My current controller proves you don't have to pay $200 to get the best Xbox and PC controller... As long as you don't mind a wire

The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro may have made a name for itself as one of the best Xbox controllers you can buy right now, but you don't have to spend $200 to get 95% of its features.

Razer also sells the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition, a wired variant of the V3 Pro that also happens to cost half as much. The design is practically identical, and you're not missing out on any of the advanced controls. The biggest thing you're sacrificing is wireless connectivity, but when you're only paying $99.99 at Best Buy for the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition that compromise feels very reasonable.

This is a great pro-grade wired controller for Xbox and PC gaming, but the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition doesn't surmount the weaknesses of its premium sibling and gains a few new quirks of its own. Despite being wired, you're not always guaranteed a reliable connection, the rumble motors feel rough, and I still have some concerns about the long-term durability of these controls.

Why You Should Trust Me

Why You Should Trust Me

Zachary Boddy (They / Them)

I've spent thousands of hours with a controller in my hand, well before I even joined the Windows Central team. I've personally tested peripherals from companies including Microsoft, Razer, GameSir, PowerA, and more. When it comes to testing performance, durability, comfort, and value, I know what to look for in a controller.

Wolverine V3 TE review: Pricing and specifications

Pricing highlights

• The Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition retails for $99.99, or half the price of the Wolverine V3 Pro.
• The two controllers share many similarities, including an identical design and set of controls.
• The Wolverine V3 TE drops wireless connectivity, the Razer Chroma-lit logo, and the premium carrying case and cables to achieve its new price point.

The Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition is the more affordable, wired version of the Wolverine V3 Pro, trading the internal battery and wireless connectivity for a 10ft cable. The Wolverine V3 TE retails for $99.99 at Best Buy, where the Wolverine V3 Pro retails for twice as much at $199.99 at Best Buy.

This makes the Wolverine V3 TE more expensive than many wired controllers, but makes up for it with its premium design and unique set of features and extra controls. It offers almost the exact same experience as the V3 Pro for half the price. In the box, you'll find the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition, a 10ft USB Type-C to USB Type-A non-braided cable, and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C adapter.

The Wolverine V3 TE does not include the hard carrying case or premium braided cables that the Wolverine V3 Pro does. Both controllers are covered by Razer's standard 12-month warranty, but you can double that period to 24-months and cover one accidental drop or spill for 36-months with Razer's optional RazerCare Elite plan.

Wired for the pros 🎮

Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition | $99.99 at Best Buy

The Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition doesn't force you to give up the Hall Effect thumbsticks, mouse-click trigger stops, or Mecha Tactile button switches in exchange for costing half as much as the V3 Pro.

👉See at: BestBuy.com or Razer.com

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Wolverine V3 TE review: The good

The pros highlights

• All of the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition's positives are pulled straight from the Wolverine V3 Pro.
• It's the same comfortable, compact design with excellent build quality.
• You also get all the same controls, including the Mecha Tactile face buttons, mouse switch rear paddles, Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers with mouse switch trigger stops, and two additional mouse switch bumpers.

Almost any positive I can bring to your attention regarding the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition is unchanged from the positives I and my colleague Richard Devine praised in our Razer Wolverine V3 Pro review. If you want a more in-depth look at this controller and what makes it special, you can find it there. I'll be keeping this short to avoid retreading the same paths.

The Wolverine V3 TE is practically indistinguishable from its more premium sibling. It's the same overall design and nearly identical dimensions, which means you're getting a compact controller that is very comfortable. The same caveats are here, too, like the too-large trigger housing that negatively impacts the ergonomics. Basically, the Wolverine V3 TE drops the internal battery (and some weight in the process), loses the RGB-lit Razer logo in place of a nondescript white LED dot, and adopts a matte finish on the face buttons versus the glossy of the V3 Pro... which I honestly prefer.

That means you're getting all of the same premium controller features. The face buttons use Razer's unique "Mecha Tactile" switches that combine clicky microswitches with comfy membrane switches, and they all feel great. The thumbsticks combat the dreaded stick drift with Hall Effect sensors, and the triggers use the same technology for smooth and consistent tracking. You still get six additional remappable buttons (four paddles and two bumpers) using Razer's iconic tactile mouse switches, and the triggers have built-in trigger stops using these same mouse switches.

