Asus ROG Raikiri Pro review

The Asus ROG Raikiri Professional has a glossy, tasteful design related an Xbox Collection controller. Its essential distinctive options are the aforementioned OLED display that sits above the Xbox button and an angular RGB slash that arcs throughout the center of the controller.

You get a typical array of Xbox controller buttons plus textured joysticks, a round d-pad (extra on that later), and 4 programmable again buttons. The controller is cut up between translucent plastic that covers the right-hand entrance of the controller and an opaque black design on the left with a refined, ROG-branded sample. All of it seems respectable sufficient, aside from the RGB. Regardless of a spread of customization choices, the controller’s lighting is mediocre and forgettable.

The characteristic that units the Asus ROG Raikiri Professional aside from the gang is its mini display, so let’s discuss that first. Whereas technically true, calling it an OLED display makes it sound extra spectacular than it’s. As a buzzword used to promote gaming displays, its use right here conjures pictures of a colourful, excessive definition show in your controller. The fact is slightly completely different.

The display solely permits black or white, and covers simply 128 x 32 pixels. The preset animations are bland gifs of the phrase ‘ROG’ that make you’re feeling such as you’re watching an advert. Which, I suppose, you might be.

You possibly can add customized animations, however the pixel necessities, 40kb max file measurement, and 60 body most for gifs restrict your choices considerably. Don’t suppose you’ll be watching Lord of the Rings in your controller anytime quickly.

Apart from the animations and wallpapers, the display exhibits the battery life and connection sort… And that’s about it. You possibly can change a couple of settings and change between profiles you’ve already created in Armoury Crate, however can’t truly program the controller in any means. You’d suppose Asus would no less than allow you to remap the again buttons with the display, however no.

Talking of Armoury Crate, it’s unintuitive and ugly. And doubtless my least favourite gaming gear software program to make use of. If you wish to customise your Raikiri Professional, you’ll want to attach by means of a USB-C cable. I spent ages making an attempt to work out why it wasn’t choosing up my controller when it was linked and in any other case working tremendous by means of the wi-fi dongle, so let me prevent that problem out of the gate.

Anyway, when you’ve linked it by means of USB-C, there are a number of customization choices accessible to you. That features the vary of movement of the set off buttons and their useless zones, thumbstick response curve, vibration energy, button assignments, and extra. I can’t fault the flexibility right here; Asus has given settings tinkerers the total gamut of dials and sliders to meddle to your coronary heart’s content material.

The Raikiri Professional additionally offers the holy trinity of connection choices. Whether or not I’m attached with USB-C, Bluetooth, or the included 2.4GHz dongle, I didn’t discover a distinction in latency or responsiveness. Asus has additionally added a helpful compartment to retailer the dongle while you’re not utilizing it so you possibly can take it with you on the go. Or in case you’re like me, it stops you from placing it someplace in your workplace and dropping it.

The primary facet I discover when choosing up the Asus ROG Raikiri Professional is its weight, or lack of. At 300g, it’s firmly on the lighter finish of the controller spectrum. It’s nice that gaming gear design is transferring on from the dated ‘heavier = higher’ philosophy in the case of controllers. The Raikiri Professional undoubtedly feels nifty in my fingers.

That, coupled with the textured grips, means this controller lends itself to lengthy gaming periods. And the lengthy battery life, even with the OLED display and RGB on, compounds that additional.

A lot of the buttons are fairly typical for an Xbox-style controller, aside from the pleasantly textured joysticks, dainty again buttons, and poor d-pad. I typically use joystick caps to make them really feel extra grippy, however didn’t really feel the necessity with this controller. Nevertheless, the joysticks are analog relatively than Corridor impact and aren’t simply replaceable. I didn’t expertise any drift throughout my a number of months with the Raikiri Professional. However in case you did, you’d have an enormous downside.

The philosophy behind the Raikiri Professional’s again buttons is that they’re within the heart, relatively than simply straight beneath your fingers, thus avoiding unintended clicks. This justifies a lighter actuation level, which is nice, as again buttons typically require an inconvenient quantity of pressure on your ring and pinky fingers.

That proves one thing of a double-edged sword, although, because the again buttons can really feel slightly insubstantial, missing the satisfying clickiness that different controllers’ again buttons boast. They really feel much less pure to make use of than different again buttons because of the design option to make them unobtrusive.

Lastly, the d-pad is an actual weak spot. It’s a round pad, relatively than the usual plus form. Though that’s not at all times an issue, on this occasion, it will get in the best way of exact inputs, which implies it’s not match for goal in preventing video games, particularly. Additionally, the press while you’ve met the actuation level is unclear, that means inputs typically fail to register, even while you really feel such as you’ve pressed arduous sufficient.

The Asus ROG Raikiri Professional’s $169.99 MSRP places it firmly inside the greater value bracket for PC controllers. For that value, you could possibly choose up the superb Xbox Elite Collection 2 or purchase a top quality, cheaper controller and pocket the distinction. The Raikiri Professional struggles to dwell as much as its price ticket, so I’d advocate choosing up one thing from our greatest PC controller information as an alternative.

If you need a no-fuss, high-performing controller, it is best to look elsewhere. It’s a tragic truth as a result of I fairly loved my time with the Raikiri Professional. But it surely’s the reality. The D-pad is poor, the again buttons are insubstantial, and the OLED display is pointless.

As a lot because the Raikiri Professional tries to persuade you that it’s a premium controller, it by no means fairly manages. It’s not essentially dangerous, there are simply a lot, a lot better choices within the $150-200 vary. In the event you’re dropping that a lot on a controller, you anticipate an elite expertise, and the Raikiri Professional simply doesn’t present that.

Do you have to purchase the Asus ROG Raikiri Professional?

• Sure, in case you’ve received a burning want for a controller with an OLED display and money to burn.
• No, if efficiency issues to you.
• No, in case you’re a discerning client, as a lot better controllers can be found at this value bracket.