We've known for years that consoles were evolving into pre-boxed PCs, and now look: we're getting into their controllers, too. The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro (and its wired cousin, the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition) looked to desktop peripherals in search of superior keystroke, cannibalizing the pretty good Razer Viper gaming mouse series for its switches. The result is a high-performance, satisfyingly clicky pad that, yes, works great on PC; but it rinses you four times(!) more than a standard Xbox controller.
£200/$200 to be exact, which suggests it's including the cost of the Viper that Razer smashed to steal its clickers. But the Wolverine V3 Pro has more in common with higher-end upgrades like the Xbox Elite Series 2, plus more: four rear controller buttons, two additional pads for claw grips, slip-resistant Hall-effect joysticks, sensitivity and dead-zone adjustment, and Razer's low-latency HyperSpeed connectivity technology is among the features list.
When it comes to PC use, it's clearly aimed at being your daily driver, as opposed to a controller that sits in the cupboard that only occasionally gathers dust because your keyboard sucks for driving games. And if I'm honest, this seems to work. The thumbsticks are fantastic, they feel slippery yet solid and are gripping without being sticky. Although I'm not a fan of rowing – just ask the neglected back panel buttons on my Steam Deck – they are stable and have a pleasant tactile click.
These and shoulder triggers make the most use of time-proven mouse mechanisms. The triggers actually have two modes, switched by small switches on the underside: a traditional analog pull and a faster, shallower press for sweaty competition purposes. Either way, they're as solid and durable as any controller shoulder trigger I've used, including the nifty adaptive triggers on the PS5 DualSense. It's a very well-made pad overall, from the generously concave bars to the fine gripping texture, and I never had any issues with fatigue or cramping from hour-long sessions with it.
It's not just mice that the Wolverine V3 Pro shares qualities with. The concrete infrastructure and clear auditory feedback of the buttons are much more than a mechanical keyboard. This won't affect the poor souls who have to share a room with you while you play, at least judging by my wife's recent sideways glance, but this sensory back-and-forth action removes any uncertainty about whether you've successfully thrown a punch or not. the intended command. This has obvious benefits in fighting games, for example, but I appreciated it in simple platformers and beyond. Oddly enough, I found this most useful in Elden Ring; I tended to fail at jumping puzzles on my old official Xbox controller, my last thoughts before plonking it on a dark tomb floor were whether I was pressing the A button hard enough. Now, only then will I die completely It's my fault.
I'm still not convinced to drop £200 on one, sorry. Even next to Microsoft's Xbox Elite Series 2, this is hardcore enthusiast's money and not everything is best-in-class. Typical battery life, for example, is around 20 hours, and aside from two packs of grip replacements, the Wolverine V3 Pro lacks the modularity you'd expect from a premium gaming controller.
But I might be tempted by the £100/$100 Tournament Edition. It's lost the rubber grips and is wired, which feels a bit dated in 2024, but otherwise it has the same excellent buttons, switches, and triggers as the Wolverine V3 Pro for half the price. Or! Maybe the mouse switch-on-controller concept could be implemented into a more affordable wireless model without the extra controller buttons and shoulder buttons. Razer, you can get this for free.