This controller is packed with features, and many of them you just won't find anywhere else. It makes for an extremely versatile and customizable controller experience that lends itself very well to complex or competitive games. Razer calls the Wolverine V3 "the esports controller" for a reason. Just like the Wolverine V3 Pro, the Tournament Edition massively outperforms almost any other controller on the market because of its responsive, reliable, and precise controls. You can still take advantage of a 1,000Hz polling rate on PC for even better performance, too.

So many extra buttons mean it can take a while to configure the controller to your needs in every game, but the result is worth the effort. You can also use Razer Synapse on PC or the Razer Controller Setup app on Xbox for more customization and testing features, which is nice. Even if you elect not to use the supported software, there's a dedicated button on the Wolverine V3 TE to help you take advantage of its features just using the controller itself.

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Wolverine V3 TE review: The bad

The cons highlights

• Like the Wolverine V3 Pro, the compact shape and oversized trigger housing may make this controller less comfortable for some players.
• The rumble motors in the Wolverine V3 TE also feel significantly rougher than on the Wolverine V3 Pro.
• Finally, the included cable isn't very high quality and does introduce some connectivity issues at times.

I didn't love the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro as much as my co-reviewer, Richard Devine, and was ultimately more critical of the controller. With the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition, I find myself in a familiar place.

I already mentioned my ergonomic complaints in the last section, but I also have mild concerns about the long-term durability of this controller. My Wolverine V3 Pro already has a loose rear paddle and some creaking in the chassis; that could just be my bad luck, but it's still worth mentioning.

However, the Wolverine V3 TE has two new issues of its own. For one, the rumble motors in this controller are rough. They rattle with a high-pitched whine and just don't feel good. It doesn't help that I had issues getting the Razer Controller Setup app to actually move beyond "0%" when connecting to this controller, preventing me from testing or adjusting the rumble intensity.

The one immutable advantage a wired controller should have is impeccable connectivity, too, but the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition doesn't quite achieve that. This cable isn't Razer's normal, high-quality braided affair, and feels cheap. Its connection is also loose, and on multiple occasions I experienced issues with the thumbstick inputs "freezing," in that my camera or movement would occasionally jerk in the last direction I inputted even after I had finished that input.

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Wolverine V3 TE review: Final thoughts

You should buy this if ...

✅You want a pro-grade controller without the pro-grade price

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, all of these controllers boast wireless connectivity and a heap of extra features, but they all cost well over $100. The Wolverine V3 TE retains 95% of the premium capabilities of its more expensive sibling, but sits just under that $100 mark at half the price of the Wolverine V3 Pro.

✅You'd actually prefer to have a cable

A wired connection means not having to worry about interference or keeping your battery charged, but it also often means compromising on features or quality. The Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition asks you to make far fewer compromises, being nearly identical to the Wolverine V3 Pro apart from lacking wireless connectivity.

You should not buy this if ...

❌You won't use those extra buttons

If you're considering the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition and don't believe you'll make full use of its six extra buttons or trigger stops, you can save a lot of cash with Xbox's official wireless controller or a wired alternative from a company like GameSir. This controller is priced well among its "esports" competitors, but it's still not a cheap controller.

With the conclusion of this review, I'll likely be returning to the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, and I will hardly notice a difference. Well, actually, I'll have to worry about keeping it charged or waiting for it to finally connect to my Xbox Series X.

That's all more praise heaped on the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition. It costs half as much as the Wolverine V3 Pro with the same great core controller experience and additional buttons, and that cable means it connects instantly and stays connected. When the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition costs $99.99 at Best Buy versus the $200 of its big sibling, that's a very tempting proposition. As a complete package, this controller easily outperforms the de facto default Xbox Wireless Controller.

However, the Wolverine V3 TE retains the design weaknesses of the Wolverine V3 Pro, the rumble motors feel noticeably downgraded, and Razer's decision to use a cheaper-feeling cable means you still might encounter some occasional connectivity issues. If it weren't for that final point, I'd be more forgiving, but I've died a few times in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 because brief lapses in connection disrupted my aim or movement, and that should never be the case with any controller aimed at competitive gamers.

Oh, did the designs of my Razer Wolverine V3 controllers catch your attention throughout this review? Razer was kind enough to send some of its exclusive skins to me to try out, and while they can be annoying to install due to how bafflingly thin they are, these are high-quality, attractive skins. If you're interested, you can get your own Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition or V3 Pro skin from $9.99 at Razer.

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