Razer Onza Tournament Edition Controller Review
A completely new beast.
These complaints, however, immediately subsided as soon as I used the Hyperesponse face buttons. The four face buttons are not depressed, using a membrane base, as on a regular Xbox 360 controller. Instead each button is based on a mechanical switch; the depression click being very close to the surface. So for instance, by the time I pushed “X” on a regular controller, I had already pushed it at least twice on the Onza. These clicks are obviously happening in split seconds. I found it to be quite useful to pull off combos faster than usual in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but I can only imagine how devastating this would be in the hands of a professional player.
One of the biggest features of the Razer Onza is the pressure-adjustable analog sticks. Each analog stick has a clicky-wheel right under the top of the analog stick. Moving the wheel counter-clockwise makes the analog stick easier and faster to push around the edges, whereas moving them clockwise makes it harder to push the stick to the edges. My personal use for this on Halo Reach was to keep the Left analog stick a bit tight so that I don’t strafe unnecessarily fast, while keeping the right analog stick completely unwound for fluid movements. While playing the Gears of War 3 Beta, I the exact opposite setup as I feel more comfortable that way in a 3rd person shooter. Your mileage may vary, of course.
The D-pad on the Razer Onza was a mixed bag of emotions. The large portions for each direction helped me tremendously in the Gears of War 3 Beta, but I wasn’t such a huge fan of it while playing Marvel vs. Capcom 3. It just didn’t feel responsive or fluid enough in fighting games.
The D-pad is something that Razer can certainly improve on the Onza, perhaps taking a cue from the PS3 controller, or better yet, the good old Saturn pads. Another would be have a Xbox Guide button that looks proper high-end, because that’s the kind of money you’re paying for it. And finally the backlight on the face buttons needs to be more subtle, instead of the bland pop out feel that it gives now. Being used to Razer mice and keyboards, I don’t think it’s asking much if we get a glowing Razer logo either; multi-colored LEDs would be amazing as well. I mean, it’s on a wired controller, maybe it possible.
Apart from the D-pad, everything else is just for more aesthetic appeal; as it stands, the Razer Onza is one of the best Xbox 360 controllers out there. In terms of features, customization and responsiveness, nothing comes close.
Love: Hyperesponse buttons are quick, Tension adjustment on analog sticks works like a charm, Rubberized grip feels comfortable, MFB come in extremely handy
Hate: D-pad is not so good in fighting games, Xbox Guide buttons looks cheap, Backlight on face buttons is too bright
Rating: 4/5
