Xbox's mission statement seems to be all about bring the most pro-consumer with its current offerings, from bringing the most comprehensive backward compatibility support for four generations of Xbox games to the Series X | S, and in supporting all the Xbox One family's of controllers. That means your Xbox One accessories and game controllers, official or third-party, work on the Xbox Series X.
But for players making the jump to next-gen hardware and facelifting their setups with some newness, there's another all-new controller option - Razer's Wolverine V2, a success to the popular Wolverine Xbox and PC controller. Designed for the Xbox Series X | S and PC, the Wolverine V2 features Razer’s Mecha-Tactile Action Buttons and Mecha-Tactile D-Pad, alongside legitimately superior ergonomics. Coupled with Razer's software support for customization options, the Wolverine V2 can do a little more than the pack-in Series X controller.
The Razer Wolverine V2 is a followup to the Razer Wolverine Ultimate and the more focused Wolverine Tournament Edition controllers that came out for Xbox One and PC (both work on Series S | X, of course) that aims to take advantage of a time when players upgrading their systems and gear in an effort to offer an input device that focuses on control and precision, with the largest emphasis yet on ergonomics.
What Do You Really Get With The Razer Wolverine V2 Controller?
For a more affordable price than both of its predecessors but more costly than an official Xbox Series X | S controller, the Wolverine V2 is a wired solution that's noticeably much, much more round. Based on feedback from previous Razer products and Razer's own research, the V2 was re-designed with more rounded grips and form factor that offers added support and easier access to bumpers and triggers. You'll notice the L-shape is shorter and more rounded to better fit the player's hands and this is the most substantial difference between the Wolverine V2 and alternatives. It's simply the most comfortable controller, far more than even Xbox's own offerings.
In addition to the softer appearing form factor, the grips and layout (and shape and technology) of the buttons is different as well. The rubberized hand grips are more textured than the other Wolverine and Xbox controllers, and the entire unit has been designed for extended periods of use - from not just the ergonomics but the actual inputs too.
The Wolverine V2 takes the tech behind Razer's mechanical switches that they lead the keyboard market with, and evolved it to the point where they created Razer Yellow Switches on the Razer Raion Fightpad for PS4, which bring faster response times and a reduced chance of missing an input. That comes forward to the Wolverine V2 along with the all-new Mecha-Tactile action buttons for the face buttons and D-Pad which together become the second most important feature it holds over the official Xbox controllers.
The D-Pad, we should note is a full pad versus individual directional buttons like on the Wolverine TE (the Ultimate had both options) but this shape, the data suggests, is more widely preferred. All of these buttons on the Wolverine V2 offer the same actuation and response as a switch, but with the more tactile feedback of a controller button. Razer explained to us that this design means there's 35% less actuation distance of an average membrane controller, and that the Wolverine V2 offers a 3-million tap life cycle for greater durability with the goal of it being the most responsive, accurate, and long-lasting option for gamers looking for performance. It works supremely well, and all face buttons should advance like this.
There’s also a hair trigger mode with trigger stop-switches, something familiar to pro gamers who use custom controllers. It's Helpful for shooters, and can be turned back to default with the flick of a switch for other games that need the full trigger draw and control (like in racing games).
The Wolverine V2 keeps the standard and must-have features of its line, including the 3.5mm port for headsets, and it utilizes a Razer app for button remapping and saving user profiles. Strangely, the braided cable is gone, replaced with a standard wire, and it is not replaceable (previous controllers had micro-USB at the top of the controller but the V2 is permanently fixed). At the other end of the wire, it does come apart to protect against accidental pulling.
Razer Wolverine V2 vs. Xbox Series X Controller Comparison
At a glance the Razer Wolverine V2's dace buttons are smaller than official Xbox controllers and the layout of all buttons is more spread out, while two additional buttons were added in the middle (one to keep in line with the Series X controller's new share button). While the "X" home button in the middle is the same, sticker-looking input as previous Wolverines and seems cheap and slightly off-centered, the rest of the face buttons feel better and far more premium than Xbox's own offerings where it really counts. The D-Pad and face buttons are simply better feeling and more optimized than that of Xbox One and Series X | S controllers, but the trade-off is that the triggers still leave a lot to be desired, despite our appreciation for the trigger stops.
There's less tactile response, and a strange layout of bumpers and a pair of extra customizable inputs at the top. This layout, despite the triggers and bumpers embracing a more comfortable shape than the previous Wolverine controllers, isn't the most user-friendly and fails to deliver what a pro or competitor gamer would want from a pair of extra customizable inputs. They should take a note from Scuf and the Xbox Elite Controller and convert the M1 and M2 buttons to paddles underneath as to not interfere with trigger fingers, and instead give unused fingers underneath the comfortable controller a purpose (this is a must for games like Call of Duty where jumping and sliding can be assigned to these buttons for a significant advantage during play).
The tops of the sticks have slightly different pattern/shape than both the official Xbox controller and Wolverine TE, but it's inconsequential and embraces the same curvature. From a visual standpoint, the rounded form factor is as eye-catching as the green highlight around the hand grips to denote a mix of the Razer and Xbox green branding.
Razer's Wolverine V2 is a notable improvement in comfort and face buttons over the original Wolverine (and Sabretooth before it), and offers a few superior features over the official Xbox Series X controllers but some elements still could use improvement. Its added features are mixed bag, with the trigger stops being a nice additive option, but the extra bumpers being largely useless. For PC and Xbox gamers, the Wolverine V2 is definitely an easy recommendation.
The Razer Wolverine V2 is available on Razer.com, at RazerStore retail locations, as well as select retailers for $99.99 USD / €119.99 MSR. Razer provided a unit for review.