Sep 22, 2011

The Razer Onza Tournament Edition

Any nerd that has poured their heart and hard earned cash into a badass one-of-a-kind PC gaming rig knows the name Razer. Over the past decade the Razer name has become synonymous with fast twitch, dpi, sleek styling and quality. With the rise in popularity of competitive console gaming, many have wondered when one of the biggest names in gaming peripherals was going to bring their particular talents to Xbox 360, and now they finally have. Razer (whose designs were some of the first ever targeted specifically to the competitive gamer), has set their sights directly on OUR primary gaming platform.

The Feel

Razer puts the Approx. size in mm: at 109(L) x 154 (W) x 60.5 (H)

Ok…what the hell does that mean? Basically, it feels and holds exactly like your normal Xbox 360 Controller. The difference is, that without the bulky rechargeable battery (more on that later) the Razer is significantly lighter than the stock 360 controller. In fact, to me, it’s exactly the right amount of weight; light enough to be a noticeable difference in the hand, not so light as to feel cheap or toy like. The finish includes a “non-slip rubber surface”, which is a really nice touch. It’s one of those detail features that is not even noticeable when you first play with the Onza, but speaks (sweaty) volumes in its absence when playing with another controller.

The main downside to the Onza’s feel is the chord. The worst part of this whole situation is I can’t even fault Razer for this. Microsoft will not release its proprietary wireless technology to any peripheral companies. They call it a “quality control issue”, I call it preferring to keep the monetary advantage of being the only company that can sell wireless controllers for twice the price that others could do it at. The cord is 15 feet, nice and long. It is wrapped in an extremely durable nylon weave; which has the advantage of protecting against damage from pet attacks and errant trampling. In addition, the nylon weave decreases tangling and kinking. It is, of course, equipped with a quick release USB connector the handy tech perfected during the first Xbox era so that if someone yanks in excitement or trips over a cord the whole system doesn’t come crashing down on you.

I have to hand it to them at least Razer has tried to make the best out a bad situation. However, (and maybe it’s my mind playing with me) in certain situations I can really perceive the pull of the cord weight on the front of my controller, which is not helped by that heavy nylon. I’m getting used to it, and I perceive it less and less, but if you’re extra sensitive to those things beware.

Precision D-Pad

It’s clear that this D-pad has only one purpose, and that is not to play fighting games. Some people may not like the change from the rocker to a mash style D-pad. I’ll admit, at first, I really didn’t understand the change. Then I realized this was not meant for complicated movements, it was meant to give precise orders. The buttons are curved inwards so as to catch the thumb, and help prevent slips. They have gaps in between so that it’s quickly and easily discernable which direction is which. They are big and blocky which present a nice big target. So, with the Onza you can be sure that you are either laying down claymores or calling in airstrikes, the first time, every time.

4 Backlit Hyper responsive action buttons

On a kick ass gaming keyboard I understand, but backlighting buttons has no functional purpose on an Xbox 360 controller…other than to look cool as hell. I mean, there are 4 options…4. All of us are old enough to have grown up knowing button placement on controllers better than we know our own situations (if you know what I mean). Nonetheless, the Y, X, B, and A buttons on the Razer Onza are backlit, and if you care about that kind of thing (Gammon), do look cool as hell.

Really though it’s the design of the buttons that are the Onza’s best improvement over a stock Xbox 360 controller. Do me a favor go get your stock Xbox 360 controller right now, I’ll wait………….ok, I can see some of you got bored and decided to look up porn instead, but for the few of you that are still here let’s try an experiment. Press up and down a couple of times on one of the buttons. What does it feel like? How does it sound? For me I get a thunk, a kind of springy resistance, and it sort of pops back into place. The Razer Onza’s buttons do none of that. They click instead of thunk, there is no resistance, no effort, they just….activate. Also, it may just be my mind here, but I would swear things get done just a split second faster. It’s like driving the Ferarri of controller buttons. Hyper responsive doesn’t begin to describe them they are a thing of beauty.

2 Multi-function buttons

Razer has taken a cue from the Dual Shock and is allowing the end user to reap the benefits. The Onza’s bumpers buttons are split into two meaning that you have a total of four. One of them works like normal and the other can be assigned as any of the  following buttons: A, B, X, Y, Left/Right Stick Click, R/L Trigger, Back, or Start. Leading to some interesting possibilities. For me I have  the reload function on the right one and the jump on the Left. Meaning I don’t have to take my hands off the sticks to reload or jump.

Two Adjustable Resistance analog sticks

The very first thing I wan’t to say about these things is that they are brilliant, and frankly a game changer in my opinion. From a technical standpoint what it does is allow the user to increase or decrease the amount of effort it takes to push the sticks in any direction. What it does from a gaming standpoint is nothing short of a miracle, particularly if you are into FPS or Racing Games. It allows you to fine tune your aiming/steering. Think of it this way, let’s say your sensitivity is at 10 (which is an arbitrary number anyway). Turning the stick down, which increases the tension, would be like making it into a 9.9, 9.8, 9.7 with each click. It cuts down on over steering, helps you stay on target better, and now I can’t imagine playing without it.

So is this thing perfect or what?

Well not so fast cowboy, every silver lining has a cloud, right? The first thing on the Onza that isn’t necessarily an upgrade are the L/R triggers. The triggers themselves are less springy, and have a smoother pull to them. It’s just that the triggers have been designed to protrude further outward and upward. In theory, I suppose, this was to make them easier to grip. In practice it caused my fingers to want to live more toward the tops of the triggers. Therefore, the bottom of my index fingers are sitting dangerously close to the L/R bumpers. I have on several occasions (when meaning to pull the trigger) fired off a grenade, which is never good in the heat of battle.

Lastly, something has to be said about the questionable quality and durability of the product. Over the past decade Razer’s build quality has taken on an air of impeccability, but I’m guessing gaming controllers are an entirely different species from a mouse. Let’s just say there have been some complaints…ok, alot of complaints, aaaaannnd by a lot I mean a metric ton. Nothing has broken on my controller yet, but the store I was at their test unit was broken in several different ways. People online and in our clan are saying they are on 4-5th refurbs. Here’s the kicker…it’s not just one issue. I mean, if it were one issue that would be one thing. “Sorry folks it’s a known issue, we are working to fix it, Razer appreciates your business and apologizes for any inconvenience this might have caused.” Complaints for this product are all over the board: this won’t click, that doesn’t clack, this zigs when it should have zagged. You name it and the Onza seems to be afflicted by it. On the plus side, the majority of complaints are with the product, not Razer customer service. As the review dates get more recent, people are reporting less problems. Perhaps, Razer is endeavoring to work on it, however, buyer certainly beware.

Final Thoughts

Frankly, the Razer Onza is a dream to play with. I love it. I will be sad if (read: when) it breaks.

So…to buy or not to buy? That is the question.

The Razer Onza is priced at 49.99. Let’s say you are standing in the store right now. You absolutely need to buy a new Xbox controller right this very second. At this price point, it’s hard to argue that you shouldn’t buy a controller that is an amazing and immediate upgrade on a stock Xbox 360 controller in (almost) every way possible, …oooother than the fact that you might be right back at this same store in the near future. Just make sure you buy the extended warranty.

The gaming industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, projected to someday overtake the movie industry in sales and scope. The gaming console market currently represents a majority share in that industry. Razer will be doing this again; it is in their interest to do this again. Eventually, they will get it right; it’s in their interest to get it right. So it looks like my final recommendation on this one (unless you need one right now) is to again wait for the inevitable and improved next iteration.

(Without the product reliability issues) The Razer Onza Tournament Edition receives 8.5 Sauceomes out of 10