Turtle Beach returns with a wonderful new Xbox Xbox Series X|S, One, and PC controller: the Turtle Beach Recon!
Earlier this year GeekDad reviewed the great new Turtle Beach Recon 500 headset which I felt was a very solid and affordable headset for console and PC gamers. Now the companion to that headset has been released with the advent of the Turtle Beach Recon Controller.
Like many of you, I am an avid daily gamer and that puts a massive weight on the effectiveness and longevity of my controllers. To put it more simply… I beat on them. With those beatings taken into consideration, it is important that I have a stock of sturdy, responsive, and most importantly, reliable controllers available to me.
My go-to controller of the last three years has been the Razer Wolverine. The Wolverine is solid as a rock and has many great features but its one major setback is the price weighing in at $129.00. So as I took the new Turtle Beach Recon out of the box my goal was to see how it matched up with a controller twice its price.
First impressions and setup
Upon unboxing the Turtle Beach Recon my first impression is that it has a sharp sturdy design. I received the white and grey controller which suits my tastes. Looking at it you cannot avoid noticing the sheer volume of buttons on the Turtle Beach Recon’s face. You get the standard Xbox buttons and sticks, and above them are a collection of sound and mode controls for you to play with. These include Superhuman Hearing, EQ, volume control of both your speakers and mic, which will save you digging around your sub-menus to adjust things in-game and keep things on the fly which is preferred.
The sound controls offer EQ presets, game and chat volume mix, mic monitoring, and more. The two mappable buttons on the back of the controller offer Pro-Aim
tunes thumbstick sensitivity for enhanced long-range accuracy. Whether it’s a long-range snipe or a daunting free-kick, choose between four levels of sensitivity to dial-in Pro-Aim just right. This is a cool feature for players who are used to the accuracy of a gaming keyboard and mouse. To be honest it is still not as accurate but you get a slight bump of improvement.
The textured channeled grips are supposed to add some cooling in comfort and they do that to a lesser extent but are ok. The Turtle Beach Recon comes with a very sturdy ten-foot USB-C connection cable which is braided and well designed. I would have preferred a bit beefier connector at the end attaching to the controller like the Wolverine but at least this one can be easily replaced if need be and it is an improvement over the micro USB connectors of the previous generations.
In-Game Performance
Considering this is a Turtle Beach Recon I felt almost obligated to use it with COD: Warzone. I grabbed my Turtle Beach Recon 500 headset to jack into the pre-amp of the Turtle Beach Recon. The pre-amp offers you some of the great features of the most sophisticated Turtle beach headsets. I also tried a couple of wired earbuds with it to see how the pre-amp can get the most out of the gear you may just have lying around the house. It also offers good mic monitoring so that you can hear the noise you are sending out to other gamers in the lobby.
The controller was snappy and responsive. I played with the Pro-Aim a bit to speed up and slow down my right thumbstick as needed for aiming and movement and was somewhat pleased with the results. Once again, you cannot beat a high end mouse with excellent DPI in this situation but if you are a console gamer this may be the best advantage you can ask for out of a controller. When you factor in other controllers at this price point, it puts the Recon at the head of its class.
The audio coming out of the Recon was also excellent and got the absolute most out of the headsets I threw at it. Yes, once again a high-end gaming headset can outperform it but the Recon does such a nice job of getting those great 3.5mm jack headphones you may already own to sound like diamonds that you may save a few bucks and still get some enjoyment.
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
- Warranty 1-Year Limited Warranty
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Right now the Turtle Beach Recon is plugged into my gaming PC and I don’t foresee unplugging it any time in the near future unless I want to use it on my Xbox. The Turtle Beach Recon is a solid performer with some great features at the price of a brand new vanilla Xbox One controller at $59.99. It looks great, feels solid, and is durable. I feel like I can pound nails all day with it and still perform amazing headshots at night. The sound that you can manipulate with the pre-amp can take your 3.5mm headset or earbuds and bring them to a level not previously imagined.
A sample of the Turtle Beach Recon was made available by the manufacturer.
Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s alone and not that of the manufacturer or editorial staff.
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