Electronics & Gadgets Blog
Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Controller for Xbox Series X, Unleash Your Inner Champion
by Samuel Kalenga on Sep 11, 2024
Highly competitive gaming is a world where the difference between victory and defeat is often down to the controller. The Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Controller for Xbox Series X isn’t just an upgrade but a precise weapon in your gaming arsenal, replete with improved responsiveness, customisable controls and, crucially, next to nothing between you and pinpoint accuracy. We take an in-depth look at this refined piece of kit with this extensive controller review.
Unveiling the Wolverine V2: An In-Depth Look at the Razer Controller
Upon removing the Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Controller from its box, the first thing that grabs you is the lustre of that streamlined black box, speckled with Razer’s signature green logo. The box contains a couple of manuals, the stylish controller itself, and an impressively beefy USB-C cable to keep the unit sturdily tethered via wired internet connection. The first impression one gets from this tactile device is its high quality – and the sense that whatever comes next, you can handle it. With its overall sturdiness and hefty weight, this feels like a device intended to deliver for the long haul.Ergonomic Mastery: Comfort and Control in Perfect Harmony
Dripping with precision and comfort so that your hands will not ache after hours of play, The Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Controller offers an ergonomic design that is ideally man-made to fit your hands like a glove. Sometimes, design is the Mother of Invention. With so much focus on cushy ergonomics and colourful booths for exotic haircuts, it’s easy to forget that video-gaming is first and foremost a competitive activity. Players strive to outdo others, with outcomes hinging on effort, mastery and, above all, hand-eye coordination.Mechanical Button Precision: Feel the Difference
At the centre of the Wolverine V2 is its patented, mechanical buttons. These offer a unique tactile feedback via a pronounced ‘click’ that’s instant and satisfying upon actuation, creating a faster and more accurate response compared to standard non-mechanical buttons. This rapid speed eliminates any wasted milliseconds, which can be the difference between winning and losing in a high-pressure fight map, or reacting quicker to an enemy strafing around a corner. It also enables you to pull off more complex combos, and execute more intricate moves within the heat of the moment.Unleash Your Customization: Remappable Buttons
A big part of what makes certain experiences so great in games is customisation, and that extends to controllers. The Razer Wolverine V2 allows you to remap the buttons as you see fit, so you can set them up in the way that works best for you. That means you can automate specialized non-standard button layouts if you so desire, or simply make your button placements work for your hands as you see fit, like making sure jump and crouch are in closer proximity to each other than they are on a default setup. Your ability to remap buttons can make or break a good game. For example, once I got used to remapping jumps and crouches, being able to perform more long combos became exponentially easier.Hair Trigger Locks: Unlock a New Level of Responsiveness
Photo: Courtesy RazerThere are also adjustable hair trigger locks on the triggers on the Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Controller. This ‘Hair-Trigger Mode’ allows you to take ‘an impressive 50 per cent off the trigger pull distance’, which is Razer’s somewhat grandiloquent description of how significantly reducing the distance your finger has to travel before the trigger activates gives you a leg up in games that rely on split-second responses. The locks can even be adjusted to your personal preference, to give you a faster experience or a traditional experience, depending on your preference.Expand Your Control: Multi-Function Rear Buttons
With four multi-function rear buttons located on the Wolverine V2 controller, you’ve expanded your range of control options by allowing you to map jumps, crouches or other commonly used commands. For the player who wants to build the perfect control scheme, this feature maximises your command options without the need to remove your thumbs from the analogue sticks. This seamless control aids in your reaction time and ability to execute complex moves with increased ease.Uninterrupted Performance: USB-C Wired Connectivity
Robust USB-C connection. No battery to worry about. No dropped connection. This is how you play to win. gaming controller wired connectionRazer Chroma RGB Lighting: Elevate Your Gaming Setup
