What you need to know
- The Razer Kishi V2 now supports a Virtual Controller Mode that allows you to play touchscreen games with its physical controls.
- The new mode comes through a software update for Razer Nexus and a firmware update for the Kishi V2.
- Many touchscreen titles do not support the Kishi V2.
The Razer Kishi V2 just gained support for several of the best Android games. A software update to Razer Nexus and a firmware update for the Kishi V2 adds a Virtual Controller Mode that allows Kishi V2 owners to play touchscreen-only games with the controller. That mode lets the physical buttons of the Kishi V2 to be mapped to touch controls, eliminating the need for game developers to specifically support the controller.
Virtual Controller Mode is available now through an update to the Razer Nexus app on the Google Play Store. The same functionality will become available for the Razer Edge in Q1 2023.
The Razer Kishi V2 is a popular and well-reviewed controller. Thanks to it supporting a USB-C connection, it can add physical controls to a wide range of mobile devices. Until this recent update, however, the controller struggled with touchscreen-only games. Several titles, including the popular Call of Duty: Mobile, only support specific controllers. As a result, mobile gamers would have to choose between using touch screen controllers or purchasing hardware based on the games they'd like to play.
Getting physical controls to work with touch screen games is a struggle for several devices. Even dedicated hardware like the Logitech G Cloud is hampered by the fact that many touchscreen-only games do not work on the device.
Razer shared what the UI for button mapping looks like on the Kishi V2:
Genshin Impact, Pokemon Unite, and quite a few mobile titles support controllers on other platforms but leave Android users out. Razer's update for the Kishi V2 should close that gap and allow those on Android devices to use controllers without having to wait for game developers.
When running the latest version of Razer Nexus, users can access installed games, stream their device to YouTube or Facebook, browse titles, and customize controller settings.
The Razer Kishi V2 is an exemplary product that is leaps and bounds ahead of the original. The new clamp mechanism ensures a broader degree of compatibility, and shines with improved buttons, triggers, alongside new features. Following an update to Razer Nexus and the the Kishi V2, the controller now lets gamers play touchscreen-only titles with its physical controls.
