The gamepad is the universal symbol for its parent console. Its also how the player interacts with his game. It also usually gets the blame when the player fails to nail that game winning headshot. Typically, after-market gamepads are souped up with better grips, extra and larger buttons and the infamous autofire but these just cover up the issues rather than resolve them. Today we’ll be looking at Razer’s venture on the console peripheral market with their Xbox 360 gamepad, the Razer Onza. Let’s make this showy and see if the Onza’s claws have what it takes to grip the game and dominate.

Razer first showed the Onza to a select few way back at CeBIT 2010 and it was a much anticipated product. Fast-forward a year later and we have what Razer deems the gaming controller with the competitive edge. As online gaming has taken the console out of the living room or garages and into the big stage of eSports, professional players have yearned for a much meaner gamepad. Razer answers that with what they call a highly customizable controller, the Razer Onza and its more well-endowed brother, the Onza Tournament Edition (TE). For today’s review, we have the Onza TE in the spotlight and we’ll take it through a nice round of heavy gaming.

Here’s a quick spec on the Onza Tournament Edition:

• 2 Adjustable resistance analog sticks
• 2 Multi-Function Buttons (MFB)
• 4 backlit Hyperesponse action buttons
• Precision D-Pad
• Non-slip rubber surface
• Quick release USB connector
• 15 foot, lightweight, braided fiber cable
• Approx. size in mm: 109(L) x 154(W) x 60.5(H)

PACKAGING

The Onza TE is presented in a box with a clear plastic housing showcasing the face of the gamepad. Classic Razer font stylings are present in the front with the XBOX360 certification logo present. Depending on which angle you view this, the Razer triple-headed snake logo on the gamepad would show which is a nice subtle touch of styling from Razer.

Turning the box around, we see a message from Razerguy. On the opposite side are the main features of the Onza TE.

On the back, we see the Onza TE boldly portrayed with its main features highlighted.

Beneath the packaging, are translations of the features in 10 languages along with a small box that says SAFETY STATEMENT. And no it doesn’t say the Onza will bite your enemies’ heads off… and also yours for that matter.

Time to take this baby out.

The usual Razer paperworks loadout is inside the packaging.

CLOSER LOOK

At first glance, the Onza looks like the black version of Microsoft’s stock 360 gamepad. A closer inspection will show that Razer has taken the stock design and gave it their personal touch. As stated earlier, the right side of the gamepad (where the ABXY buttons are) has the Razer triple-snake logo emblazoned on it. Similarly styled like the one on the Mamba, the logo doesn’t stand out much unless viewed in certain angles but still puts that extra swag in terms of looks in this gamepad. Compared to the original X360 controller, the face of the gamepad has sharper curves on the top leading to the shoulder buttons. The Back and Forward buttons have also been moved down below the D-pad and right thumbstick.

One of the main features of the Onza TE is its coated surface which increases grip. Feels good to hold and doesn’t have that sticky, dry feel than other coated or rubberized pads have. Another highlight of the Onza TE is its buttons which feature the same technology as the their gaming mice line. Also the fonts used for the ABXY are the Razer font.

Razer took out the rocker-type (as in movement, not the headbanging kind) D-pad and replaced it with a 4-button D-pad. This is a bit of a not-sure-if-want decision for some especially fighting game lovers who prefer the ease of motion and precision that a rocker or PS -type D-pad brings. I’m personally inclined to say that the decision to switch to such a design was for the majority of games that use the quick menu system via D-pad so a button-face would’ve made much more sense since the input would be more defined versus the default design which would tend to swing a bit.

Checking out the shoulders of the Onza TE, we see 2 pairs of shoulder buttons and a pair of triggers. The first 2 are the multi-function buttons which can be programmed on the fly giving superb flexibility to the Onza.

The Onza also features heightened and extended shoulder triggers for improved control.

Flipping the pad over we have another pair of buttons. These are the MFB program buttons and they are held down while you press the button you want to set to the corresponding MFB. I appreciate their well-thought out placement which allows the player to reach and hold them down during use without having to flip or fiddle with the pad. Might be a bit hard for peeps with smaller hands though.

