RAZER WOLVERINE V2 REVIEW: A GOOD PAD FOR PC AND XBOX
Official Xbox and Playstation controllers are the most widely used in the world. The reasons are different, ranging from excellent ergonomics to full compatibility with the aforementioned systems, without forgetting that both can be used on a PC. The price is also a very important factor in choosing a controller , because high figures must match features and functionalities that can bring something more than the proposals of Sony and Microsoft. technologywebdesign
Razer tried, with the Wolverine V2, to create a viable
alternative, with full support for Xbox and PC, thanks to superior build
quality and the use of materials that improve grip. We can say that the
American company has succeeded in its intent, however the selling price of this
Wolverine V2 excessively exceeds the cost of its competitors, thus penalizing a
product with good potential.
Excellent grip
Razer has always stood out for the care taken in the
creation of its products and this Wolverine V2 is, at least in part, the
confirmation. The sales pack does not offer particular food for thought, inside
there is only the pad and a small instruction manual. The first contact with
the controller is very positive, especially for the rubberized material used in
the areas where the grip of the hands is concentrated. This is made with a
particular texture that gives additional grip to the peripheral. In the hands
the Razer pad always remains firm and compared to the previous model the
improvement is immediately noticeable, thanks to a less rounded shape. The
placement of the buttons echoes that seen on the Xbox pad, with two analog
sticks, a directional pad and four buttons positioned in the same way on the
front.
The "Menu" and "View" buttons have
instead been moved higher and in addition to these we find two other
customizable buttons next to the directional cross. The dorsal area is also
similar to that seen in the Xbox controller, but adds two additional buttons
and allows you to adjust the excursion of the triggers through two simple
switches. There is also the 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones.
Generally speaking, the quality of the materials is
fluctuating, the rubber on the grip of the pad is truly exceptionalas we have
said, even the plastic of the triggers and of the front part is excellent, the
one used in the front area is instead of lower quality and even the cable does
not convey that feeling of solidity that is expected. Unfortunately, this cable
is not even replaceable , so in case of breakage it cannot be changed: more is
expected from a peripheral with an official cost of € 119.99, a removable cloth
cable would have greatly increased the general perception of quality.
Software and user experience
In the last period we have tried another Razer peripheral
designed for both Xbox and PC, we have in fact reviewed the Kaira Pro
headphones . Already in this case we had not appreciated the incompatibility
with the Razer Synapse software , which unites all the peripherals of the PC
world of the green house, in favor of a dedicated application to be downloaded
from the Microsoft Store. Also this time we are faced with the same problem, to
configure the pad you need to download an additional app. Our PC setup includes
a Blackwidow Elite keyboard and a DeathAdder V2 Pro mouse, both managed with
the excellent Razer Synapse software, which unfortunately cannot be used with
the Wolverine V2: in a hypothetical configuration like ours,three different
software would be needed to manage everything. Razer in this respect should
simplify, not complicate the life of PC gamers, integrating these peripherals
into the Synapse ecosystem, even without the support of Chroma technology, but
we need a common hub for their management .
In short, it is true that the Wolverine V2 is designed for
Xbox, but a little more attention for the PC world would not hurt, given the
"Windows 10" logo in plain sight on the official product page.
On the software front, at least on PC, this Wolverine does
not fully convince, fortunately during the game it turned out to be a
comfortable pad to use and with a feature that makes it different from the Xbox
controller, that is the mechanical switches , present in the front buttons and
in the directional cross.
Each actuation is accompanied by a "click" that is
heard, this technology also allows for faster command reception, thanks to the
actuation distance of only 0.65 mm (35% less than membrane controllers,
according to Razer ).
In terms of ergonomics we found ourselves well with the
Razer's controller, despite slightly larger dimensions than the Xbox pad, with
the addition of a more responsive and pleasant key feedback to feel under the
fingers. From this point of view, Razer has done a great job, which balances
the not-so-positive experience on the software front.
