Courageous is the corporate that dares slap RGB and an LCD display screen onto its premium sport controller and nonetheless declare to have higher battery life than Sony’s DualSense, however Turtle Seaside has finished it with the Stealth Extremely. This gamepad seems to be a little bit just like the designers at Turtle Seaside sat right down to commerce concepts on how you can problem the Xbox Elite Sequence 2. However the assembly bought a little bit out of hand, perhaps some beers have been concerned, and this hilariously OTT unit resulted.
It is a powerful factor straight out of the field. Ensconced in its personal zipped provider, it seems to be bulbous and imposing in comparison with the inventory normal PC gamer workhorse, the Xbox controller. It is noticeably larger at 160mm extensive (6.3 in), in comparison with the Xbox’s 152mm (6.02 in), and its inbuilt lithium ion battery is presumably to thank for its lightness in comparison with the usual Xbox controller, which requires heavier AA batteries.
Additionally packaged is a charging dock, into which the two.4GHz wi-fi USB dongle discreetly nestles through magnet. You possibly can forgo the charging dock and plug the dongle straight into your PC, however I do not know why you’ll. 4 rubber thumb stick covers and a protracted USB-C to USB-A twine are additionally included.
Just like the Elite 2, the Stealth Extremely has ribbed handles. The presence of a 1.4 inch LCD display screen and a brand new entrance going through button makes for a crowded-looking machine. Actually, I do not assume it is a sexy factor to have a look at. The RGB strips operating on the shores of the ribbed handles might impress some folks, although not onlookers, since your fingers will impede this dazzling mild present throughout use.
Stealth Extremely specs
Compatibility: Home windows 11, Xbox, Android / iOS (through Bluetooth)
Connectivity: 2.4GHz wi-fi, Bluetooth
Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm stereo headset jack
Thumbstick format: Uneven
Weight: 246g
Dimensions: 120x160x64.2mm
Worth: $200 | £179
Alongside the highest is the USB-C enter and two switches for adjusting the depth of the left and proper set off switches. The again of the unit has 4 paddle buttons which might be functionally an identical to the Sequence 2’s P1-P4 switches, although the Stealth Extremely’s paddles can’t be eliminated. In different phrases, the hand that giveth additionally taketh: some extra granular customisation discovered within the Elite Sequence 2 has been sacrificed within the Stealth Extremely in favour of that display screen and all of the on-the-fly customizability it entails.
The software program used to manage the Stealth Extremely is of various use and high quality. The cellphone app is principally ineffective, although it’s good to set up it if you’d like social media notifications despatched out of your cellphone to the controller’s show. Doing that is tedious and never price it anyway, because the controller’s show reveals such a truncated model of the notification it is simpler simply to have your cellphone subsequent to you. That mentioned, if you happen to’re solely utilizing it to see the approaching and goings of pals on Discord, it in all probability would not matter.
The desktop app is helpful, although it has some minor issues. It opens straight into fullscreen and exceeds the dimensions of my show, which means I can not see among the choices with out doing a bunch of fiddling. As soon as it is displaying correctly it is a first rate app: adjusting set off and stick deadzones particularly is a breeze, with a very helpful interface displaying how each stick and set off actions react to the chosen deadzone in real-time.
Regardless of its upsides you may forgo the app solely, as a result of virtually all the things price doing with the Stealth Extremely will be finished on its LCD display screen. That features capabilities like that deadzone adjustment, although fussier gamers would possibly want the extra detailed UI of the desktop model.
I used to be nonetheless impressed by how a lot stuff I may do onboard. Assigning capabilities to the P1-P4 switches in every of the ten onboard profiles is painless, as is adjusting sound settings on a per-profile foundation. The latter consists of not solely mic monitoring and quantity, but in addition some EQ choices. To entry these capabilities there’s an additional button beneath the same old Xbox share button which toggles the display screen between controller use and menu use. Positive, it is not as intuitive as a touchscreen, however the display screen provides lots to the Stealth Extremely, and is certainly not only a gimmick.
The Stealth Extremely makes use of Corridor Impact thumb sticks which, due to their friction-less, contact-less sensors, won’t ever undergo the vagaries of stick drift. Moreso even than that display screen, this is what elevates the Stealth Extremely above the Elite Sequence 2 controller for me. An “elite” or in any other case costly controller must have some assure of longevity given the exorbitant entry worth, particularly on this age of ubiquitous stick drift. It is good to know that if you happen to fork out for the Stealth Extremely it will not be rendered ineffective inside a few years by this specific blight on controllers.
One other boon are the microswitches beneath the d-pad and face buttons, which lend a mechanical tactility to every press. In contrast to the Elite Sequence 2 the d-pad is not swappable, so the concave d-pad is the one possibility right here. I play quite a lot of platformers and hate the concave d-pad on the traditional Xbox controller, however the aforementioned microswitches on the Stealth Extremely enhance the expertise an important deal: precision requires the sensation {that a} press is enacted correctly, and that “click on” definitely helps.
Left and proper triggers have adjustable depths, with two switches on the again of the controller that may toggle between a default deep stroke and a way more shallow stroke. That is one much less possibility than the Elite Sequence 2, and whereas that does not hassle me, it might affect gamers who’ve grow to be used to the latter controller’s center floor possibility.
Purchase if…
✅ You desire a premium “elite” controller with Corridor Impact sticks: The Stealth Extremely’s paddles, its microswitches, and its customizability are bolstered by thumbsticks that will not, in principle, break within the subsequent 24 months.
Do not buy if…
❌ Your Elite Sequence 2 remains to be alive and kicking: No must improve, and it is certainly nearing time when Microsoft will reveal a brand new era of its personal premium gamepad.
It appears inevitable that Microsoft will dole out an Elite Sequence 3 one in every of as of late, and if it would not have Corridor Impact sticks persons are going to spew. What it virtually definitely will not have is the Stealth Extremely’s onboard customisation which, as soon as you’ve got come to grips with it, is really helpful, making it straightforward to experiment with these paddle switches with out having to tab-juggle between sport and software program.
And whereas there isn’t any denying the Elite Sequence 2 is a neat little bit of equipment, in 2024 I believe I might spring for the Stealth Extremely first. That is mainly as a result of I need the paddle buttons however I am positively not forking out huge bucks for a controller with out Corridor Impact sticks.
It has been almost 5 years for the reason that Sequence 2 launched and, thanks primarily to Pleasure-Cons and DualSenses, stick drift might be extra feared now than it ever has been (amusingly, Sony’s eye-wateringly costly DualSense Edge would not have Corridor Impact sticks, although they’re replaceable. Please, Microsoft, do not do that). Add to that the on-the-fly customisation, microswitches, and roughly 25 hour battery life, and the Stealth Extremely proves itself a stunning hit.