Enabling Razer Chroma RGB lighting on the controller, you can pick the colour combinations and effects to suit your gaming setup, making your gaming station an extension of your style and a part of who you are, allowing you more opportunity to express yourself. You can also sync the controller’s lighting with other Razer Chroma devices, adding to an ambience that makes your gaming area unique to you and more dynamic.The Razer Wolverine V2 in Action: Experience the Difference
More than any other numbers, it’s performance in the heat of a fight that really counts, and that’s where I’ve found the Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Controller to work like a well-oiled Zelda roleplay minion. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on fire in Call of Duty: WWII or have moved around corners with ease in Battlefield 1. Sometimes, in fact, I feel like the game is under control of my thumb.Mechanical Buttons: Precision in Every Click
I know the mechanical buttons make a big difference. The way they register the inputs that move your game characters is more tactile, which enhances your reaction times and accuracy. What’s great about mechanical buttons is that they make you feel in control. Whether you’re looking down a gun site in a first-person shooter, or lining up a tricky combo in a fighting game, the mechanical buttons boost your sense of confidence.Hair Trigger Locks: Unleash Your Inner Speed Demon
These enable you to shorten the distance that you have to pull the trigger to fire, and if you like to try out fancy show-off quick-draw moves and to get your shooting off before your opponent can retaliate, your game will immediately feel quicker and more responsive. You’ll notice a big difference in your ability to hit those random one-hit-kill head zombie shots, and your trigger feels exactly how you like it. You can adjust the tension to pull how many/with how much force… and make your shot feel exactly how you want it to feel.Multi-Function Rear Buttons: Expand Your Arsenal
The additional rear buttons add a whole new level of control. In any game with many commands you would like to access quickly, the rear buttons are a boon. The commands previously requiring a button press now require only a thumb slide. Rear buttons buy you some important precision and agility. You won’t be able to aim with your thumbs and jump at the same time as easily, but characters that require lots of moving and attacking at the same time are straightforward and fast. The rear buttons are placed so that jumping and attacking are very easily executed because you are still laying your thumbs on the controls.Pros and Cons: A Balanced Perspective
Pros
- Excellent build quality and ergonomics: It’s built to last and feels right in your hands. Mechanical buttons for better accuracy: The texture of the mechanical buttons provides better responsiveness as they offer exact stimuli. remappable buttons so you can map them to your individual style of play: Customisable buttons mean you can if you are a left-handed, right-handed person, like playing first-person shooters, using your analogue sticks.
- Hair trigger locks for quicker response times: The adjustable hair trigger locks reduce the trigger pull distance giving you a tactical advantage over your competitors.
- Additional rear buttons for additional control opportunities: The four multi-function rear buttons are a key extension of control so you can perform complex functions without having to move your thumbs.
- Customisable Razer Chroma RGB lighting: There’s nothing more satisfying than having your setup as custom as you are. But adding cool-looking RGB lights to your game might still seem intimidating — that is until now. In just one click, you can customise your basic LEDs and add visual flair, all whilst personalising your experience in the most customisable game in the world.
- Synchronise with other Razer Chroma devices: And of course, it wouldn’t feel complete going brag-free into your next LAN party without complementing your new RGB lighting with a Razer BlackWidow Elite or Kraken Headset. That’s why we made it easy to sync your lights with all other Chroma-compatible devices you use along the way.
- Wired connection for stability and uninterrupted gameplay: Battery life doesn’t come into question with a wired connection and you won’t have to worry about your game freezing in the middle of a stressful hour-long mission to complete.
Cons
- Auto-correct: As a wired connection is stable, players might not play with wireless controller by which they might be free. They’re slightly larger and heavier than the standard
- Xbox controller: The features – as well as the comparatively rubbery, rugged construction – might take some getting used to for any players who have accustomed themselves to the standard controller. Learning curve for the extra rear buttons: The extra rear buttons aren’t immediately intuitive and may take a little time to get used to, once you’re adjusted to the way they’re laid out.