Turtle Beach Recon controller review – Console yourself

You think Turtle Beach, and you immediately imagine a range of headsets from a brand that has made a name for itself in a market dedicated to making your ears glow with every colour in the RGB spectrum. But a Turtle Beach controller? That’s a new one, and exactly what I’ve had my horribly filthy hands clamped around for the last couple of weeks. On the surface, the Turtle Beach Recon controller for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S looks like your usual Microsoft-approved peripheral but with extra buttons and enough texture on the handles to double as a makeshift file in your garage.

It’s also a wired controller, an idea that might be scandalous in this day and age of wireless technology, but that’s not a bad compromise at all when you look at the sheer amount of customization that the Recon offers. The big drawcard of this controller is the eco-system that it creates if you prefer to use a headset while gaming, which can easily be plugged into the 3.5mm jack found at the bottom. From here you’ve got a plethora of options available for audio and chat, such as choosing from four equalizer settings that range from dropping the bass to opting for more clarity flooding into your ears instead.

Specifications

• Connections – USB-A Connection to Game Console or PC
• Connectivity – Detachable 10ft / 3m cable with Type-C USB Connector (Type-A at console)
• Audio Input/Output – 3.5mm audio port for stereo audio output & microphone input
• Weight – 0.66 lbs. / 300 grams
• Dimensions (Mm) – 180x183x73
• Compatibility – Compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One & Windows 10 PCs

Turtle Beach even went so far as to include a dedicated “Superhuman Hearing” button, although sadly this doesn’t turn you into Daredevil. What it does do is emphasize more subtle sounds such as footsteps or other environmental cues, a signature feature of its headsets that are designed to give your brain an added edge by allowing it to hone in on these audio cues quicker thanks to the increase in volume. It is debatable if that advantage is real, but I will say that it makes hearing footsteps in PUBG all the more terrifying.

Feel like adjusting the sound of your voice through your microphone instead? There’s a button for that, as well as the ability to map any function from the controller–other than the analogue sticks–to one of the two macro paddles located underneath the handles. On top of all that, there’s a Pro-Aim feature that provides up to four levels of sensitivity de-escalating sensitivity on the right-hand stick. It actually works a treat, but it does so at the cost of the right rear button and overwriting one of your custom functions in the process.

As for the build quality, the Recon is a decently chunky piece of plastic that feels as ergonomic as any other official Xbox controller. Its looks may be divisive, but it’s hard to not appreciate the rugged textures on the shoulder, trigger, and paddle buttons, while the handle grips have a more subtle layer of texturing to wrap your hands around. The D-pad can’t hold a candle to the one found on a default Xbox Series X controller though, while the rest of the face buttons look like they were sourced straight from Microsoft’s factory.

It’s a bit of an odd sell when objectively comparing the Recon controller to an official Xbox One peripheral. Turtle Beach’s device saves you a few bucks, and provided that you don’t mind being tethered to a few meters of braided cable in the process, it’s more than capable of providing an interactive entry-point to video games as well as a few extra bonuses along the way.