Turtle Beach is jumping into the premium controller ring with a new $200 gamepad for Xbox and PC. stealth ultra wireless controller, Released on December 15th. But it doesn’t just add back buttons and hair triggers, which are the hallmarks of a competition-focused gamepad, it also includes anti-drift Hall effect sticks and the ability to tweak settings and receive notifications from your phone. It also has a 1.5-inch screen.
In addition to being the company’s first foray into the world of ultra-expensive gamepads, competing with the likes of the Xbox Elite Series 2 and Scuf controller, the Turtle Beach is also the company’s first fully wireless Xbox Series X/S controller (Microsoft gradually following the trend). (opens up wireless licenses while keeping out some third parties). Although it’s not as easy to connect as the original Xbox gamepad, the Stealth Ultra uses a simple USB-A dongle that connects to the included dock, which connects to an Xbox console or PC’s USB port for both connectivity and charging. Use only one. . And, perhaps most importantly, the Stealth Ultra can remotely power on your Xbox console, even though it’s connected via a dongle (unfortunately, that’s not the case in the PlayStation world).
Stealth Ultra features four programmable back buttons, hair trigger lockout, tactile microswitches for face buttons and bumpers, interchangeable thumbsticks, Bluetooth compatibility, customizable RGB lighting, and more, typically priced at $150 or more. It has many premium features that are included in the controller. Zip-up hardshell case with pass-through USB-C charging. The most significant omission of Stealth Ultra that I can think of is the lack of a swappable D-pad (sorry, fighting game fans). Also, the claimed 30 hours of battery life falls short of the Xbox Elite’s 40 hours. (But frankly, 30 hours is way ahead of any Sony controller currently on the market.)
It maintains the core of Turtle Beach’s software features found in the lower-priced Recon and React-R controllers. Various He EQ presets to adjust your headset’s game audio, Superhuman Hearing to better hear enemy footsteps when using a 3.5 mm wired headset, and Pro-Aim for accurate snipers Quickly reduce the sensitivity of the stick while aiming the shot.
What really makes the Stealth Ultra stand out is the hall effect stick and that weird screen stuffed in the middle. The Hall effect stick is a welcome addition to this premium controller segment, as equally expensive gamepads from Microsoft and Sony can suffer from stick drift over time. But the Stealth Ultra’s screen offers an interesting novelty in connectivity and configuration. You might think it’s a touchscreen, but it’s not. To play around with the 1.5-inch display’s onscreen controls, you’ll need to press the plus button at the bottom of the controller’s face to disconnect input from the game and dial in what you see on screen.
What can you control on a small screen? Get started with all of Turtle Beach’s audio customizations, RGB lighting effects, and up to 10 user-customizable controller profiles. This actually sounds much better than other Turtle Beach controllers, which have a somewhat confusing cluster of buttons to toggle many of their settings. Another use for the Stealth Ultra’s screen is to get mirrored phone notifications from iOS or Android directly to your gamepad. To take advantage of notifications on your Android smartphone, you must install Turtle Beach’s Control Center 2 app. The app can also be used to dial in the same settings found on the Stealth Ultra’s built-in screen.
I’m not sure if having mobile notifications popping up between your thumbs while gaming is less distracting than keeping notifications confined to your phone’s screen, but perhaps Turtle Beach is here Maybe you’re choosing something with a second-screen-like experience. At least it’s good for quickly toggling advanced settings without having to go to the console’s dashboard or open another app on your PC. Once you get some hands-on time, you should see how it works and see how Stealth Ultra stacks up with other premium products for Xbox and PC.
