Razer Kitsune Leverless Arcade Stick Review

The popularity of Street Fighter 6 is remarkable.
Sales of Street Fighter 6 have apparently increased further due to the recent CR Cup.
Arcade sticks and pads for fighting games are sold out across the board on various online shopping sites.
Meanwhile, Razer's leverless arcade stick, Kitsune, was announced and sold out instantly at the pre-order stage!

This time I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Kitsune, so I would like to do a product review right away.

What is a leverless arcade stick?

As the name suggests, this is an arcade stick that does not have a lever, and instead uses buttons for movement and commands.
We previously made MadCatz's arcade stick leverless at Akihabara Base Camp, so if you're interested, please take a look at that as well.

New arcade stick MadCatzT.E.3 modified to be leverless

When you think of fighting games, you think of lever controls!
This revolutionary product overturns conventional wisdom.
Until a few years ago, there were very few players using leverless types, but now many players are using them.

The reason is that depending on the character you use, there are clear benefits, but as the competitive scene has grown stronger, it has emerged as a candidate for choosing a device to "win."
Of course, lever-type handles are still popular, and there are people who prefer to use them, so it's not like lever handles are at a disadvantage or anything like that.

https://akihabara-bc.jp/2023-kakuge-device/

What is Razer Kitsune?

Razer has been developing arcade sticks since the days of the PS3 and XBOX360, and is also a well-known company worldwide for its other gaming devices.
Razer will release its latest arcade stick on September 29, 2023.
Perhaps in response to the recent leverless boom, Razer has released the officially licensed "Razer Kitsune" from Sony.
As of October 1st, when this article was written, it is basically difficult to obtain in any store.
Even at the Razer Store in Akihabara, the flagship store for Razer devices, there are only exhibits available for trial play.
I can only say that I was really lucky to get it.

Razer Kitsune Unboxing

As an Akihabara base camp, we want to complete everything within Akihabara!
So, I went to the Razer Store located inside the "TSUKUMO ex" store in Akihabara.

Victory comes after successfully surviving the pre-order battle. Thank you, TSUKUMO!

Let's get started by unpacking the Razer Kitsune.
First, the surface of the outer box.
Kitsune is quite thin and small, so the box isn't that big.
It might even take up less space than the keyboard box...

This is the back side.
The top and buttons are removable.

The outer box is covered with a sticker.
It can be opened without using a cutter or anything, but personally I don't like this type of seal.
How can I put it... doesn't it seem a bit lame?

The cosmetic box has a very luxurious feel.
When you open the box, you'll see the main unit. It comes straight out without an inner box.
The matte aluminum finish is amazing.

This is what it looks like when you take it out of the box.
An accessory box made from recycled paper is also included.

What's in the Razer Kitusne box?

Next, let's look at what's included.
Type-C to A cable for connection, with Razer logo.
Instructions and the usual stickers.
This is the one that comes with CHOMA compatible products. The Razer logo is a prism sticker.

Let's remove the terminal cover from the cable and take a look.
Razer's cable terminals are famous for being colored green, the company's personal color.
Of course, this time it has been green processed.

Also, I was only able to use dedicated cables for keyboards and mice, but what about this time?
I'll check it later.

Razer Kitsune body check

Next, we will check the main body.
There are four main buttons for movement and eight for attack.
At the top are the PS button, options button, create button, and touchpad.
It's the same layout as the standard officially licensed products.

The main buttons are low-profile versions of the optical switches used in Razer keyboards.
While a normal switch responds by mechanically clicking on, an optical switch responds by turning light on and off.
For further information, please read Razer's official website.

By the way, this is the low profile model used in the RAZER DEATHSTALKER series.

By using such a low profile switch, the device can be made thinner.
In addition, by using a light sensor, we have been able to create an arcade controller that is not affected by mechanical failure of the switch and is highly responsive.

A locking mechanism is used to attach and detach the cable.

By locking the cable after connecting it, you can prevent it from coming loose during a match.

Apparently, you can use cables other than the original ones as long as the size around the terminal is below a certain level.
This is the cable that came with the JBL microphone, and it connects without any problems.

However, if you use a cable other than the original one, you may not be able to fully utilize the locking mechanism's performance, so please try to use the cable included with Kitsune whenever possible.
It will be interesting to see if they will sell the cable separately in the future.

Of course, it also supports writing.
Simply connect it to your PS5 or PC to start enjoying gaming-style lighting.

The lighting can be changed using only the main unit, and the lighting pattern and speed can be changed each time.

Finally, here's an image showing how thin the Kitsune itself is.

Incredibly portable, measuring just 2cm in height and weighing 800g.
It's easy to take to tournaments and events.

Razer Synapse 3...

Unfortunately, it wasn't compatible with Razer Synapse 3.
This may be due to the fact that it has an official Sony license.
PC-based devices often allow you to add button mapping and macro functions, so is this a compromise?
However, there is a possibility that this will be supported in the future, so it seems like it will be possible to customize various things when using a PC.
I wonder if the fact that the device itself is equipped with lighting patterns is also a factor?

Highly recommended for those who use the default layout

A new rule has been added to the CPT rules: "Up to 11 attack buttons are allowed."
As a result, custom arcade sticks with more buttons have become popular, but this is an arcade stick that we highly recommend for people who are fine with a standard 8-button attack arcade stick.
Thin and lightweight, equipped with optional buttons, and allows for high-speed input using Razer's unique switches.
Kitsune has unique strengths that other arcade sticks don't have, making it an arcade stick with one of a kind features.
Also, the fact that there are no other leverless options for the PS5 that are officially licensed by Sony means that Kitsune is likely to dominate the market.
The price is a bit high, but the performance is definitely worth it, so if you find it, you should be prepared to buy it straight away.