The base of the controller sports a single audio jack. Also from this angle, you can see the one of the Onza TE’s primary, if not the deal-making feature, the adjustable tension rings on the thumbsticks.

The Onza TE’s thumbsticks separate itself from any other analog stick before it by featuring tension rings which allow the user to precisely control the amount of movement the sticks make. Yes, On-the-Fly DPI switching would be a correct analogy in this situation.

One other feature of the Onza TE is its light-up ABXY buttons which is a nice bonus. Another swag material you can flaunt during gaming sessions.

The Onza features 4.5M length cables, enough length to snake its way from the TV, across the floor and to the couch. The cable is standard Razer material, made from woven fiber. One thing I found non-standard though are the plugs. Contrary to Razer’s typical gold-plated approach, the 360 and USB plugs are pretty normal. Though not a big deal, some fans (and haters) would cry foul at this minor detail.

PERFORMANCE, COMFORT, RELIABILITY

We test out the Onza for a couple of days with a heavy barrage of games. And just to see how heavy that test was, check out our Toycon Back2Beatdown event. Hundreds of people passed by to play and boy did the Onza TE got a beating. Since the games in the event were fighting games, the Onza had a good mashing but looking at it right now its still looking pretty pristine.

For performance, the Onza TE is a high-performing gamepad. The ability to adjust the stick movement allows for great level of control without fiddling around the options menu to change sensitivity. Another plus factor is the highly responsive buttons. Every keypress is well actuated and there is no lag in between presses. These buttons will take a mashing and survive. The programmable shoulder buttons also add superb functionality points for the Onza giving it an impressive amount of flexibility of use. One thing about the MFBs is that you can’t program the other shoulder button to the opposite MFB. Say you want to program the Left shoulder button to the Right MFB, no you cannot, and vice versa. This is a bit of a letdown, even though minor, many players will benefit from this function. Another thing people will almost complain outright is that the Onza is wired. For us, it ain’t a bad thing but a majority of gamers now find wireless a requirement. As this is an enthusiast targeted gamepad, getting a dead battery during a match is a huge no-no so the decision to go wired is well-justified decision on Razer’s part. To drive the point further, going wireless would’ve easily soared the price of the Onza TE to 100$+ as it would require tech used on the Mamba, which as reviewed in the past, is arguably the best performing wireless mice out there and is also one of the most expensive at $130.

As for comfort, first impression anyone would say is that the Onza feels really solid and well-proportioned. Versus the stock 360 pad, the Onza has a more distinct feel to it. The coating adds to that by providing a nice texture to hold on to. The shoulder buttons and triggers are also well within reach and feels much more comfortable to press. The ABXY buttons have that distinct tactile feel which is so familiar if you’re a Razer mouse user and that is a nice feeling of control right there. Overall, the Onza just feels nice to hold though the shoulder corners might not appeal to those that have big hands or have different holding styles.

The Onza TE is certainly one tough gamepad being put through our event and barely had any wear on the gamepad considering the intensity the contestants played in. The thumbsticks had a bit of scratches after the event but a quick rub took that away and what you see above are the photos of the Onza after being put through a beatdown. Dropped, banged, mashed and pulled, the Onza made it through which shows that length of time between CeBIT 2010 and its release weren’t for nothing. Those guys at San Diego eeked every ounce of performance they can onto the Onza and they succeeded.

CONCLUSION

With its solid build and excellent performance, the Razer Onza Tournament Edition is one mean gamepad. Anyone looking for a high-performing gamepad and don’t care if its wireless, we highly recommend the Onza. Those looking to up their game and/or are pro-console players are advised to consider the Onza TE for their gamepad of choice.

Just being US$10 more than the stock X360 wired gamepad, we believe it is well worth that extra cash to have something as good as the Onza TE. Not being wireless, some might shy away from this gamepad but this ain’t your momma’s Wii and we ain’t in your living room. And no autofire, noob.

Razer has created a very impressive piece of hardware in the Onza TE. If you’re looking for an XBOX360 pad or a gamepad for the PC, this is your solution right here. An excellent replacement in the Onza and souped up version in the Onza TE, both are superior than their Microsoft counterpart in every way possible.