Xbox house owners have not had many wi-fi controller choices within the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One eras. Microsoft’s wi-fi protocol has largely been restricted to standard first-party controller and excessive-finish Elite Series 2. Nice third-social gathering wired controllers exist for Xbox, however we’re solely now beginning to see formally licensed wi-fi controllers from producers exterior of Microsoft. PowerA released a solid mid-range Xbox controller earlier this 12 months, and now Turtle Beach has joined the social gathering with the formally licensed Stealth Ultra, a premium different to the Elite Series 2. Turtle Beach’s Stealth Ultra is costly at $200, nevertheless it’s an unimaginable controller that is value your consideration.
The Stealth Ultra retains the standard Xbox controller structure. Although it does not have the identical heft to it because the Elite Series 2, it has very good ergonomics with textured grips and a premium end. So far as inputs go, I truly choose the Stealth Ultra to the Elite Series 2, which was a shock for the reason that Elite Series 2 has lengthy been my favourite controller. Buttons, triggers, and sticks are a minimize above their Elite Series 2 counterparts (and most controllers usually).
Face, shoulder, and rear buttons, in addition to the D-pad, are all activated by way of microswitches. This reduces actuation distance, supplies close to-immediate suggestions, and produces a satisfying click on corresponding to urgent a gaming mouse. Along with providing a better stage of precision, the microswitch buttons merely really feel nice. Turtle Beach will not be the primary producer to implement microswitches into its controller; Razer’s Wolverine line for Xbox and PS5 presents microswitch inputs, too. When you’ve ever tried the Wolverine, the Stealth Ultra feels fairly comparable. When you’re new to microswitch inputs, you are in for a deal with.
There are 4 remappable again buttons constructed into the controller. These textured motion buttons are situated the place your fingers are inclined to naturally relaxation, making them simply accessible. Again buttons and paddles are usually the primary function you count on with a aggressive controller, they usually do not disappoint right here. Microswitches are as soon as once more utilized to scale back enter response time.
The one-piece, stable design of the Stealth Ultra’s D-pad seems to be peculiar at first look, however my skepticism disappeared after spending a while with it. The recessed middle is intelligent, permitting you to rapidly pivot your thumb in any path to register actions. Up, down, left, and proper inputs are raised increased than diagonal instructions that require urgent in two instructions. It is pretty just like the default D-pad that comes with the Elite Series 2, with the principle distinction being the microswitches that provide elevated velocity.
We have seen an uptick of controller producers combatting stick drift by utilizing Corridor Impact sensors. Not like regular analog sticks, Corridor Impact sticks do not depend on parts rubbing towards one another to register actions. As a substitute, Corridor Impact sticks use magnets to perform the identical job. This makes the controller, in principle, proof against pesky stick drift. I can not converse on the longevity of the Stealth Ultra’s sticks but, however they really feel glorious, and Turtle Beach is clearly fairly assured in them–the phrase “antidrift” is emblazoned below every stick. Like different Turtle Beach merchandise, the Stealth Ultra comes with a one-12 months producer’s guarantee.
Not like many different premium controllers, the Stealth Ultra does not have swappable elements. Bodily customization options are restricted to set off locks and two pairs of rubber caps that wrap across the default sticks. There is a pair of concave caps and textured dome caps. The primary profit of those is that they successfully make the sticks bigger, in order that they may very well be helpful for these with bigger fingers (the default analog stick toppers are the identical dimension as the primary-social gathering Xbox controller). However you will not discover assist for swappable D-pads or modules right here. Contemplating all the controls are exemplary already, the shortage of swappable elements does not really feel like a significant loss–especially when there’s a lot to like with the interior customization.
I saved this half for final as a result of if the core expertise with a $200 controller is something wanting superb, it does not actually matter that it has a constructed-in show that can be utilized to tinker with all kinds of settings. However the Stealth Ultra, as a pure controller, is certainly very good, so its novel function solely enhances an already nice gadget.
You’ll be able to consider the small show as constructed-in customization software program. Whereas the Elite Series 2, 8BitDo Ultimate, Razer Wolverine V2, and different professional-fashion controllers require a proprietary app to make in-depth changes, the Stealth Ultra enables you to customise your expertise on the fly. With the press of the “+” button, you may swap from controlling the motion in your TV to tinkering with settings on the small colour display, dubbed the Related Command Show.
