When I first unboxed the Razer Raiju V3 Pro, my brain immediately went: okay, this is exciting. It had that wow factor — that feeling of holding a piece of tech that’s meant to do something special. It’s the kind of controller that makes you want to jump straight into a game just to see what all the fuss is about.

Build and feel — familiar, but also very not

Coming from the DualSense, the first surprise is the weight. The Raiju V3 Pro is definitely lighter, but not in a cheap way. Holding it felt different, wider even, and my hands were a little more relaxed because of that added space.

The grip texture is great — no fear of slipping, and it feels particularly good on the bottom of your palm.

The face buttons? Smaller surface area, longer travel. Premium-feeling overall, though I’ll be honest: I’m not entirely convinced the Raiju V3 Pro’s feel matches its price tag. That’s mostly because I’ve tried some GameSir controllers that felt surprisingly similar for a fraction of the price. But still — this feels like a product built with intent.

Gameplay experience — where it actually comes alive

Most of my testing happened on NBA 2K26 because… well… that’s the game I always end up playing. And this was the moment the TMR thumbsticks flexed. I found myself doing more dribble combos and experimenting with shot styles using the right stick simply because I had zero fear of drift.

I also jumped into a few fighting games — TEKKEN 8 and My Hero One’s Justice 2 — then humbled myself in several Death Match sessions on Call of Duty Black Ops 7. I even swung through Spider-Man Remastered for a bit. Across all of these, the controller felt responsive, fast, and ready for whatever chaos I threw at it.

HyperTriggers and extra inputs — surprisingly useful

The triggers were most noticeable during my Call of Duty matches. I still sucked at it — let’s be real — but I can totally see how better players would squeeze more value out of the locked fast-trigger mode. The surprise twist was how useful the triggers were for fighting games. Having minimal travel made reaction-based inputs feel snappier and more controlled.

As for the back paddles and claw bumpers: I thought about taking some of them out, but ended up keeping everything on. Eventually, they became little fidget points that didn’t interfere with gameplay.

Mapped the extra trigger to Square to make it easier to hit the Triangle + Square combo for self alley-oops.

In practice, I rarely used them because I’m such a muscle-memory player… except in NBA 2K26. I mapped self alley-oops and flashy passing to the extra triggers, which helped because 2K moved those combos around this year.

Thumbsticks — the star of the show

The TMR sticks? Excellent. Smooth, accurate, fluid — all of it. I had fun abusing them without worrying about drift, and NBA 2K26 really let me push them to their limit. COD: Black Ops 7 was harder, but I think that’s more on me than the controller. Maybe a sensitivity tweak or two will fix that over time.

Customization — only what I needed

I’m not the type who loves deep tweaking, so I mostly skipped Synapse. I only used the mobile Razer Controller app to remap the extra triggers. And honestly? That was enough. The controller already felt good out of the box.

Wireless performance — HyperSpeed does its job

No lag. No hiccups. No difference between wired and wireless — seriously. HyperSpeed Wireless worked wonders and felt as reliable as any cable-connected controller I’ve used.

Pain points — minor, but noticeable

There are a couple of things worth noting.

The big one: no haptic feedback. The DualSense’s signature feature simply doesn’t exist here. Razer says this controller was designed with real pro players, and removing rumble seems to be one of those “it’s not needed in esports” decisions.

Honestly? After a while — especially during fast-paced games — I didn’t miss it. Haptics matter more in story-driven titles, and this controller isn’t really meant for those anyway.

One more thing: I couldn’t turn on the PlayStation with the Raiju V3 Pro. I still needed a DualSense for that.

Who is this for?

This controller is for people who play fast-paced, competitive games. Plain and simple.

But it’s also for players who want a controller built to take a beating — the kind that survives long sessions, intense button-mashing, and weekend-long gaming marathons. Its battery life is impressive, too, making it a great backup for when your DualSense suddenly taps out mid-game.

If you want a premium esports controller designed specifically for PS5, this is one of the best — if not the best — option right now.

If you want rumble, adaptive triggers, or a cinematic gaming experience? This isn’t it.

Is the Razer Raiju V3 Pro your GamingMatch?

If I had to describe the whole experience in one line: I’m swiping right because the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is an excellent piece of tech.

But it’s not for everyone, especially not for its asking price (EUR 209.99 / PHP 12,990). You can argue there are cheaper options — absolutely — but most of those lean heavily toward PC.

In the PS5 space, especially for competitive players, this is probably the strongest contender you can buy today.