Razer Kitsune review – a new hitbox controller paradigm

The Razer Kitsune stands out from the competitors with its premium construct and extremely transportable design. All-button controllers have been a reasonably area of interest product for the previous decade, with most being created utilizing custom-made panels so as to add onto pre-existing arcade sticks. Arcade sticks are usually cumbersome gadgets as they want numerous house to accommodate a joystick, 30mm buttons, and a PCB full of wires to attach all the pieces collectively.

Whereas some producers like Nacon have found methods of using this house successfully, reminiscent of in its Daija arcade stick, the Kitsune has been constructed like a keyboard, a market Razer is aware of extraordinarily properly. Utilizing their experience on this space, the Kitsune takes on a slim design. Nonetheless, this doesn’t compromise performance and supplies customers with a tool that they’ll simply retailer away, which is a vital function for tournament-level gamers.

This design is barely potential by eradicating the joystick, which is ordinarily the defining function of any arcade stick. There’s nothing inherently fallacious with arcade sticks, however the joystick has all the time been the most important stumbling block for most individuals. There’s a surprisingly excessive studying curve to really mastering the arcade stick, and even when you get the dangle of it, the stick feels suboptimal in comparison with different gadgets. The joystick has numerous room for error and requires precision from the person, whereas the margin for error on an all-button controller is considerably decrease.

The inventory Razer Kitsune’s design is pretty boring, sporting the normal all-button controller format on a flat black aluminum prime plate. There are variations of the Kitsune accessible, together with a Cammy and Chun-Li design which look lots nicer, however in addition they value barely extra too, coming in at $329.99 / £329.99. It’s price declaring that the aluminum prime plate is a fingerprint magnet, so that you’re going to make the machine grubby in a short time. It’s nothing a fast wipe from a cleansing fabric can’t repair, however you shouldn’t see this on both of the Avenue Fighter 6 Kitsunes.

Happily, Razer is promoting vinyl skins for the Kitsune, although this service is barely accessible in America proper now. The skins value $29.99 and whereas they seem like pretty generic designs, they’re nonetheless nicer than taking a look at a clean prime plate. Razer has confirmed it’s working with publishers to carry skins primarily based on upcoming preventing sport IPs. With a bit of luck, Kitsune customers may have the ability to buy the Avenue Fighter 6 designs sooner or later, or doubtlessly Tekken 8 skins if Bandai Namco works with Razer.

There’s a strip of RGB lighting surrounding the machine which could be managed with out using any software program, however don’t count on the extent of lighting customization you may see on a Razer keyboard. Contemplating Razer’s pedigree relating to creating gentle reveals on its PC peripherals, RGB lighting on the face buttons wouldn’t have gone amiss right here. Judging by the competitors’s all-button controllers, we all know it’s potential to incorporate button RGB with out making any sacrifices to the machine’s weight or the actuation level of the buttons.

In the event you haven’t had an opportunity to make use of an all-button controller earlier than, the principle distinction between it and an arcade stick is that the motion inputs have been changed with 4 buttons. Not like a D-Pad, the motion buttons have been break up into three on the left facet of the controller, and one on the backside. The three buttons on the left symbolize Left, Down, and Proper, with the ultimate backside button representing Up.

Joysticks are tough to make use of as a result of there’s a lot room to make errors, whereas this format minimizes errors by eradicating variables. For instance, it’s extraordinarily frequent for brand new gamers to carry out a quarter-circle ahead movement and find yourself with a leap enter. That is potential as a result of the joystick offers you the liberty to maneuver into the zones the place your character will leap. Nonetheless, this can’t occur on an all-button controller.

The important thing draw back is that this format has a major studying curve. That stated, keyboard and mouse customers may discover it simpler to transition over to a controller like this than study from scratch on a battle stick. Consider your motion buttons as WASD, besides Bounce which is often in your Area Bar turns into Up as an alternative.

The Kitsune makes use of Razer’s “silent” hot-swappable crimson switches, the identical form used of their Deathstalker V2 keyboards. This change works completely in an all-button controller because of its quick actuation time and low profile. It’s debatable whether or not these switches could be thought-about actually “silent” as they do make some noise throughout gameplay, nevertheless it’s definitely quieter than the sound of inventory Sanwa buttons.

Razer hasn’t gone into element in regards to the hot-swappable switches within the Kitsune, however this performance is out there for you keyboard lovers on the market. It’s nice to know that if any of the switches begin to expertise any points, you may simply substitute them if it’s worthwhile to. There have already been stories of gamers swapping out the inventory switches for Kailh ones, so that you don’t have to stay with Razer when you have a desire.

