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With the introduction of the M series in some of its iPads, Apple’s tablets have become much more powerful. Roughly half of the company’s iPads now run its M series chips, making them capable devices for many tasks, including gaming. And thanks to Apple’s Arcade subscription service launched in 2019, you can access hundreds of games with no ads and in-app purchases by paying a fixed monthly subscription. Additionally, with Apple opening the App Store for cloud gaming services and with the arrival of Xbox Cloud Gaming on the iPad, you have no shortage of games.
However, for a good experience when gaming, nothing can make or break it like the controls. On the iPad, gaming doesn’t feel as good when you use the touchscreen to control the characters or elements in the game, just like on mobile phones. One of the issues with using a touchscreen to control a game is poor precision. However, you can easily address that and other issues by getting a controller like the Razer Kishi V3 Pro or Kishi V3 Pro XL, which can turn your iPad into a proper handheld gaming device.
The Kishi V3 Pro costs $149, while the larger sibling goes for $199. Fair enough, they seem a bit pricey, especially when you consider the many cheaper alternatives in online marketplaces like Amazon. However, the Kishi V3 Pro series controllers pack a variety of features that make them a solid option for anyone who wants to use the iPad as a portable machine for playing games.
The Razer Kishi V3 Pro series comes with a variety of features
There are two versions of the Razer Kishi V3 Pro controller. The basic Kishi V3 Pro supports iPads of up to 8 inches in size, while the XL variant is meant for those who have a bigger iPad, like the 11-inch Pro, as it supports tablets with displays of up to 13 inches. Although the Kishi V3 Pro/XL is meant for mobile gaming, it comes in a full-size controller form factor. Both versions come with four remappable buttons for customizing how you play your games and two full-sized TMR thumbsticks, which should come in handy in games where precision matters, like in racing and shooters.
You can swap the caps of these thumbsticks, and Razer ships the controller with two extra caps. Another handy button on the Kishi V3 Pro series is the screenshot or record button, which, if you’d like to share your gameplay or a picture of a specific scene in a game, makes it easy to do so. Additionally, it uses USB-C to connect to your device for an easy setup process.
Gaming can use a lot of battery on your iPad, and Razer has thought about it beforehand by offering a USB-C port with 15 W pass-through charging support to ensure you can continue playing while your device charges. Meanwhile, whenever you’re in a noisy place but want to fully immerse yourself in a game or don’t want to disturb other people around you, the controller has a 3.5 mm headphone jack to plug in your wired headphones or earphones.
Users love the Razer Kishi V3 Pro series controllers
On Amazon, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro and its XL variant have an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 from over 200 reviews. As of this writing, an overwhelming 77 percent of all reviewers have rated the controller with at least 4 stars, with 63 percent giving it 5 stars. Users love the controller for a variety of reasons, including its solid build quality, responsiveness, ease of setup, and its lightweight design and comfortable feel.
One Amazon reviewer praised it for working with “pretty much every game” they tried, and another user said it worked for every mobile game and even emulators without a hassle. The buttons and D-pad have also been well received by users, some saying it’s the best D-pad they’ve experienced, while others speak highly of the buttons.
However, as you might expect from any product, some users have reported experiencing a number of issues with the Kishi V3 Pro and V3 Pro XL. Some feel the price is a bit higher for what you get, and others feel it’s a bit heavier than they like. For gameplay, some users have also reported stick drift issues. If you face any issues with the controller, you can always use Amazon’s return process to ship it back.
