CES 2020: Razer Makes Game Controller for iPhones

BY Asif Shaik

Published 8 Jan 2020

Razer Kishi

Razer, a popular brand for gaming products, has launched the Kishi at the CES 2020 event. It is a gaming controller for smartphones that not only allows you to have more precise controls while playing mobile games on your handset, but it also enables you to play PC games on your iPhone through Nvidia’s GeForce Now service.

The gaming controller from Razer has two modules – one clamps to the right side of your phone and the other to the left side – making your smartphone look like a pro mobile gaming device like the Nintendo Switch. With the Razer Kishi attached to your phone, you get two joysticks, a d-pad, four action buttons, and two triggers at the top, at your disposal.

The Razer Kishi is compatible with Android as well as iOS devices. And how do you connect it your smartphone? Well, it has a lightning port on the inside of the controller for it to plug into your iPhone. For Android phones, Razer will offer a USB Type-C version of the Kishi. Unfortunately, the brand hasn’t revealed any other specifications of its new gaming controller. The pricing of the Razer Kishi is also unknown at the moment. However, the brand did announce that the Kishi will be available to buy in early 2020.

Coming to the cloud gaming part, you might have heard of Nvidia’s GeForce Now. It is a cloud gaming service that allows you to play PC games on your smartphone. However, to play PC games through GeForce Now on your smartphone, you need to have an external, physical gaming controller attached to your handset. Currently, the GeForce Now service is available only for Android phones. However, when Nvidia rolls it out to Apple’s handsets, you can play PC games on your iPhone using the Razer Kishi.

Our Take:

While mobile gaming is becoming more and more popular among people around the globe, its major downside is that game controls in mobile games suck due to the lack of physical control buttons. And this is where the external game controllers for mobiles come into the play.

Since the market for external gaming controllers for mobile is still in its early stages, there aren’t many good quality mobile gamepads in the market. With Razer’s entry into the segment, people will soon have a choice to buy a decently built gaming controller.

Are you a mobile gamer? Do let us know in the comments below your views on Razer’s Kishi.