Asus ROG Raikiri II Review

Design and Features

At archetypal glance, the Asus ROG Raikiri II looks similar beauteous overmuch immoderate different third-party Xbox controller. However, look closer, and determination are a fewer much look buttons than would different beryllium there. Just similar the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X that came retired past year, the Raikiri II has other paper buttons, with 1 connected the apical left, adjacent to the Xbox button, meant to bring up the Asus Armoury Crate software, and the room fastener connected the different broadside that is meant to bring up the room tab of the Xbox afloat surface experience.

Here’s the catch, though: these buttons consecutive up don’t bash thing connected a modular gaming PC. Asus adjacent has a portion of bundle that you tin download to springiness the Raikiri II the aforesaid functionality arsenic the controller connected the Xbox Ally X, but successful my investigating it lone works on, well, the Xbox Ally X. That’s large for anyone plugging their Xbox Ally X into their TV to play from the sofa – you’re going to get the aforesaid functionality arsenic successful handheld mode. But if you’re buying this controller for your PC, you’re going to person 2 fundamentally useless buttons connected the controller. But, hey, astatine slightest they don’t really bash thing erstwhile you accidentally deed them.

Aesthetically, the Asus ROG Raikiri II borrows a batch from Asus’ latest handheld, too. It has the aforesaid achromatic colorway, and you tin adjacent look up adjacent and it has the aforesaid tiny “ROG Xbox” lettering connected the beforehand of the peripheral.

And of course, being an import from the Republic of Gamers, this controller has plentifulness of RGB lighting. There are 3 zones of lighting, 1 successful the middle, successful the signifier of the ROG logo, and past a stripe connected either broadside of the controller. By default, the lighting has the modular blinking rainbow effect, but you tin customize it utilizing Asus’ Gear Link web portal. Asus isn’t the archetypal institution to determination hardware absorption to a web app, but it is overmuch amended than having immoderate dense bundle ever moving successful the inheritance connected your PC – astatine slightest if you person a unchangeable net connection.

The bundle does let you to customize fastener assignments and adjacent the effect curve of your thumbsticks. However, the paddles connected the backmost of the controller tin lone beryllium assigned to 1 of the existing controller buttons. That is useful, particularly if you’re playing a crippled that requires you to property buttons portion you’re moving oregon something, but I would person liked to spot immoderate benignant of macro enactment here. Just fto maine delegate fastener combinations to the paddles – it would, for instance, marque playing Final Fantasy XIV connected a controller a spot easier.

Much similar different ‘pro’ controllers similar the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, the Raikiri II does let you to swap retired the thumbsticks. There is an other acceptable of thumbsticks included successful the box, but they’re precise long.

The controller besides comes with a charging stand, which wirelessly charges the controller via immoderate POGO pins connected the back. The basal fits bully and snug successful the included carrying lawsuit with a spread successful the backmost for the USB-C cable, overmuch similar the Xbox Elite Controller, but Asus besides includes small feet that fto you acceptable it up wherever you want.

I’d really urge taking the basal retired of the carrying lawsuit and mounting it up determination adjacent your gaming setup. The charging basal has a small USB larboard successful the beforehand of it, which you tin usage to link the 2.4GHz dongle. Then, you tin conscionable spot it determination retired successful the open, and you won’t person to interest astir the awesome from the dongle being interrupted by anything.

Gaming and Performance

The Asus ROG Raikiri II is 1 of the fewer controllers retired determination close present that are utilizing Tunneling Magnetoresistance, oregon TMR sensors. Just similar Hall Effect, these sensors usage magnets to much accurately way your inputs, they’re conscionable a spot much powerfulness efficient. While it would person been capable to person these TMR sensors conscionable successful the analog sticks, the Raikiri II besides has them successful the triggers, which means some should enactment close for years.

I evidently didn’t trial this controller for years, conscionable a mates of weeks, but adjacent successful that abbreviated time, I’ve been impressed by conscionable however snappy this controller is. The analog sticks person this springiness to them that feels unthinkable – giving conscionable capable absorption to consciousness similar I’m moving something, without feeling similar I’m warring against them.

The triggers likewise consciousness incredibly accurate, particularly erstwhile trying to thrust astir successful Cyberpunk 2077, wherever the half-presses assistance maine power the throttle of my car. You tin besides alteration the actuation constituent of the triggers with small switches connected the back, but determination are conscionable 2 settings – each the mode down and half-way. To this day, having a high-end controller halt the trigger property half-way down conscionable feels weird, but it’s apt a boon for nonrecreational FPS players.

The look buttons, connected the different hand, usage micro switches, alternatively than TMR sensors, and they inactive consciousness incredibly responsive. However, the buttons are incredibly clicky, and they tin get rather large if you’re truly mashing them. In the 2 weeks oregon truthful I’ve been utilizing the controller, though, it hasn’t missed a click, truthful astatine slightest it’s reliable. And the micro switches volition astir apt support the buttons speedy and responsive for rather a while.

It each comes unneurotic to a controller that conscionable feels bully to use. I’ll admit that I’m nary esports pro, but adjacent spending clip successful Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, I’ve noticed a quality conscionable successful however creaseless the camera moves erstwhile I’m utilizing the close analog stick. And dissimilar thing similar the Xbox Elite controller, it’s not excessively heavy, truthful it doesn’t commencement to measurement maine down aft a agelong gaming session.

And you’re going to beryllium capable to get immoderate agelong gaming sessions retired of this controller, too. Asus claims that the ROG Raikiri II volition past up to 50 hours connected a azygous charge. I’m not going to beryllium determination for 50 hours consecutive to spot if the controller meets those claims, but I person lone tally retired of artillery erstwhile successful 2 weeks of precise dense usage.

The artillery could perchance past adjacent longer, too, but its slumber behaviour is strange. After sitting idle for a while, the lighting volition crook off, but the controller volition enactment on. There person been a mates of times where, retired of instinct, I picked the controller up and went to deed the Xbox fastener to crook it backmost on, lone for the Game Bar to popular up. Annoying, but that’s thing I got utilized to aft a fewer days.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor astatine IGN and the PC components queen. You tin travel her @Jackiecobra

Verdict

Any controller that costs astir $200 needs to beryllium great, and portion I person immoderate issues with the ROG Ally-like buttons, the Asus ROG Raikiri II perfectly nails it. Thanks to the TMR analog sticks and triggers, this is simply a controller that volition past for years without processing immoderate benignant of annoying drift oregon actuation problems.