These are the fastest two Xbox controllers on the shelves right now, but which should you buy?

If you've been hunting for the fastest Xbox Series X controller on the shelves, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro has been the clear choice for the last little while. With speedy microswitch buttons all over it, six extra buttons, and a refined use of esports mouse tech, it's an excellent controller to choose for competitive play where every millisecond counts.

It's now got a new rival though, which feels as though it's been produced as a response to Razer's new need for speed. The Asus ROG Raikiri 2 is, in many ways, an excellent rival to the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. Both controllers are fresh-feeling reworks of an older generation controller that really needed a facelift. Both controllers have those speedy actuating buttons and a similar Xbox-shaped take on ergonomics. And both of them are officially licensed for the Xbox Series X at around the same price.

It's a tricky toss-up then, because you're essentially choosing between near-identical controllers. I'm not even sure there is a clear winner between these two because it's like watching Anakin and Obi-Wan twirl their light sabers at one another. Both will serve you well if you plan to play games on an Xbox or if you're broadening your horizons and you need a PC controller. Having been lucky enough to test and review both of them, I'm here to walk you through the subtle differences and help you choose the one that's going to be exactly right for your hands.

Design

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While both of these controllers shoot for a similar speedy functionality, their designs are a bit different. Razer's Wolverine V3 Pro is truer to that brand's gamepad heritage. Its grips are more rounded, they're shorter in length, and overall, it just feels chunkier. The V3 Pro comes in black, with the previous generation of Wolverine controller's RGB highlights noticeably missing. This gives it a more stripped-back look, as though it takes itself more seriously - think Christian Bale's Batman costume removing colorful design frills in favour of matte black textures.

The Raikiri 2 shoots for a bit more style. Its facial elements are framed with tiny ROG and Xbox logo prints; there's a bit more RGB involved that shines out from under your palms when you hold it. But the overall aesthetic is similar to the Wolverine V3 Pro - there's a lot of matte black texture here too, and some of the design work (like the pointless wee screen) from the Raikiri Pro has been removed.

More importantly, the grips on the Raikiri 2 are a bit more elongated, which, for folks like me with slightly larger hands, is a welcome choice.

Winner: It's hard to say who wins out in this round. The Raikiri 2 has a bit more pizazz to its aesthetic, and has longer grips so, personally, I like its design a bit more than the minimalist Wolverine V3 Pro. That said, if you're in the small hand gang and you prefer a shorter, stocky controller with no RGB, the Wolverine is going to be better for you.

Personally though, if I had to choose a winner, it'd be the Raikiri 2.

Features

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Thanks to their Xbox licensing, these two controllers pack very similar things in their carrying cases. For one, both have wireless dongles and a 1K polling rate, so you can play without a tether on Xbox or PC. That said, with either, you'll need to play on PC to get the full speed out of them since the Microsoft console can only get a max of 400Hz.

The Raikiri may have an edge by offering a slightly more practical case, which can charge the controller within while it rests inside. The Asus pad has a wireless charging stand too - the Wolverine V3 arrived a bit before this became the norm for this league of Xbox controller. Further, the Raikiri 2 sports TMR thumbsticks while the V3 Pro has Hall effect ones. That loss isn't too great since Razer adopted Hall effect modules. Both controllers come with swappable thumbstick tops in their cases.

The Wolverine V3 Pro does have the edge with feedback, however, since it has Razer's Sensa HD Haptics, which provide a bit more detail.

Winner: Besides a few technicalities, thanks to the Raikiri 2 being newer, it maybe has the edge on features. Then again, the average gamer who hasn't tried Hall effect or TMR thumbsticks isn't going to notice a massive difference between the two. Either gives you a full suite of features for your gaming setup, so I'd really argue this round is a draw, short of preferences for a charging stand being included.

Comfort

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This is another close round in a so far split-decision fight. Again, it's going to be subjective for you, but there are two points I'd take on board if you're trying to decide between these gamepads.

