Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

The Razer Kishi will make mobile gamers feel like they have a Nintendo Switch

Gabe Gurwin
By
The Razer Kishi floating above Earth
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.

The biggest limitations for replicating the console experience in mobile gaming are control schemes, and accessory manufacturers have tried to address this with their own gamepads and adapters for years. Semi-successful as these are, they don’t provide the best form factor, and Razer has addressed this at CES 2020 with the Kishi, a control device that essentially turns your iOS or Android device into a Nintendo Switch.

Recommended Videos

Compatible through either USB-C or Apple’s Lightning port, the Razer Kishi controller is the next iteration on the design first introduced with the Razer Junglecat, but this time for a wider range of devices. Most games on both iOS and Android will be supported, and it’s cloud-compatible, meaning that it should work with Google Stadia. Razer has also partnered with GeForce Now as part of its Recommended program.

Related

The Razer Kishi features a similar button layout to the Xbox One controller, with offset analog sticks, a directional pad in the bottom-left corner, and four buttons. These buttons match the Xbox layout, as well, but their colors have been swapped in a move that can only be the work of a Chaotic Evil designer. The analog sticks can also be clicked, providing two more input sources for use in more complicated games.

You will still be able to charge your device while playing the Razer Kishi, making it a great choice for playing something like Fortnite while someone else uses the television at home. It’s compatible with iOS phones going back to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and with Android devices going back to the Samsung Galaxy S8, provided that they are running Android 7.0 Nougat or up. The Kishi has been designed in partnership with Gamevice to ensure it will fit the majority of phones.

The Kishi isn’t the only Switch-like product we’ve seen at CES 2020. Alienware also demonstrated its UFO, a PC with a similar form factor, including a kickstand that can be used to keep it upright, which comes with two detachable controllers. It can also be docked into your PC, giving you the ability to play with a more traditional PC mouse-and-keyboard control scheme when you’re back home.

Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
When does Hogwarts Legacy come out on Nintendo Switch?
A student waving a wand in Hogwarts Legacy.

Hogwarts Legacy is the latest and greatest adventure in the magical Harry Potter universe. Set in the 1800s, the story focuses on a generic fifth-year student who’s tasked with taking down a brewing Goblin rebellion in-between their school duties. For Potterheads of all ages, a game that allows them to traverse the halls of Hogwarts, learn their favorite spells from the books and films, and fight enemies like dark wizards, trolls, and dragons is an absolute dream.

The game launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in February. While reviews were mixed across the board, longtime fans jumped into the wizarding world in droves — over 15 million copies of the game have been sold to date. Unfortunately, players on the top-tier consoles were the only ones who had access to the game for a while. Instead of launching on all platforms simultaneously, Hogwarts Legacy's release has been staggered.

Read more
The best games on Nintendo Switch Online
Ness from Earthbound.

Each major gaming platform has its own subscription service, giving players added bonuses such as access to certain games and other perks for a monthly fee. Xbox has Game Pass, PlayStation has PlayStation Plus, and Nintendo Switch offers the Nintendo Switch Online program.

While Nintendo's service isn't on the same level as the other two across PlayStation and Xbox, it does give subscribers access to some of the best retro games of all time -- and even more if you have the Expansion Pack upgrade, which includes N64, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance games, along with DLC packs for certain Switch titles. Included with the basic version of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription is the ability to play online, plus access to NES and SNES games.

Read more
What games will Nintendo Switch 2 launch with? We have some ideas
Mario and friends zip through a race course in Mario Kart 8.

We’re officially on “new console watch.” Reports from credible publications like Eurogamer say that Nintendo secretly showed developers its next system behind closed doors at this year’s Gamescom. While it’s only a rumor, it’s a realistic one. We’re six years into the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan and even the longest-running consoles turn over at eight. If Nintendo’s next system is one or two years away, it’s time to start lining up support from third-party developers.

We’ve speculated on features we’d want in a new system before, but the reality of a new platform has me asking another question: What games would you launch with something like this? The Nintendo Switch’s launch day was crucial to its long-term success thanks to a bonafide classic in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While the rest of its launch lineup wasn’t as impressive, Nintendo capitalized fairly quickly with titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2. If Nintendo’s going to push Switch owners over to a new system, it’ll have to roll out the big guns.

Read more