Razer Kishi Mobile Controllers Prepare For A Cloud Gaming Future

With services like Google Stadia, GeForce NOW, and Project xCloud comes the promise of playing console or PC-quality games on a variety of devices that wouldn't normally be able to run them, particularly mobile devices. While there are a number of gamepads out there that are compatible with phones thanks to Bluetooth, there aren't a ton that are made specifically for mobile. Enter the Razer Kishi, which will come in configurations for iPhone and Android and turns your phone into something resembling a Nintendo Switch.

The Razer Kishi is actually a controller split in two. Like Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, the Kishi attaches to both ends of your phone. We already saw this kind of bookend design in the Razer Junglecat, which was announced back in October 2019.

The difference between the Junglecat and the Kishi is that the Junglecat was made primarily for the Razer Phone 2, with additional support for the Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S10+. The Kishi, on the other hand, is more of a universal controller. The Kishi will be available in two different models – one with USB-C connector and another with a Lightning connector – and has a rather long list of compatible devices. Check out all of the phones the Kishi supports below.

Android smartphones: Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+/S9/S9+/S10e/S10/S10+/Note 8/Note 9/Note 10/Note 10+, Google Pixel 2/2 XL/3/3XL/4/4XL, and other Android 7.0 Nougat or higher devices
iOS Smartphones: iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max, iPhone XR/XS/XS Max, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPhone 6/6 Plus

Razer promises "ultra-low latency native and cloud game control" with these controllers, which also feature pass-through ports so you can charge your device as you play. The controllers should work with "most" Android and iOS games that support controllers, along with games you stream from the cloud through services like Stadia or GeForce NOW.

For now, specific details on pricing and release aren't available. Razer says that the controllers will be available for both Android and iOS in early 2020, but that's as specific as the company was today. We'll keep an eye out for more details on the Razer Kishi, so stay tuned for that.