Razer’s Kishi V2 is an improved yet even more imperfect controller

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The Kishi mobile controller that was launched in mid- 2020 succeeded in turning phones into consoles. It placed your phone in the middle of two controllers. It was a more comfortable way to play mobile games as well as cloud streaming services. The goal was to get a leg up on Backbone, who did it all better on its first attempt.

After the launch of the Backbone One, that one-hit wonder of a company swooped in. The interface felt just shy of a full-blown console operating system. It turned gaming on the phone into a more detailed experience that made the Kishi's value proposition less interesting than it could have been.

The Backbone One is very similar to the Kishi V2 design. There isn't a lot of credit given to Razer. The V2 is similar to the Backbone in that it has a pull-to-extend bridge mechanism and split controller arrangement. The in-game capture button is on the left side, along with an options button on the right, and a new button that takes you to a gaming dashboard called theNexus. It is not compulsory that you use it.

The Kishi V2 has some advantages over Backbone. The Kishi V2 is made for the mobile operating system. Later in the year, there will be an iPad version. Backbone hasn't made a version of its controller withusb-c unless subscribers to its paid service can connect it to anANDROID device with a lightning-to-usb-c cable If you play mobile games with complex control schemes, there are two shoulder buttons on the new model. They can be re mapped in the app.

Backbone had to offer free 3D-printed designs to make it work with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but the Kishi V2 has rubber inserts to make it compatible with other phones. There is a full list of supported phones, including both Razer phones and many other devices. I was surprised that I had to take my Pixel 6 out of its thin case to fit it, since it supports up to 11.5mm-thick devices.

The fit and finish of the Kishi V2 are fine, but its new features are not as polished as Backbone's One.

There is a barren dashboard that can be used as a game launcher for games that you have installed. If you scroll down through the app, you'll see how bad the game selection is on the phone, or how good the selection is on the device. As a game discovery tool, I think it is worse than just browsing on the Play Store, which is already a less than stellar experience.

You can use the app to start a live stream. There is a button on the left side of the screen that allows you to take a picture or video. There is a dire lack of on-screen or haptic feedback. I don't know if the command was registered until I open my photos library. A simple screen notification or a subtle vibrating sound could have helped. The little stuff like that is what Backbone got right two years ago.

The face buttons were switched to the same type of mechanical switches found in the controller. I don't like how they feel here more than I thought. The travel is shallow, the click is subtle, and it doesn't give me enough feedback to know if I've made a press. It reminds me of using a butterfly keyboard switch from Apple.

You can keep your phone charged by plugging a cable into the bottom right side of its grip, just like the previous version, if you choose to use the V2 version. I think I'm in a minority of reviewers who will make a stink about this, but I wish the 3.5mm jack had been built into the device. Audio lag is still an area where Android is inexplicably behind Apple, and it's odd that Backbone doesn't include it.

The device that was made to prove that Razer won't take it lying down in the gaming space was the Kishi V2. The rebuttal took a long time to be released. The Kishi V2 is one of the best plug-in-and-go mobile controllers forAndroid users because of its improved design and thoughtful features. What little that makes the Kishi V2 unique doesn't make up for the fact that Backbone's first-gen product still is.

Cameron Faulkner is a photographer.

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