Razer Junglecat brings Switch-style controls to mobile gaming

Today Razer is launching its latest game controller, known as the Razer Junglecat. While previous Razer gamepads have been designed for PC, Xbox or PlayStation use, the Junglecat is made for smartphones instead, with one half of a controller attached to either side of the device with a nice big view of your display in the middle. 

The immediate comparison that springs to mind here is the Nintendo Switch, although it is worth noting that this isn't the first time that Razer has experimented with dual-sided controllers on a portable device. Previously, Razer used dual-sided controllers on the Edge gaming tablet, which was formerly known as Project Fiona. Thankfully though, the controller design has improved since then, shrinking it all down into something pocket friendly.

The Razer Junglecat comes with a smartphone case that wraps around the phone and provides a place to attach the controllers. The controller ships with a number of different case options to ensure compatibility with several of the most popular Android phones. Of course, the Razer Phone 2 gets a compatible case, as does the Samsung Galaxy S10+. Outside of the US, the controller ships with a case for the Huawei P30 Pro, while the US version swaps that out with a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 case.

Once your controllers are attached to your phone, they connect via a Low Energy Bluetooth connection, which requires Android 7.0 or higher to use effectively. If you want to prop your phone up on a kickstand and sit back with a more traditional gamepad, then Razer also includes a grip that both sides can slide on to and be used as a normal, all-in-one controller, albeit with a smaller, squarer shape.

When you need to charge up the controllers, you can plug them in with a USB-C cable, although according to Razer you won't need that cable very often, as the Junglecat controllers are rated for over 100 hours of battery life.

Finally, there is also a Razer Gamepad app for Android, which will let you re-bind your various controller inputs, or adjust in-game thumbstick sensitivity. The app also has a library of controller compatible games ready to be played, so you won't need to endlessly scroll through the Google Play Store in search of new games to play with your fancy new controller.

The Razer Junglecat is available immediately through the Razer Store across the US, UK and Europe. Pricing sits at $99.99/£99.99/€119.99 respectively.

KitGuru Says: The Razer Junglecat is on the pricey side but the Switch-like design is quite appealing and with cloud gaming services set to make a push over 2020, something like this should end up being very useful to dedicated mobile gamers in addition to PC/console players looking to take their games on the go with them. What do you all think of the Razer Junglecat? Is it something you could see yourself using for playing games on the move? 

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