The Raikiri 2 has very similar microswitch buttons to the Wolverine V3 Pro - both of them have very short actuations, but the ones on the Raikiri 2 feel as though they have less cushioning under them. I'm not sure whether it's a result of the faceplate being harder, the actuation being shorter, or just different types of microswitch, but Razer's ever-so-slight sponginess means the Wolverine V3 Pro's buttons are more forgiving.

This is important because, while both can offer really speedy button presses, I found the Raikiri 2 to be a little more uncomfortable due to its buttons hurting my finger joints during longer sessions when I was in more intense games. This could lead to injury, and even if not, pain is never what you want in a gaming accessory.

On a slightly different end of the comfort scale, I personally find the grips of the Raikiri 2 to be more comfortable because they're longer. Then again, this is more up to you and your preferences. I was raised on PlayStation controllers, so I'm a bit more prone to longer grips that support my pinkies a bit more than Razer is willing to.

Winner: The winner of this round is too tough to call for me. Razer may edge it out because the V3 Pro doesn't cause pain when button-mashing, but I'd much rather have the grips of the Raikiri 2 to wrap my hands around.

First-person shooters

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Either of these pads will give you an excellent weapon to use in your favorite FPS games. The Raikiri Pro's back buttons are placed really well, thanks to those longer grips though, which personally makes it a favorite for me. Out of the box, the Wolverine V3 Pro has an advantage because the deadzones and stick settings overall are a bit more usable.

The Raikiri 2 uses the most advanced and up-to-date module, TMR tech. As a TMR controller, it's set up for success in the competitive FPS genre - even more so than the Hall effect sensors inside the Wolverine V3 Pro.

If this is ultimately what it's coming down to, I'd urge you to think about what platform you're using. The Wolverine V3 Pro does have an 8K version that drops the Xbox licensing and has a faster polling rate than the 1K limit of the Raikiri 2, adopting TMR sticks in the process. Be warned though, the 8K version of the Wolverine removes any vibration, which makes it feel lighter and not as premium as the original Xbox variant.

Both controllers give you swappable thumbstick options, so that's a win for whichever you choose.

Winner: Although its deadzones aren't the best out of the box, the Raikiri 2 does have the better specs for FPS gaming thanks to those TMR thumbsticks.

Price

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This is a tricky one. In the US, the Raikiri 2 has a full price of $189.99, which is $10 cheaper than the Wolverine V3 Pro at $200. But in the UK, both share the same £200 price tag.

But hold on, the Wolverine V3 Pro is older, and is now seeing discounts a lot more frequently - to the $149 mark and under. Razer also has a secret weapon for this round, the Razer Wolverine V3 TE, which comes in white. It drops the wireless play, swappable accessories, and carrying case, and costs just $99.99. While it loses some bells and whistles, you do get the same controller and features - the question will come down to whether you need to go cord-free and and want to drop a few extras.

Technically, you can get the Wolverine V3 Pro for cheaper than the Raikiri 2 these days, so is it the winner? The Raikiri 2 has just taken its first price drop at the time of writing, dropping to $169.99 at Amazon. That makes it excellent value for money versus the other Xbox controllers that cost $200, but it's not cheaper than the Wolverine V3 Pro is willing to drop.

Winner: This one, as far as I can see, is too close to call. Depending on the week, time of year, or where you're shopping from, one could be cheaper than the other. For me, this is a draw, even if I admire the fact that Asus has managed to pull together a more reasonable full price in the US.

The winner is...

In many ways, this one is too close to call. Both controllers match up so well that tiny preferential things are going to decide it for you as an individual. Is one really "better" than the other? The Raikiri is certainly more modernized since it has the benefit of being brand new in 2026, while the V3 Pro is showing its futureproofing after a launch at the end of 2024.

In all honesty, both controllers will give you very similar experiences. I would really recommend watching prices and going with whatever one is cheaper.

Thanks to those face buttons being ever so slightly comfier, I'm inclined to say I lean toward the Wolverine V3 Pro as an overall winner. But TMR thumbsticks make a huge difference in the games I like to play, and the longer grips mean the Raikiri's back button placement feels that little bit better.

For more on controllers, check out the best Switch 2 controllers, the best PS5 controllers, and the best Xbox accessories.