Gallery
Turtle Beach gave gamers rather a lot to work with right here. For starters, you may cycle via 10 totally different profiles–a lot greater than the same old three for these kinds of controllers. Inside every profile, you may remap the 4 again buttons on the fly, create lifeless zones for sticks and triggers, regulate vibration depth on left and/or proper sides, and modify lighting colour and results. You’ll be able to remap the again buttons to most inputs, with one notable omission being RS and LS clicks. Since many video games use a stick press to provoke a run, it is at all times good to map a again button to that motion as a substitute.
The Stealth Ultra has RGB gentle strips on the handles. My fingers blocked a portion of the sunshine strip whereas enjoying, however the lights have been seen subsequent to the face buttons and left stick. Together with a large assortment of hues, the sunshine strips can pulsate, cycle via a number of colours, breathe, and so forth. Plus, you may regulate the depth of the results. Gradient colour settings did not seem to work typically on my controller, however total the lighting options are fairly cool. Don’t fret, though–you can flip the lights off altogether, when you so select.
Most of the cool options present in Turtle Beach’s different Xbox controllers are current right here, too. The optionally available Professional-Purpose Focus Mode may be activated by mapping it to one of many again buttons. When on, Professional-Purpose quickly alters thumbstick sensitivity, which you should use for issues like lengthy-vary pictures. With a wired headset linked to the three.5mm audio jack, you may improve and blend your audio with onboard presets and sliders. What’s cool right here is that Turtle Beach’s presets, although constructed into the producer’s headsets, work with any wired headset. The marquee one, Signature Sound, truly does produce crisper, cleaner audio–however, when you’ve got a DAC, you may nonetheless wish to use that as a substitute. Different presets alter bass and treble, and the final of the 4 enhances voices (chat and in-sport audio). You too can combine your audio and mic settings with sliders.
The Related Command Show may show your notifications when you sync your cellphone to your Stealth Ultra. It is a quirky function that I suppose stops you from taking a look at your cellphone whereas enjoying (although you are still trying away from the display and may’t reply on the controller). Personally, receiving texts or social media notifications whereas gaming sounds hellish to me, however this may in all probability be of curiosity to some. Plus, it has some gaming utility when you use Discord whereas enjoying on-line.
Having the ability to handle settings on the controller itself is a really handy and helpful function. Nonetheless, if you wish to tinker with settings on a bigger show, Turtle Beach has launched Management Heart 2, a brand new PC and Xbox app that syncs to the Stealth Ultra. Each variations of the app work pretty properly and have simple-to-use layouts. The primary situation I skilled is the app detected the flawed side ratio for a number of of my displays, so I needed to tinker with it to see all the fields. The cell model of the app is especially for notifications, however you may cycle via profiles on it.
Although I centered on Xbox on this overview, the Stealth Ultra is each bit pretty much as good on PC. Along with supporting the 2.4GHz dongle used for the wi-fi connection on Xbox, you may sync the Stealth Ultra by way of Bluetooth on PC (in addition to Android). Alternatively, you should use the prolonged USB-C to USB-A cable offered within the field for a wired connection. I did not discover any enter latency with the dongle connection–it works in addition to official Xbox controllers.
I used to be capable of get 25-30 hours of battery life on a full cost with the LED lights turned off. Your mileage right here will definitely differ primarily based on lighting results in addition to display-brightness settings. However when you run out of juice whereas enjoying, the Stealth Ultra’s docking station–which shares its fashion with the Elite Series 2–will absolutely cost the battery in two hours. The controller, dock, and cable may be saved in the principle compartment of the included hardshell case. A small zippered pocket has sufficient room for the thumbstick caps and dongle.
The underside line
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a worthy competitor to the Elite Series 2. At $200, it is pricier, particularly when you think about how usually Microsoft’s professional-fashion controller is on sale, however the function set supplied right here makes it stand out in a giant method. Premium construct high quality, properly-designed controls, and the onboard suite of customization options make the Stealth Ultra a controller that is exhausting to knock in any significant method. Not like some third-social gathering alternate options for competing platforms, you are not dropping out on any main options by choosing Turtle Beach over Microsoft (besides with the ability to flip your console on with the Xbox button). Whereas I nonetheless assume the Elite Series 2’s weighty really feel is unmatched, all the things else on the Stealth Ultra is a notch above. The large query mark with the Stealth Ultra is how all the interior tech, particularly the display, will maintain up over time. If different producers launch Elite Series 2 rivals, the Stealth Ultra will likely be exhausting to beat. The bar has been set very excessive.
Disclosure: Turtle Beach offered a pattern of the Stealth Ultra to check for this overview.