2023 was a year rich in game releases, particularly for one of the least represented genres: versus fighting. The biggest fighting game licenses spread the word and decided to release one after the other. Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat 1, Grand Blue Fantasy Versus Rising, and soon Tekken 8… let’s party. And for the most competitive players, what’s better than some high-end equipment to shine in online modes? This is what Razer is banking on with its Kitsune arcade pad, a real gem in its field.
With its Kitsune, Razer seeks to please fighting enthusiasts, players looking for performance, or curious people who want to play their favorite games with real comfort. For €349.99 in its standard version (€30 more for a custom one in the colors of Street Fighter 6), the Kitsune promises to offer excellent in-game sensations, a smooth hitting response, and therefore a gain overall performance at all levels. It’s then up to you to see if this is the kind of experience you’re looking for on PC or PS5 (the device is not PS4 compatible, but works on PS4 games that run on PS5)
The Razer Kitsune, a small pad among adults
If this is the case, we might as well say it straight away, the Razer Kitsune presents itself as a little essential. It is already its size that will be most striking here. We are far from the more classic and generally imposing arcade sticks. Here, removing the movement stick allows the Kitsune pad to greatly optimize its weight and size. The result is more than convincing with around 800 g on the scale, it’s a featherweight compared to certain other arcade pads. The Kitsune is also very compact, only 296mm (width) x 210mm (length) x 19.2mm (height).
Top-notch finish and precision
A large tablet in short which swaps the famous arcade stick that we generally see everywhere, for a fully mechanical system made of semi-optical buttons for more precise, responsive and comfortable typing. 12 main buttons for moving and hitting, plus additional keys and even a trackpad, above the main buttons, to complement what you find on a DualSense PS5 controller. If it is not very ergonomic to find the secondary buttons at the very top of the arcade pad, it is clearly not a bad thing. The interest here is above all to be able to gain flexibility and precision in play and in combat. And on that, the Razer Kitsune does the job.
The direction buttons under the left hand, the attack keys (in Vewlix positioning for those in the know) under the right hand. You transform into a pianist for a few rounds, but it works brilliantly, even if a little time of adaptation will be necessary for neophytes or those accustomed to the stick to get the hang of it.
The Razer Kitsune offers excellent handling, and in play, regardless of its level, the gain in precision and responsiveness is immediate. We can say what we want, it has been proven many times, entering commands (inputs) using buttons is more precise than with a stick, even for movement. Difficult to miss, even impossible unless you mix up your brushes obviously. In addition, it is faster to press direction keys than to move your stick from one direction to another. It may be a few milliseconds, but you can see the difference.
In play, it’s fire in addition to being comfortable
For the release of its Kitsune, Razer teamed up with Capcom and its Street Fighter 6. It is therefore naturally on the latter that I carried out the most tests, even if of course the Kitsune works with other hits like Mortal Kombat. The results, despite my low level, we are not going to lie, are very convincing. A simple round of training is enough to realize that we quickly chain together combos and that we can, for example, more easily be reactive on frame-by-frame actions, as they say, like an aerial dodge or a block for example. In terms of comfort, there’s no need to squirm there too. Not only are the plastics used high quality and pleasant to the touch, but as a bonus, the button presses are both lively and light in addition to being silent. Super pleasant and it responds of course to the fingers and the eye with almost non-existent latency. A great point for fighting games.
On the plus side of the house, the Kitsune has a small switch button allowing you to deactivate unnecessary buttons in combat. The few errors are therefore completely impossible and you can continue without being afraid of typing on the wrong side. Likewise, there is a locking system on the back to block the USB cable and thus avoid any accidental disconnection in case you are a little nervous on your pad. Still for the most nervous, know that the Kitsune has a gripping surface on its entire rear side, ensuring stability at all times once placed on your desk for example.
