With the advent of leverless fighting game controllers, Razer has entered the ring with the Kitsune, a high-end controller with an all-button construction, featuring Razer’s switches.
Now is the best time to look for a new fighting game controller. With Street Fighter 6 finally released, a new edition of Granblue Versus, and Tekken 8 on the horizon, it’s time to equip yourself with the best fighting game controllers.
I’ve reviewed several sticks and controllers over the past year, but the Razer Kitsune might be among the most exciting. This is down to its “leverless” layout, which sports twelve buttons for you to use in-game, with no lever. Previously, I was deeply impressed by the SnackBox Micro. But, with big-brand Razer coming in swinging, is their controller worth the asking price? We were keen on our first impressions, but after over a month of testing, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts.
Key specs
- Buttons: Razer low profile optical (Red)
- Connectivity: USB-C
- Platform: PS5, PC
- Features: Hot-swappable switches, customizable button caps, Razer Chroma lighting, USB-C cable lock function, tournament lock, Aluminum top plate
- Price: $299
Design
The Razer Kitsune all-button controller is about as big as an iPad. and almost as slim as one too. Taking notes from popular devices in the community such as the MPress, the Razer Kitsune is perfectly portable, and can fit into almost any bag.
But, it’s still a fair bit bigger than the SnackBox Micro, which retains its size crown. The top plate of the Kitsune is finished with a matte black Aluminum, which feels cold to the touch. While it looks great as soon as you take it out of the box, it quickly becomes smudge central once you’ve tried it out for a couple of rounds.
Paired with the fact that the only way to get custom artwork is to print out a sticky vinyl, I feel as though Razer could have also offered a plastic transparent option here for customers to choose when designing their sticks. I’ve customized a few in my time, and it’s always nice to be able to add a bit of flair to your controllers.
Up top, you have a couple of dipswitches for settings, including a tournament lock feature and platform selection. You also get a standard array of PlayStation buttons, including the home key, L3, and R3. It’s perfect for PlayStation fans.
There’s a bar of chroma lighting at the bottom, which is nice, and it fits in with Razer’s design aesthetics super well, and the huge non-slip pad means that the device is going nowhere, whether you play on your desk, or on your lap.
One of my favorite parts of this design is the USB connector, which is a standard Type-C input with a flap where you can lock the cable into place. Considering that there are other USB-C detachable sticks out there that can detach, or break easily, this is a lovely QoL feature and can come in handy during tournaments.
Switches
Speaking of switches, these are the same low-profiles I previously checked out in the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro last year. But, I much prefer them in a device like the Kitsune over the keyboard. The quick travel and slightly mushy feeling lend themselves well to a fighting game controller. When compared to the switches I have in the Snackbox Micro, they are also much quieter, with only a sharp sound as you hit them down.
Again, compared to the Snackbox Micro, it’s super quiet, which is very welcome, especially if you have friends or roommates who get irritated by the smacking of buttons. You can also customize your switch with compatible caps, but it would have been nice to see Razer offer aftermarket parts for more customization, too.
Features
The Razer Kitsune is relatively no-frills, considering the asking price. There are not many features, aside from Chroma customization to speak of. The SOCD configuration of the device is set to Capcom Pro Tour standards, with no way to change them, as of the time of writing. So, if you’re used to different SOCD methodologies in other titles, you might be out of luck.
Additionally, it’s slightly disappointing to see no PS4 support for the Kitsune, as many fighting games and tournaments are still played on the older console. This could limit its use cases for taking with you around at tournaments and is a notable step down from other arcade stick contemporaries from the likes of Qanba.
The removable top plate is a nice addition, but again, I would have liked to have seen more options for customization here, too. So, the device is not quite perfect out of the box, and might not be suitable for everyone.
Gaming performance
The Razer Kitsune, stripped down to its pure performance, is a dream to use in fighting game titles. The wide layout of the device makes it comfortable to use for hours of play. It’s also more well-suited for motion and charge characters, with easy access to inputs and shortcuts for Shoryukens and Sonic Boom motions alike.
However, grapplers doing double-360 motions will have a harder time with execution here. While it’s certainly possible, the layout here just makes it a bit tougher than on a good pad or traditional arcade stick.
The buttons and tournament lock are incredibly useful for saving yourself in situations where you could auto-disqualify for controller issues, to boot. If you’re new to using a leverless, you should also be aware that there is quite an adjustment period for using leverless sticks, so just be aware that if you’ve never used a controller of this kind before, you might have some issues to tackle along the way.
Should you buy it?
If you’re looking for an easily accessible leverless controller, the Razer Kitsune offers up most of what you might want. But, smaller companies like MPress and Junk Food Arcades offer more feature-complete alternatives. The benefit to the Kitsune over the other options out there is in its fantastic build quality, it might just be one of the best-looking controllers I have ever seen. But, for most, there are options out there that just have more features, or might be more handy than what Razer has mustered here.
The Kitsune may fulfill more of its potential with future firmware updates, but for now, it’s not quite perfect.
Verdict: 4/5
The Razer Kitsune offers a great leverless controller if you’re willing to pay the price. At $300, this controller is not cheap, but it is excellently built and is compatible with PC and PS5. It would be nice to see other consoles included on the list here later down the line, as well as more customization options, which are the only things holding the controller back from greatness.
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