The Turtle Beach Recon Controller is The Real Deal
Unveiled at E3 2021, Turtle Beach’s Xbox Recon Controller has drawn a bit of buzz in the industry over the past several weeks, as it won a bunch of “Best of E3” awards. One look at this busy controller and you can see why. It’s packed with features, the amount of buttons is mind-blowing and it has everything some of the higher-end Xbox controllers have.
It comes in black or white, but the best part is it comes with a relatively cheap MSRP of $59.95. That is a stellar price and it launches today, August 1, 2021. You can reserve your Recon Controller right at the Turtle Beach website www.turtlebeach.com or participating retailers.
We’ve been putting the controller through its paces for the past couple of weeks and so far, so good. The Recon Controller has some unique features and while we aren’t crazy about the fact it’s a wired controller, this bad boy still has a ton of things going for it.
Here are the things that really stood out for us:
Superhuman Hearing
Okay, I get it. This sounds ridiculous and I was highly skeptical going in, but much to my surprise, the Superhuman Hearing feature actually works. Quite well actually. For games like Black Ops: Cold War, Fortnite, and Valorant where being able to hear your surrounding is critical, this setting is a lifesaver. Literally. Being able to hear all those quiet footsteps and weapon reloads is amazing. I plugged in my SteelSeries headset and oh baby, you can really notice a difference when Superhuman Hearing is enabled. Think of it like an in-game sound on steroids. It’s that noticeable.
Super Comfortable
The Recon Controller feels great in your hands. Much of the credit goes out to the ergonomic cooling grips. The micro-cooling channels and its overall shape kept my hands cool. I’m prone to getting sweaty and greasy mitts while playing online shooters, so it’s nice to use a controller that helps keep my hands dry. It’s a lighter controller than I am accustomed to as well, but that is mostly due to the fact batteries aren’t weighing it down. It’s a wired controller after all.
All The Customizable Options You Need
In addition to the easy access audio controls like the EQ presets, game & chat volume mix, and mic monitoring all located on the face of the controller, the Recon includes two mappable buttons. They allow up to four different switchable profiles. You can also tune the thumbstick sensitivity which can help your sniper game. It’s all fantastic customizable stuff that you don’t typically see in a $60 dollar controller, and I love it.
Long Cord & 3.5MM Headset Connection is Great
The 10-foot cord is perfect for me. Sure, 15 feet would be a little more ideal and give me just a little more slack. But the braided cable is high quality, durable and 10-feet reaches to my couch. So, the cord works perfect for me. The 3.5MM headset connected is fantastic as well. If you are someone like me, and have just a few too many headsets, the 3.5MM connection gives you plenty of options with a variety of headsets. It’s nice knowing you don’t have to own a Turtle Beach headset to take advantage of the fantastic features, like Superhuman Hearing.
Convenient Volume and Mic Controls
I absolutely love how I can look down and simply turn town the volume for the game or my mic with simple clear button presses. I don’t have to fiddle with my ear cups or the headset in any way. Sure, it can make for a pretty busy controller with so many buttons to navigate. Sure, it’s a bit much but I love the ‘one-stop shop’ approach for everything I need when playing any game.
There you have it. 5 things I love about this controller. What do you think? Would you pick up this controller? Have you played with it yet? Tell us in the comments below.
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