I’ve always wanted a PlayStation Portal, but with a bigger screen, so I tried this mobile controller and it turned my iPad into a gaming hub. – It’s Going Viral in 2026

I love my PlayStation 5. It’s one of the best things I’ve bought with my money, and I’ve spent an ungodly amount of hours playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Alan Wake 2, and FIFA (sorry, EA Sports FC) on my PS5 Slim. Although I take my Nintendo Switch 2 with me when I travel, it simply doesn’t have the diverse catalog of games that I enjoy.

So, I’ve been thinking about getting a PlayStation Portal for a while – it even sat in my cart for a few days during the 2025 Black Friday sales. But to be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the Portal because I’ve heard mixed reviews. Do I also want to pay almost $200 for a remote player? It seems to be, but also not. Then it dawned on me: what if I just used the PS Remote Play app on my iPad and got a controller designed specifically for the iPad? Meet the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL.

The Kishi V3 Pro XL is a beast, and I’m not just talking about its height. It features powerful, highly responsive TMR joysticks, mouse-like click triggers and face buttons, plus four additional remappable buttons. The ergonomic design and all-day wearing comfort are a pleasure. Is this ideal? Nope. Do I still love it? Hell yes, and here’s why.

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Ergonomics at its best!

There’s no point in spending money on a controller if it’s not ergonomically designed and doesn’t allow you to play all day long. Luckily, the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL is an extremely comfortable controller that I used for six hours without my hands cramping. This is thanks to the massive controller grips, full-size joysticks and triggers, and offset joysticks, which I think feel more ergonomic.

In terms of size, the Kishi V3 Pro XL plate that houses the tablet measures 12.91 x 4.36 x 2.54 inches when the controller is extended. This means it’s big enough to fit even a 13-inch iPad Pro! It’s nice to handle and doesn’t feel bulky, even when a tablet is connected to it. Without it, it weighs 10.97 ounces. I used the controller with my 10.9-inch iPad Air, which added 1.73 pounds to the weight. Despite this, I didn’t find it uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time.

I can’t tell you how much fun it is to play from a laptop on such a big screen. The PlayStation Portal’s 8-inch screen is nice too, no doubt, but I really like the iPad Air’s larger screen. This makes for some pretty addictive gameplay. Connect your favorite gaming headset to the 3.5mm port on the right grip and you’ve got a winning combination.

So smooth, so powerful

There’s a lot to love about the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL’s gaming performance. First of all, its joysticks are equipped with tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors, which are more sensitive and durable than Hall effect sensors. They use weak electromagnetic waves, which means the sensors pick up small changes and the slightest movements, and the improvement in accuracy in racing and FPS games is certainly noticeable.

In addition, there are Kishi V3 Pro XL triggers, face buttons, two additional shoulder buttons, and two back buttons that click like a mouse. These are similar to those you’ll find on the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. In fact, the Kishi V3 Pro XL looks like someone cut the Wolverine V3 Pro down the middle and sandwiched a tablet between the two handles. The performance is incredible and I had a lot of fun playing games like Cyberpunk 2077, Expedition 33 and Need for Speed ​​Heat on this controller.

You can of course read all about the performance in my full review, but in a few words the Kishi V3 Pro XL gave me a competitive edge in first-person shooters and racing games as I could tailor my movements to a T and all my commands were registered quickly thanks to the 4000Hz polling rate. I have no complaints about the work of the department.

However, there is one problem…

I’m sure you already know that I love the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL. This is a fantastic controller for the iPad. But I’d be lying if I said it was perfect—after all, I gave it 4 stars in my review of the Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL. Unfortunately, the Kishi V3 Pro XL is more expensive: it retails for $199/£164 on Amazon, making it the same price as the new PlayStation Portal. Of course, if you already have an iPad and want to game on it, the Kishi V3 Pro XL might be worth the investment.

But the lack of tactility and rumble makes it hard for me to recommend it to anyone who wants really immersive gaming experience. After playing games using the PS Remote Play app as well as games downloaded to my iPad, I immediately noticed the lack of rumble, which came as a surprise to me since Razer lists “next-gen reviews” on the controller’s product page. Here’s what’s interesting: Razer notes in very small print that Rumble doesn’t work on iOS or iPadOS devices.

This may be a limitation of iOS and iPadOS devices, since Rumble appears to work fine on Android tablets. Or it could be a limitation of the PS Remote Play app. But does this stop me from feeling disappointed? Nope. Despite this, not many controllers have haptics, so can you fault the Kishi V3 Pro XL for that? I don’t know. Is this a barrier for me? Well, I’ll happily use the Kishi V3 Pro XL until I eventually get the PlayStation Portal, so we’ll leave it at that.

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