With Razer's Kishi controller, your phone becomes a Nintendo Switch.

With Razer's Kishi controller, your phone becomes a Nintendo Switch.

LAS VEGAS -- Razer, which has made a name for itself among PC gamers with its PCs and peripherals, is getting into mobile gaming as the field grows thanks to increasingly powerful cell phones. [The company already sells the Junglecat controller frame and the Raiju conventional controller for Android devices. But the new Razer Kishi, unveiled today (January 7) here at CES 2020, adds more features and finally allows iOS users to participate.

The Kishi folds down into a compact square with all the familiar controller buttons. Pressing the two release switches on the back opens the controller, allowing even the largest of cell phones to be inserted.

Razer promises compatibility with Android devices running Android Nougat 7.0 or later, or iPhone 6 or later. If your phone is less than 5 years old, it will most likely be supported.

Kishi's design should fit any phone and is a big improvement over Razer's previous mobile gaming controllers.

The Junglecat uses one of three fixed cases to hold the phone and only works perfectly with certain phones; the Raiju has an adjustable phone holder on top of the controller, but does not necessarily provide a balanced and comfortable experience.

Kishi takes the best of these designs and fuses them together; Kishi has an expandable back panel that connects the two halves of the controller, which clip to the top and bottom of the phone. This makes your phone look and feel like a funky black and green Nintendo Switch.

The controller is powered by the phone's battery, but Razer representatives say that power consumption is "negligible," so you don't have to worry about it suddenly turning off when you're connected to the Kishi.

If you don't want to interrupt your game in case you run out of power, there is a USB-C port for pass-through charging, so you can continue charging your phone while you play.

As mentioned above, this will be the first Razer mobile controller compatible with Apple phones, allowing users to fully enjoy the power of Apple's A-series CPUs and the variety of games offered by Apple Arcade.

Note, however, that the connector on the inside edge of the right controller is not interchangeable; when purchasing the Kishi, you must choose between the USB-C version or the Lightning version.

If you are looking for a Razer product that is useful for iPhone-based mobile gaming but not too big, you might be interested in the new Black Gold color of the Arctech Pro THS Edition cooling case.

Like other versions of this case, this new version comes with a "Thermaphene Performance Layer" inside to help cool the iPhone while playing games or doing anything that generates a lot of heat.

Whether it's the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max, this is a substantial, tactile case that protects your precious Apple device while providing just the right amount of flair and allowing wireless charging.

No price has been offered for the Kishi so far, and the release date is vague: "early 2020." However, if you are a mobile gamer who likes stylish Razer gaming peripherals, this may be exactly what you've been looking for, regardless of which OS you use.

Be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub for the latest announcements and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas.

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