The buttons on each variation of the Kitsune function black caps, however this coloration scheme doesn’t swimsuit each design. To enhance the extent of customizability on provide, Razer ought to promote completely different coloured button caps to match the pores and skin of your Kitsune. This appears extremely unlikely to occur, contemplating these button caps solely seem on the Kitsune, however that is the kind of customizability arcade stick customers have grown accustomed to through the years.

Flipping over the machine, the Kitsune includes a rubber grip layer to maintain it anchored to your lap or desk. There’s additionally a cable safety clasp which has been largely ineffective in my testing. It’s supposed to maintain the cable firmly in place and cease you from disconnecting your Kitsune in the midst of a match, however if you happen to had been pulling the cable with that a lot pressure, you’d have a greater probability of knocking over the PS5 throughout a match.

One other large change from commonplace all-button controllers is the transfer from 24mm buttons to Razer’s linear optical switches. There was a time when the thought of utilizing something aside from Sanwa or Seimitsu buttons would appear sacrilegious, however the preventing sport group has embraced the strengths of keyboard switches. Keyboard switches give the person choices relating to choosing change really feel, actuation level, and extra.

Inside a couple of minutes of enjoying with the Kitsune, it’s obvious that Razer’s crimson switches are a transparent improve in comparison with Sanwa buttons. Each motion feels sooner to carry out, and Razer has the testing information to indicate that it’s not a placebo impact. Positive, the information does present that the variations are slight, however relating to esports video games, rivals will take any benefit they’ll get.

The Kitsune is the primary all-button controller to be formally licensed for PlayStation 5, and consequently, it sports activities the DualSense’s Touchpad, along with the Possibility and Share buttons. We’re additionally happy to see the L3 and R3 buttons simply accessible on the entrance of the machine, excellent for coaching mode classes. Lastly, you could have a PC to PS5 change, however if you happen to’re enjoying on Steam it doesn’t matter which possibility you choose. Don’t fear about by accident urgent any of those buttons throughout a battle, there’s a Match Lock change to disable all of those actions whereas engaged.

The Kitsune comes with a braided 3m lengthy Sort C to Sort A USB cable, however you need to use any cable you could have mendacity round. The USB-C port is a welcome addition, particularly for PC customers who additionally use the same kind of cable for his or her keyboards. This makes enjoying preventing video games a breeze at dwelling, and it means you don’t must do awkward cable wrapping after enjoying your match in a match.

One space that Razer hasn’t addressed a lot publicly is the SOCD (Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Instructions) cleaner within the Razer Kitsune. This can be a function constructed into {hardware} and software program to cease gamers from with the ability to press reverse inputs concurrently. Capcom up to date its guidelines to the Capcom Professional Tour in March 2023, stating that Down + Up now should negate each inputs reasonably than giving precedence to the final enter. Immediately, Capcom modified the best way gamers have been utilizing all-button controllers for the previous decade.

The Razer Kitsune helps Capcom’s SOCD cleaner necessities, making it authorized for any Avenue Fighter 6 match, however Razer ought to provide a number of SOCD choices. All-button controllers aren’t simply used for preventing video games, so it appears unfair that this rule is compelled onto customers who don’t have any intention of ever enjoying Avenue Fighter 6. Additionally, if you happen to’re somebody who spent the previous decade utilizing the previous SOCD guidelines, the Razer Kitsune doesn’t give you any technique to relive this expertise.

I discover it unusual that the Razer Kitsune doesn’t make the most of the Razer Synapse software program in any respect because it looks like a no brainer for this kind of machine. I perceive why Razer has made it so customers don’t must depend on software program, however, along with the SOCD cleansing choices, it will’ve been good to have the flexibility to create completely different profiles relying on the sport you’re enjoying. Not each sport options standardized button layouts, so that is the place particular person sport profiles would’ve been helpful.

At $299.99 / £299.99, the Razer Kitsune is on the upper finish relating to all-button controllers, nevertheless it’s presently the one possibility accessible for an formally licensed all-button controller. Whereas there are many choices in the marketplace within the type of the Snack Field Micro or the Hit Field, none of those alternate options are formally licensed which means there’s no assure they’ll all the time work in your console.

The Razer Kitsune has established itself because the go-to all-button controller for customers trying to take their preventing sport abilities to the following stage. Its light-weight design makes it excellent for match use, slipping proper into most laptop computer pockets with ease. Razer has used its keyboard experience to create a brand new model of all-button controller; a design that we absolutely count on different producers to repeat quickly sufficient.