Asus has announced a new version of its Raikiri gaming controller at Gamescom 2025, which to my eyes looks like it's hot on the heels of one of my favourite models, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. While the Razer currently holds the best Hall effect spot in our hearts (and our guide), Asus says the anti-drift TMR joysticks found in its new Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless controller are the far superior tech, which makes me anxious to test one for myself.
According to the Taiwanese tech giant, its TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) sticks offer more accurate control and consume less power than their Hall effect equivalents, which comes as something of a surprise to me. I've yet to use a set of Hall effect sticks that feel anything other than pin-sharp accurate, and their power draw is fairly tiny, so I'd imagine the battery saving when switching over to TMR is probably minimal. Still, improvements are improvements, I guess.
TMR sticks detect variations in resistance over a shifting magnetic field to accurately report movement, while Hall effect sticks use more traditional magnetic sensors. Both technologies are known for eliminating the main cause of stick drift, mechanical wear, although Hall effect has proven to be the more popular solution for now. Is TMR tech noticeably better under duress? We'll have to test a set to find out.
The rest of the Raikiri II's spec sheet is pretty impressive, too. It's got dual-mode triggers, four fully-programmable rear buttons, and micro-switches underneath the dpad, face buttons, and bumpers for "instant actuation and tactile feedback." Oh, and it also features 1,000 Hz polling over the dongle-based 2.4 GHz wireless connection (beating out the Razer, which can only manage the same rate in wired mode)—along with Bluetooth connectivity and a traditional USB Type-C cable connection.
Asus says it will support PC, Xbox Series X/S, the ROG Xbox Ally, and the regular Asus ROG Ally models as well. Interestingly, it also comes with a portable travel case that charges the controller inside, which is a neat feature for those of you that bring your own peripherals to games night. Battery life is claimed to be 30-hours with the RGB lighting and vibration off, which would sort of defeat the point, if you ask me.
Just look at that handsome central Asus logo. Surely you'd want it to glow?
Anyway, I think it's fair to say we weren't fans of the original Asus Raikiri Pro. Our Hope found it to have sticky face buttons, a phrase that makes my fingers instinctively curl up in dread, with awkwardly-placed rear backplate buttons and a clumsy interface. Unlike the Pro, the Raikiri II has ditched the front-mounted OLED screen entirely, so hopefully this is a bit more of a straightforward affair to set up.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, and it's here where I think the battle might be won or lost. The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is an excellent thing, but at $200, it's seriously pricey. If Asus can undercut it while offering better features, then it might have a real winner on its hands. It's still got a silly name, though. I keep typing Raikikikikikikikiki. II.
