It’s harder than ever to launch lavish controllers these days, as both Microsoft and Sony have their own options, namely the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and DualSense Edge. However, this has not stopped other controller manufacturers from trying, although they are rarely as good as the two mentioned options, but the fact is that Turtle Beach has succeeded very well with its new Stealth Ultra.
Before we get into what the controller has to offer, there’s one specific thing that makes this accessory stand out from the crowd, and that’s a color touch screen on the front (1.5 inches) that makes it possible to switch between different settings much easier than on any other similar controller I’ve had the pleasure of testing. We are talking about all possible settings that no longer need a separate app to be programmed, and you can easily turn things on and off, switch between profiles, change the RGB lighting and much more. The reason I wanted to bring this up right away is that this is a stroke of genius that I hope more companies will follow.
Unlike too many third-party controllers, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is wireless, albeit with a dongle that plugs into one of the USB ports on your Xbox Series S/X or PC. It feels slightly smaller and slimmer than a regular Xbox controller, and it’s surprisingly light. Despite a nice surface finish and good rubber grips, I find the Stealth Ultra to be a little more plasticky than the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. The design is otherwise very nice, and that is further enhanced by the RGB lighting around, and the ergonomics are probably the best I have tested for Xbox.
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The box comes with a case that you can also use to charge the controller, somewhat in the same way as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 solution. However, you can also remove the magnetic charging mount if you prefer not to open a zipper every time you want to charge the controller. In any case, it’s a nice addition, and for my own part, I prefer to store such precious things in a good way to avoid dust and the like. It also comes with alternative thumb grips, depending on how you prefer your analog sticks. However, it doesn’t come with any extra analog sticks at different heights, extra D-pads and the like – which I still think is a bit of a shame, as I prefer different options for these depending on the type of game.
According to Turtle Beach, the Stealth Ultra provides 30 hours of playtime on a single charge, which is obviously a lot, but it requires you to not fiddle with the RGB lighting, use the most powerful rumble function, and so on. I like not having to fiddle with the power saving settings when I’m gaming (when I’m not gaming – you should definitely save power), but I’m still very happy with the battery life, especially since the device also charges very quickly.
The button layout on the front of the controller is as usual, but with the addition of a button to activate the aforementioned touchscreen. However, the buttons that – due to old age – I still call Start/Select (the ones with two squares and three lines respectively) have been moved up a bit on the top of the controller, which took some getting used to, and I actually prefer the original the location.
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On the back we find four additional programmable buttons that also have Pro-Aim, a feature that was already available on the Turtle Beach Recon controller. This allows you to toggle between different settings for the analog stick and select a significantly lower sensitivity, which is great when shooting sniper rifles to make it more responsive and agile. There are also two sliders next to the trigger buttons that allow them to be locked and turned into digital buttons, which is standard on this type of controller.
All the buttons have a very good feel and the controller “clicks” (they all use micro switches) in a distinctive way that I feel gives good precision both when selecting weapons in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora or delivering a Shoryuken in Street Fighter 6. That that I can also play wired if I want is also a plus for those who hate lag, although Turtle Beach claims to have virtually eliminated all lag with its wireless transmission. The latter is difficult to measure for Xbox, but it is at least clear that it feels very fast even in games like Street Fighter II, where I dare say that timing is pure muscle memory for me. The only caveat I have is that I accidentally hit two of the bottom buttons by mistake more often than I do with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. That could be a matter of habit, though.
As you’ve probably already realized, I’m very happy with the Stealth Ultra. I can’t honestly say it’s better than Microsoft’s Elite version of the standard controller, but I can’t say it’s worse either. I also really like the included screen (which should also be able to show social media and things like WhatsApp while you play – but doesn’t seem to be up and running yet) which makes all the settings so much easier and faster than some time has been before. Not wanting external apps might be a luxury issue, but if you can avoid it, that’s preferable, right?
The Stealth Ultra costs €199.99 / £179.99, which is more than Microsoft’s alternative. In the latter, you get more replaceable parts, you don’t need a USB dongle and you get equivalent performance – but you don’t get the screen, the RGB lighting and the, in my opinion, slightly better ergonomics. Is it worth the difference? You’ll have to decide for yourself, but I don’t think anyone who puts money down for this behemoth will be disappointed, that’s for sure. The Stealth Ultra oozes luxury, sophistication and performance in such a way that I can’t help but give it a very high rating.
2023-12-23 11:05:55
#Turtle #Beach #Stealth #Ultra
