ASUS ROG Raikiri gamepad review

Today we are reviewing a gamepad ASUS ROG Raikiri, a younger version of the model that was presented by the company at the CES 2023 exhibition. The “regular” model mainly differs from the ROG Raikiri Pro with the lack of an OLED screen; we will figure out what ROG Raikiri is capable of and how it differs from the “pro”.

ASUS ROG Raikiri specifications

Design, ergonomics

The gamepad has the Designed for Xbox mark, but even without this, it is immediately clear which platform the developer aimed for. ROG Raikiri looks very similar to the controllers of the Xbox One or Xbox Series X consoles – even the central Guide button is made in the form of the Xbox logo, not to mention the labeling of the four main buttons.

The general shape of the body and the location of the main controls also almost completely repeats the shape of the Xbox controllers – the differences are mostly only slightly different ergonomics, materials, and tactile sensations from the body and minor changes in the shape of the triggers.

However, the back side of the “horns” is much rougher than the Xbox controller, and the triggers and main buttons are made of matte plastic, not glossy – this provides a better grip and control of the gamepad in sweaty palms. The Xbox button is located a little lower than Microsoft’s branded gamepad, besides, it is convex, not flat, so it is easier to find “by touch”, and the tops of the analog sticks have “studded” rings that cling very well to the fingers. The Share button looks like part of the body design, and you can’t notice it right away (note that it is not very conveniently pressed).

In games, the ASUS ROG Raikiri feels very similar to the Xbox controller: approximately the same power of the “motors”, smoothness of the triggers, and resistance to stick deflection. The main buttons are pressed a little less clearly, but you can only notice this when comparing both gamepads directly. The surface of the LB and RB buttons that the index fingers rest on is slightly narrower than the Xbox Controller, and that seems to be the main gripe about the ROG Raikiri’s ergonomics that we had while using it.

Functionality

The basic functionality of the ASUS ROG Raikiri fully covers the functionality of the Xbox controller, plus it has several additional functions. There are two programmable buttons on the back, which can be adjusted in the company’s software. Also, next to the triggers, you can see two switches – they change the course of the analog triggers, switching it between full and shortened.

Below the right analog stick is the microphone mute button for the headset connected to the controller – it also acts as an indicator of its operation status, glowing yellow when the microphone is not muted. ROG Raikiri, by the way, has an ESS DAC installed, which, according to the manufacturer, provides realistic premium-class sound on a headset connected to the minijack.

Like other ASUS gaming peripherals, the ROG Raikiri has RGB lighting — two thin lines coming out of the right stick. The gamepad supports proprietary RGB Aura technology, so its lighting can be synchronized with other devices and ASUS.

As for connecting to a PC or an Xbox console, ROG Raikiri, unfortunately, supports only a wired connection – with the help of the included 3 m long USB cable. On the other hand, you can also find your advantages here: without a built-in battery, the gamepad is quite light, only 225 g (without wire).

It should be noted right away that the older ROG Raikiri Pro model, in addition to the USB connection, also supports a wireless connection in the 2.4 GHz range or via Bluetooth (but only with a PC – with Xbox consoles, only a wired connection is also supported).

Software

Of course, like any other gamepad, ASUS ROG Raikiri can be used immediately after connection, but if desired, the user can customize its behavior using the proprietary Armory Crate software.

With its help, you can reassign the buttons, select the RGB Aura lighting mode, adjust the vibration strength, and adjust the “dead zones” of the triggers and the response curves of the sticks.