Asus ROG, as we know, is dedicated to bringing the best gaming experiences to all players alike by creating the world’s most powerful and versatile gaming laptops and various other gaming accessories in the industry, and this time around MKAU managed to snag their hands on the ROG Raikiri Pro Controller. While there are hundreds of reviews that vary in opinion, I was lucky enough to be the one to give this stylish-looking controller a whirl. Here are my thoughts on why I believe the ROG Raikiri Pro is worth checking out. Let’s dive in.

Before opening the box, you are met with an image of the flashy-looking controller branding ROG’s infamous logo while around the back goes into detail all the functions and capabilities of it that are at your fingertips. Upon opening the box, you receive the Raikiri Pro controller, a 3m USB Type-C to Type-A cable, a warranty book, and a quick start guide. The most obvious feature of the controller was the built-in 1.3″ 128 x 40 resolution OLED display which you can use to view various things such as connectivity status, battery life, and controller profile just to name a few.

Layered Gloss black and clear dark grey plastic is embellished on the front with a zig-zag LED strip going along the seam and bouncing around the right thumb stick. Apart from the unique and stylish design, the Raikiri Pro does look like a stock PC/Xbox controller with the normal Y, X, B, and A, textured thumb grips, a raised circular D-pad, and the infamous Xbox logo in the center under the screen. As we go look around the back you have the normal LB, LT, RB, RT, and switches next to the triggers that allow you to adjust the selectable step triggers which can be set to short or full-range modes.

As well as this there are also the four programmable buttons, textured palm grips on the back, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a mute button on the bottom, and two dedicated control buttons for the OLED display on the top either side of the USB Type-C charging port.

There is even a little storage compartment between the four programmable buttons on the rear for the wireless 2.4 GHz dongle, all while weighing in at 330g. As far as features go, the ROG Raikiri Pro Controller boasts tri-mode connectivity, compatible with Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.

As stated earlier the OLED screen can be used for a variety of things such as displaying connectivity status, monitor charging, and you can even add your own animation, text, or custom image via the Armoury Crate app on PC, the possibilities are endless. The buttons on the back can also be programmed as hotkeys for in-game actions or joystick sensitivity toggles, all of which are customizable through the app. However, I did notice that the Raikiri Pro seems to be more suited for PC players.

I experienced some input delay on the console, regardless of whether I used the dongle, Bluetooth, or had it hardwired. This contrasted playing on PC, where I experienced no issues. I can say with confidence that on PC the controller was pretty amazing, the massive 48-hour battery life is a huge plus for those long sessions and having the LED strip glow red when it’s low on the charge was a lifesaver compared to other controllers that don’t tell you or die in the middle of a game or super intense boss fight.

For players who don’t want to switch controllers between different platforms like Xbox, PC, or the ROG Ally, I would recommend this controller. You can switch connectivity at the press of a button, and if you’re going to a friend’s house, you can set up the controller to be tailored to any individual with its multiple profiles. On a small downside the controller is slightly smaller compared to a normal Xbox controller, after some time I did eventually get used to it but for gamers with big hands, such as myself, that is something to keep in mind.

Having a built-in ESS DAC was amazing, plugging a headset into this controller was like nothing I had ever experienced. From jamming to some tunes to hearing someone drop a needle on the floor, for a cheap headset, it felt as if I was in a movie theatre.

To unlock the full potential and make it your own, you can customize everything on the ROG Raikiri Pro Controller through the Armoury Crate app. From here, you can change the LED RGB colour, adjust joystick dead zones or sensitivity, remap buttons, or upload animations to the screen on the controller. Even though you can only change the LEDs to a solid colour or the default rainbow with some animations, I did find this to be more than enough for me as I was more focused on how the controls felt and the actual performance from the controller over the looks.

The Armoury Crate app itself was easy to navigate compared to past times, all you do is plug in the controller to your PC with the provided cable, fire up the Armoury Crate app and away you go. Customizing the triggers was simple, allowing you to get every detail down to exactly how you want to play, further getting the upper hand over your opponents.

As stated on the ASUS ROG website, “The Republic of Gamers is a proving ground to chase excellence and push limits.” The ROG Raikiri Pro Controller ticked all my boxes, from the stylish looks and feel to the sheer performance and versatility of the tri-mode connectivity, it’s clear to see all the rave that people have been saying about this controller.

I think the Raikiri Pro is a great product overall, but I don’t entirely agree with the price point of AUD 210+. It took some time to get used to its smaller size compared to a normal Xbox controller, but I don’t think that detracts from the elegance and versatility of this controller. The ROG Raikiri Pro Controller should be on your list of potential controllers, even if it’s not your first choice.

Written by: Larry