Razer Raion Puts A Full Size Fightstick In Your Palm For PlayStation 4 And PC Beat 'Em Ups
What would an arcade fight stick be without the actual stick? Peripheral maker Razer came up with an answer—it's the Raion, a new gamepad that "brings arcade stick controls to the palm of your hand." As such, it's a fight pad, and it is designed for both the PlayStation 4 consoles and Windows PCs.
Razer said it built the Raion from the ground up for fighting games. While not specifically mentioned, that translates to high profile titles like Mortal Kombat 11 and the Street Fighter series (among others).
From my vantage point, the renders look a bit similar to Microsoft's Xbox One controllers, in terms of the general shape. The Raion is a different beast, though. It features a 6-button layout on the front, along with a tactile 8-way D-pad, supplemented with traditional shoulder and trigger buttons. Razer says this layout is conducive to both standard and claw grip styles.
While perhaps difficult to see in the render above, the 6 face buttons are a tad bigger than the the industry standard, according to Razer, and "optimally spaced" to make pulling off those combos a bit easier. There's also a competition mode that disables extra buttons.
Underneath it all are Razer's Yellow mechanical switches designed for "ultra-fast, accurate actuation." Razer says they are good for 80 million taps—particularly useful if, like me, you inevitably end up mashing buttons in a frenzied panic to hopefully deliver a crushing blow or combo, rather than be on the receiving end.
As for the D-pad, Razer describes as it being hyper responsive with a "satisfying cushioned feeling." This too is aimed at helping to execute combos.
"The higher and more defined rate of feedback gives a better sense of control, reducing the amount of missed moves when it counts the most," Razer says.
Unfortunately, this is not a wireless controller—you'll need to tether the Raion to your PS4 or PC by way of an 8-foot cable. It also sports a 5mm analog audio port.
Razer's Raion controller is available now for $99.99 (€109.99) in Europe, Asia-Pacific, China, Australia, and New Zealand. It will launch in the US and Canada "soon."
