, it’s 10g heavier than its predecessor at 280g, which matches the DualSense in weight, despite not having any internal haptics. Overall, the shape is much more similar to the Xbox controller than a standard PlayStation controller with a taller face and stubbier grips.
And, this wouldn’t be a Razer product without RGB. With Chroma RGB built-in, you can customize the lighting effects and color options using the Razer Controller app on iOS or Android. While the lighting effects are subtle, opting to stick to the outer edges of the controller, they add a nice touch and really give some personality to an otherwise standard-looking controller.
When playing in the 2.4GHz wireless mode, you can expect a very generous 28 hours of battery life – significantly more than the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers. However, when using the Chroma RGB, this is reduced to around 10 hours. Either way, this is still a respectable battery life for a rechargeable wireless controller.
Despite having some fantastic features, the price point feels a bit high when compared to similar controllers. At $250, it’s one of the most expensive PlayStation controllers to date. It’s $100 more than the previous Wolverine V2 Chroma, and $50 more than Sony’s “Pro” offering in the DualSense Edge – which arguably has a better, more robust customization experience, not to mention a carrying case for everything. This even puts the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro above the Scuf Reflex Pro in price, which many consider the gold standard for tournament-style controllers.
Razer Wolverine V2 Pro Wireless – Software
In order to customize the Wolverine V2 Pro controller for use with PS5 or PC, you’ll need to download the Razer Controller companion app for iOS or Android. Within this app, you’ll be able to configure four different profiles that you can swap between on the fly using a physical button on the face of the controller. Within each profile, you’ll find options to remap the four back buttons and two top buttons, adjust clutch sensitivity, and configure the Chroma RGB settings.
Razer Wolverine V2 Pro Wireless – Gaming
After customizing a few profiles, I took the Wolverine V2 Pro for a spin across a few different games. I spent a good chunk of time bouncing between Fornite’s new season and Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, while also jumping into Hogwarts Legacy to get a feel for how it handled overall.
My absolute favorite feature of this controller is just how damn good the face buttons and D-Pad feel. The tactile sensation you get when pressing each one is satisfying and extremely responsive. All of my inputs felt lightning-fast across all three of the games I played. This is far and away the best feature of the Wolverine Pro V2, and something that really sets it apart from just about any other controller.
The trigger stops also felt great, allowing me to quickly tap-fire weapons without having to press the analog trigger down all the way. This made my weapons feel more responsive, and seemingly helped me gain an edge in some of my engagements. They aren’t quite as tight as something like the Scuf Instinct Pro, which has a near-instant actuation, but the triggers seem to activate at around one-third of a press. And, when I hopped into a vehicle, I could easily deactivate the trigger stop for full range of motion.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not the best at aiming on a controller after primarily playing FPS games on mouse and keyboard for the past four years, but the sensitivity clutch came in…well, clutch. When aiming down sights with a sniper rifle in Fortnite, I was able to quickly track my opponent and then engage the sensitivity clutch to fine-tune my sights to secure that sweet, sweet headshot. This isn’t a new feature by any means, as a variety of different mice feature a similar button that can be used to lower your DPI to assist with aiming, but it’s the first instance I’ve seen it executed on a controller and it feels so natural to use. It also helped me stay on target in close range engagements without my reticle bouncing all over the place as I strafed around my opponents.
That being said, I’m still not a fan of the back button placement overall. It’s just slightly too uncomfortable for me to keep my fingers resting on any of them for extended periods of time, which defeats the purpose of having extra buttons, since eventually I’m going to need to move my finger to press one. Out of the six extra buttons, I actually found the two on top of the controller to be the most accessible and comfortable, as they are located just behind L1 and R1, and almost parallel to L2 and R2.
My only other main gripe with the Wolverine Pro V2 is the size and shape, which is very much a personal preference. As someone who feels the standard DualSense is already a wide, somewhat uncomfortable controller to use, this is even wider. The stubby, bulbous grips meant it never really felt secure in my hands, especially when trying to reach some of the back buttons.