It was back at Tokyo Game Show 2010 when we got our first look at the Razer Onza Tournament Edition (TE). With the little time we had with it, we were already able to get a basic and quite positive feel of the controller. Unfortunately, the limited time we spent with it left many questions unanswered. Today, however, we have the final version of the Onza TE and we have had ample time to evaluate it.
Specifications
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Unboxing
The Razer Onza TE came packaged like a collectable. The majority of the box is constructed out of matte black cardboard and adequately showcases the Onza’s key features. Specifically, the front of the box has been replaced with clear plastic displaying the top surface of the controller.
Inside the box we find the controller as well as an USB adapter cable, a black envelope with a manual, warranty information, the Razer guarantee and a pair of Razer stickers. A CD with drivers is not included as the Onza TE uses the same drivers as Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller for PC which are available online.
Build, Design and Comfort
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Build
Right from the get go we felt that the Razer Onza TE was truly well-built including, among others, a nearly undetectable seam. No doubt, if you are looking for it you will find it, but the seam is tight enough to be considered basically non-existent. Moreover, there is no rattling, no flex, and no sounds from the controller apart from the satisfying clicking of the buttons.
In fact we felt comfortable enough with the build quality to put it to the test. We got our strongest staff member to twist the controller as well as to lightly step on it. Though, we do not recommend doing this – evidently results will vary –, but in our case the Onza TE faired remarkably well. It held its ground showing no sign of abuse after the test.
Design
The Razer Onza TE has seen its share of changes since its original appearance back in early 2010. One of the few things that did remain, however, was the design of its body. Keeping in tune with Razer’s typical product design the Onza TE consists of prominent curves and aggressive styling while retaining the general shape of an Xbox 360 controller.
There are hints of Razer’s design all over the controller but among the most obvious is the front area of the controller. Basically, the front of the controller appears similar to the left and right buttons of the Razer Mamba – at least if looked at from the top.
Besides, taking a closer look at other parts of the Onza TE, we found that the center area between the grips appears larger than on most other controllers. This is caused by the area being flatter and the edges beveled rather than curved.
One thing that the Onza TE does not come with is “typical gaming lights” which are a common feature on many of Razer’s input devices. As some of you may remember, the original Onza concept had a green glowing band around the middle seam of the controller, the final product, on the other hand, only comes with a lit up Xbox logo and ABXY buttons. In our eyes, this is a great compromise. Simply speaking, Razer has been conservative with its use of lights on the Onza TE ensuring that the lights are not overdone potentially enough to attract both the light-fanatics and the light-skeptics among PC gamers.
Comfort
Turning from design to comfort we were more than positively surprised. One of the most common complaints with some of the more popular gaming controllers for PC is the weight. For 20 or 30 minutes the controller is fine but then we find our wrists sore and our hands sweaty. The controller drops down and rests on the table, frequently, negatively affecting our gaming performance. The Onza TE, however, is surprisingly light. From our estimates it may be a third lighter than the Xbox 360 controller for PC. That is an impressive feat by Razer.
Besides, aiding the battle against fatigue are the rubberized coating and the smart curvature of the controller. Similar to the coating on Razer’s mice, the coat of the Razer Onza TE keeps your hands cooler while providing you with a better grip. Though, we would like to add that the amount of grip added seemed too little to us, especially compared to Razer’s other coated products. To improve the Razer Onza TE even more it would be great to see this feature improved.
Aside from the light weight and rubberized coating, the final touch of comfort comes from the prominent curves of the controller. The contour of the curves fit both large and small hands alike while providing a soft but steady grip. One area that caught our eye in particular was the area behind the trigger. The dip of the Onza behind the trigger is deeper than we expected creating a better grip to the handles of the controller.
Buttons and Layout
Razer often uses the phrase "for gamers by gamers" and the Onza TE may be an example of them putting this phrase to work. Throughout the development of the controller Razer worked alongside gamers to get their input on the device. Further, they have looked at the complaints of gamers regarding other controllers, specifically the Xbox 360 controller. The result of this cooperation is unmatched, at least in the gaming controller market and from our perspective.
ABXY Buttons
The ABXY buttons are standard on any controller that is based on the design of an Xbox 360 controller the Onza included. As already noted, Razer has fitted the Tournament Edition’s ABXY buttons with backlighting, though this is by no means the greatest feature added to the ABXY buttons by Razer. Outstanding are, above all, the "hyperesponse action buttons".
Controllers such as the Xbox 360 controller for PC use rubber membrane switches; however, Razer has opted mechanical switches for the buttons. The mechanical switches make the buttons significantly more responsive and resemble the click of a mouse. Basically, each button does not have to be pushed as deep to actuate and makes rapid clicking easy and effective.
