Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K review

With each iteration, Razer seems to take its Wolverine gaming controller to a fresh level. The V2 Pro was a step up from the original, while the V3 Pro repeated the trick, ending up with one of the best PC controllers money can buy. Now Razer has found a way to improve on near-perfection with a verbal name Wolverine V3 Pro 8K desktop computer. If you have the money for it as a PC gamer, it should be at the top of your list.

Let’s start with the construction, which is solid and solid throughout. The edge of each handle is covered with a recessed, textured surface that helps it adhere well to the hand of even the sweatiest beard. The robust construction should last for years of gaming, but just in case, Razer included a sturdy case in the box.

Furthermore, the weight of the controller has been significantly reduced compared to the previous Wolverine V3 Pro and now weighs 220g, down from 304g, a reduction of 28%. If you enjoy participating in gaming marathons, you won’t feel overwhelmed here.

Almost every element of the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K is finished with a matte black finish, with a few shiny highlights. It looks elegant in an understated way, like it means business and knows it. There’s absolutely no RGB to be found anywhere – while it’s definitely not the most electrifying visual spectacle, it should at least prolong battery life.

Speaking of which, Razer claims you should get around 20 hours of juice out of this controller. I tested it for a few hours every night for a week and after 10 hours of gameplay the battery dropped from 68% to 37%. Based on this, I’d expect you’ll get much more than the advertised 20 hours, which is encouraging. Note that I mainly used a polling rate of 1000 Hz – increasing it to 8000 Hz will drain the battery faster.

One improvement over the V3 Pro is the 8,000 Hz HyperPolling frequency, which is eight times higher than the 1,000 Hz frequency of the regular Wolverine V3 Pro. You’ll need to enable this feature in the Razer Synapse app, but this feature will be a godsend for professional gamers (and definitely more amateur ones like me). Importantly, it works in both 2.4 GHz and wired modes, so you can benefit whether you prefer to play without cables or not.

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Another fresh feature is the addition of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) in the sticks. It’s essentially like an improved version of the Hall effect technology that has appeared in controllers and keyboards in recent years and that Razer used in the previous Wolverine V3 Pro. It uses electromagnetic waves to actuate each stick so there is no physical contact. In layman’s terms, this means that stick drift should be almost eliminated. Combined with the highest quality of workmanship, you don’t have to worry about replacing this controller any time soon.

Razer has included a pair of dual-mode triggers (called HyperTriggers) that can operate in either standard analog modes or rapid-fire click modes. Travel distance is set using a switch on the back of the controller; easily, each trigger can be adjusted individually. This is an excellent feature, and when used well, it feels like it can give you a split-second advantage.

That said, the triggers employ Hall effect technology, not TMR. This isn’t particularly bad for Razer considering how good Hall effect triggers can be, but it’s worth noting.

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There are four customizable buttons on the back that can be assigned to a controller function (such as a sensitivity clutch or joystick button) or to virtually any keyboard key or combination. Next to the triggers are two more reassignable buttons for additional options. In practice, it was easiest to reach the lower set of rear bumpers, but I can’t complain about the wide selection.

Customizing these assignable buttons is straightforward in the Razer Synapse 4 app. It also allows you to change the polling rate, switch the D-pad from eight-way to four-way directional control, fine-tune the stick sensitivity, and much more. As far as gaming companion apps go, it’s a pretty polished experience.

This is not the end of the adaptation possibilities. There are two additional sticks in the case: one taller concave stick and one shorter convex stick. Replacing them is as straightforward as lifting the senior stick and inserting the fresh one in its place. We would prefer two of each type in case you want to expand your controller’s control sticks further. Either way, you’ll have to settle for one of these.

The Wolverine V3 Pro 8K computer is not without its flaws. As the name suggests, it only works with PCs – Xbox compatibility with V3 Pro is gone (and you can forget about connecting it to PlayStation 5, tablet or smartphone). It also lacks the V3 Pro’s touch response, perhaps to save weight. And although the ABXY buttons are now made of PBT, pressing them is, for my taste, too bulky.

Razer has also reduced the price of the controller in the UK from £200 to £180 compared to the V3 Pro, although in the US the price appears to be the same whether you choose the 8K PC or the standard V3 Pro. While this is a very welcome development, it is still a very high-priced accessory and you will have to think demanding about whether you actually need it before you pull the proverbial trigger. Its price may bring a bead of sweat to your brow, but at least you know you’re getting one of the best PC gaming controllers money can buy.

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