The DualSense Edge might have taken its place as the default choice for a pro controller on PlayStation 5, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other options offering slightly different features.
Case in point – Razer’s Wolverine V2 Pro, a wireless controller that has buttons to spare along with a chunkier, off-set analogue stick layout that might be more comfortable for some. I’ve been putting it through its paces to see how it holds up.
Razer Wolverine V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Controller for PlayStation 5
This is a really solid pro controller with plenty of extra buttons and customisation, and a very different size and shape for those who want something more Xbox-esque on their PS5 or PC.
Pros
- Perfect clicky buttons
- Trigger stop toggles
- Easy to remap
Design
- Available in black and white
- Off-set layout, replaceable thumbsticks
Sony has long been a total adherent to one layout for its controllers, with both analogue sticks at the bottom in the centre, mirroring each other – but that doesn’t mean everyone loves it.
You only have to look at the iconic Xbox 360 controller with its off-set layout to see that other options can prosper too, and that gives Razer a decent wedge of the market to explore.
Hence, the Wolverine V2 Pro is laid out much closer to an Xbox controller and is also sized and shaped a bit more like one too, feeling chunkier and rounder in the hand than the DualSense and the Edge.
I’ve found it really comfortable, with the grippiness on its finish working nicely to keep it firmly in hand. However, one area where it doesn’t match up to the DualSense Edge – or Scuf Reflex that I’ve used a whole lot more – is on the back button placement.
These are very central on the Wolverine V2 Pro, and with the size of the controller, there’s sometimes a little bit of stretching required to get them triggered, which isn’t the case on the wider buttons offered by Scuf and Sony’s pro controllers.
Razer makes up for this with another set of extra buttons by the shoulder buttons, and those with big hands might have no issue at all, but I did notice it was a little less comfortable than I’m used to.
Performance
- Remappable buttons using app
Turning the controller on and connecting it to a PS5 using the included dongle is nice and simple and, from there, it’s all about whether the Wolverine V2 Pro can actually enhance a gaming session.
It fares well overall, with all the bells and whistles you could hope for – those four back buttons and two extra shoulder buttons are all reprogrammable as you like, on a companion app that is fairly barebones but effective enough.
It includes the option to trigger a slowdown for your sticks while holding a button, making it easier to aim precisely, for example, and I could see this really helping to fine tune your aim once you get used to it.
You can swap out the thumbstick tops for a convex option that comes in the box, in case that’s useful, while you also get a very different D-pad on the Wolverine V2 Pro.
It’s an 8-direction clicky wonder and is miles, miles better than a four-direction pad for things like fighting games, making this a good pick if you’re interested in starting on the path toward a full fight stick with, say, Street Fighter 6.
That clickiness also extends to the face buttons, which are much more responsive than on the standard DualSense, and also the triggers, which can be changed between throttle and click options for a more immediate action.
This all adds up to a really customisable and tactile controller that can easily be swapped between wired and wireless modes depending on your needs, and opens up new options and control schemes to help you excel.
Battery life and features
- 28-hour battery life
The Wolverine V2 Pro has a very solid battery life at 28 hours or so on a charge, which means you don’t have to worry about plugging it in after every session you use it for.
That’s far better than the DualSense Edge or the Scuf Reflex, and is a big plus if you’re leaning towards Razer’s controller.
Using a 2.4GHz wireless connection via the included dongle, I generally found that the controller was responsive and reliable, with a few tiny exceptions.
The biggest one in terms of experience is that I found it wasn’t able to wake the PS5 from sleep mode or to turn it on – potentially because it’s not a modified DualSense, like Scuf’s controller. This meant using the buttons on the console itself, which isn’t a huge deal, but it does speak to a much lower level of integration compared to other options.
Verdict
The Wolverine V2 Pro rounds out the market for pro controllers on the PS5, and adds another option for PC gamers. It has a fairly unique size and shape (one that slightly demands you try it out for a game or two before knowing if it suits your hands) along with a range of handy features.
While it works nicely with the PS5, the integration isn’t quite as tight as other controllers I’ve tried, and a couple of slight hitches have left their mark, but this is still a very solid controller that certainly unlocks the ability to excel competitively.