Start and Back Buttons
When compared to other Xbox controllers from Microsoft and Madcatz the start and back buttons of the Razer Onza TE have been relocated to the area beneath the Dpad and the right joystick. At first we were puzzled by this idea but we soon came to realize that it was a beneficial move.
To put it shortly, the "new" location of the buttons allows you to reach over with your thumb and press them. At their "default" location on either side of the Xbox button you were required to loosen your grip on the controller and partially let go of it. This may not be a major inconvenience but Razer’s solution can still make a difference because a steady grip on the controller is, in the very end, what matters most.
The Dpad
The Dpad on the Razer Onza is one of the primary examples of how Razer implemented its slogan of "for gamers by gamers." Among the most common complaints regarding the traditional Xbox 360 controller has always been that the Dpad was designed as a circle that can be pushed down in four directions leading to a low accuracy rate. For example, from our experience when clicking left or right on the Dpad of a traditional Xbox 360 controller didn’t mean that it would actually follow the command. Instead it would often read the input as up or down.
Razer’s approach was to this problem was simple and genius alike: they split the circular Dpad into four separate buttons making the Dpad far more accurate Though, while this is a pretty major upgrade, it will unlikely satisfy those gamers who plan to use the pad for fighting games because even this improvement does not come to par with Nintendo’s Dpad design.
Joysticks
Regardless of what you are using the controller for, if you’re racing, shooting or browsing through the menu, the joy sticks are indispensible. The joysticks are literally the arms and legs of the controller and Razer has made these virtual arms and legs adjustable with resistance knobs which allow you to tweak the tension of the joysticks to your preference.
Adjustment is as simple as turning the knobs on each joy stick clock wise to tighten it and counter clockwise to loosen it. Additionally, Razer has increased the height of the joysticks improving their precision. While these slight tweaks may appear gimmicky, they can mean the difference of a few seconds in lap times or a more accurate shot.
Having extensively tested the controller with two dozen PC games and half a dozen genres over a period of a couple months, we have a few examples of where this feature showed its value. In racing games such as NFS Shift 2 and Dirt 3 we were able to drop three seconds or more on lap times with specific cars by tightening the joy stick to prevent oversteering. On the other hand, by leaving it loose in Borderlands, we were able to turn and aim quicker as well as to handle recoil more easily.
Triggers, Bumpers and Multi-Functional Buttons (MFB)
The front of the Onza is where we see some of the biggest changes compared to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller for PC and other controllers. The triggers have been tweaked with soft springs allowing for better actuation control. In racing games this means that you have more control over the throttle and braking. With shooting games firing semi automatic weapons doesn’t require the trigger to be fully depressed to fire which makes shooting multiple rounds quicker.
The bumpers are right above the triggers and are a tad smaller than one would expect. This is to facilitate the multi-functional buttons (MFB) which were again adjusted “for gamers by gamers.” One of the most popular mods behind the Xbox 360 controller was the "rapid fire mod", and Razer has taken this hint to integrate the feature from the beginning.
Besides, any non directional button can be programmed to the MFB’s by holding down a button on the bottom of the Onza TE and pressing the button you would like to have it react as. There is also a light up panel at the Onza’s bottom which indicates which button is assigned to either MFB. If you decide to use the MFB for an ABXY button this means you could throw a grenade or reload without ever having to take your thumb off the joystick.
Ports, Drivers and Cables
Last but not least, it is worth mentioning some more on the Onza’s ports, drivers and cables. As already noted above, the Razer Onza and Onza TE use standard Xbox 360 controller for PC drivers which are available from Microsoft’s site. This is likely due to Microsoft licensing which is probably also the reason why the Onza hasn’t gone wireless yet. To make up for this Razer has fixed the Onza with a 15 foot braided cable! This is over double the length of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Controller for PC!
Conclusion
Being the first console oriented product from Razer the Onza and Onza TE will set Razer’s position in the console market and, from our perspective, they have put themselves into a good starting position. Essentially, Razer has managed to meet most of the requirements to build the next evolution in controller gaming.
The Onza TE is a well-built and merges comfort and performance almost perfectly. Upgrading aspects such as tension adjustable joysticks, mechanical and back lit ABXY buttons, MFBs and a split Dpad for both comfort and performance is not an easy feat to reach and Razer has clearly put some effort into achieving these improvements…
For this reason, the Razer Onza TE has earned our Editors Choice award as well. There is no question that we would recommend this controller over similar products and for serious gamers we would even suggest replacing your current controller with the Onza TE.
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