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Adding unique features to common products is one way to innovate, but you can’t overlook the fundamentals. Turtle Beach’s premium Stealth Ultra controller ($199.99)—designed for Windows PCs, Xbox game systems, and Bluetooth devices—is a prime example of this. It features a built-in color screen that lets you customize the gamepad using many options, including button mapping, analog control curves, chat/game headset mixing, and even RGB lighting. The display is certainly cool, but it comes at the expense of the overall feel. The Stealth Ultra is less satisfying to hold and use than our Editors’ Choice winner, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 ($179.99), and lacks basic extras you’d expect from a high-end gamepad, like a swappable direction pad or removable rear buttons or paddles. Flashy Look, Light FeelTurtle Beach leans hard into a sci-fi aesthetic with the Stealth Ultra. The gamepad features tessellating triangle patterns and RGB light piping around the grips, along with the OLED screen. For all its visual flair, though, the controller doesn’t feel particularly premium. It weighs just 8.7 ounces, two-thirds as much as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller (12.1 ounces) and three-quarters as much as the DualSense Edge (11.7 ounces). This lightness, along with clicky, nearly hair-trigger back buttons, make the Stealth Ultra feel a little cheap compared with those other controllers. In addition, the plastic shell lacks rubberized grips, featuring only some textured triangle engravings.
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(Credit: Will Greenwald)
The control layout is standard Xbox-style, with off-axis analog sticks, a circular direction pad, and A/B/X/Y face buttons. View and Menu buttons flank the OLED screen, with a Guide button below them. A Capture button, along with an on-controller menu button, sit between the direction pad and the right analog stick. A standard 3.5mm headset jack is found on the controller’s bottom edge.The top features left and right bumper/trigger sets, with switches that shorten each trigger’s pull distance for when you want long, precise analog motion in racing games or fast shots in shooters. A USB-C port can be found between the triggers, but you probably won’t use it much thanks to the charging contacts on the back. These contacts sit between two pairs of programmable buttons that are easily accessible with your middle fingers. They might be a bit too accessible, because they’re easy to accidentally press (and they can’t be removed like the rear paddles and buttons on most other premium gamepads).
Magnets, along with three plastic tabs around the charging contacts, align the Stealth Ultra to sit properly on top of the included charging dock. This black base is where your controller rests when you aren’t using it, keeping its built-in battery charged. The dock features a USB-C port on the back for connecting to a PC or Xbox. A recess next to the port is equipped with a USB-A port for holding the included USB transmitter. This is a nice touch, since the separate transmitter means you can plug it directly into any compatible system without running a cable to the dock.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
A Mish-Mash of AccessoriesBesides the dock and transmitter, the Stealth Ultra comes with a 10-foot USB-C-to-USB-A cable and a hard-shell carrying case. It also has two pairs of textured rubber pads that slip over the otherwise smooth caps of the analog sticks. They feel like a cheap alternative to the Xbox Elite controller’s swappable analog sticks, which allows for variation in both cap texture and stick height. The direction pad also can’t be swapped like on the Elite, which is unfortunate if you prefer a plus-shaped pad instead of the circular disc. The controller’s case at least holds the charging dock, and a hole on its back lets you plug it in to keep it charged even when the case is closed.The Stealth Ultra is designed for wireless use with Windows PCs or Xbox One/Series consoles through its 2.4GHz adapter. It can also function over Bluetooth for Android phones and smart TVs that support Bluetooth gamepads. According to Turtle Beach, the Stealth Ultra can last up to 30 hours between charges.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
The Built-In ScreenThe Stealth Ultra’s biggest draw is its on-controller screen. The Connected Command Display is a 1.5-inch color screen located between the Menu and View buttons, where you would find the touchpad on a DualSense. Despite its bright, colorful interface, it isn’t a touch screen; you must press the Input Focus button located below the Capture button, which makes the gamepad’s controls stop interacting with your connected device so you can navigate the menus using the direction pad and face buttons.The Connected Command Display lets you tweak almost everything on the Stealth Ultra. You can remap buttons, adjust analog stick response curves and dead zones, and change the RGB light colors. In fact, it offers almost all of the options available on its Control Center 2 app for Windows and Xbox. The only thing you can’t do on the gamepad is update its firmware, since it needs a wired connection to either your console or PC.You can also receive notifications on the Stealth Ultra by pairing it with your phone and the Control Center 2 app for Android or iOS. This provides the same customization options as the console and PC app, and lets messages pop up on the gamepad’s screen. I found this to be a bit more awkward to get working than simply connecting to my computer or Xbox, though. Pairing over Bluetooth is a separate step. Despite the app’s instructions, I had to manually pair it on the phone before the app could see it.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
If you plug a wired headset into the controller, you can adjust it using the Connected Command Display. It lets you quickly mute the mic or cycle through several EQ presets. You can also dive into the on-device menus to tweak headset volume, mic gain, mic monitoring, and chat/game mix. A Clicky ControllerI played several games on a PC and the Xbox Series X using the Stealth Ultra. Once I got used to some finickiness with the on-controller interface (I repeatedly had to tap the menu button more than once to leave the menu and return to standard game controls), it was reliable and responsive. It smoothly worked with both systems, functioning just like an Xbox controller on each. The Command Center 2 app on PC and Xbox immediately detected the gamepad and transmitter for changing settings and updating firmware.The Stealth Ultra felt snappy and responsive, providing reliable timing for action commands in Sea of Stars. Navigating, aiming, and switching weapons in Fortnite also felt spot-on, though I found the direction pad’s shape awkward for reliably down-stabbing enemies and spikes in Hollow Knight.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
Although the controls worked reliably, they didn’t feel quite as satisfying as the buttons and direction pad on the DualSense or Xbox Elite. I found the pad and face buttons’ audible clickiness slightly distracting. In addition, they required slightly less pressure to activate than I expected. This was especially noticeable with the rear buttons, where a bit more resistance to avoid accidentally pressing would have been welcome. Fighting game fans used to clicky arcade sticks might enjoy the feel, especially since the direction pad gives similar feedback for eight directions. However, the pad’s oddly shaped disc seems less than ideal for that genre.Considering the emphasis Turtle Beach places on the Stealth Ultra’s screen, it isn’t a vital aspect of the gaming experience. Having lighting, mapping, and headset mixing options on the controller itself presents some nice options, but they’re all features that are already available through the console, mobile, and PC apps. Without touch sensitivity to make the interface instantly accessible, switching the direction pad and face buttons between controlling your connected device and navigating the gamepad’s menus feels a bit clunky, as well. The smartphone integration isn’t particularly useful, either. Although the iOS app successfully sent notifications from my iPhone to the Stealth Ultra, it didn’t filter or label those notifications. Text messages, Slack messages, and suggested posts on Reddit all popped up on the Connected Command Display, and none of them had icons so I could know what each was at a glance. I also had to manually connect the controller to my phone every time I turned it on. I found it more useful to simply ignore the phone integration and focus on using the gamepad as a gamepad.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
A Gimmicky GamepadThe Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a unique concept that overlooks a few core elements. The on-controller screen lets you set up the controller exactly how you want it without going into a separate app. However, the apps are available on other platforms, and after you set profiles for each game, you probably won’t need to change them on the fly. As a result, the screen isn’t a game changer. For the price, Turtle Beach should have prioritized a more solid-feeling build and a few more swappable parts (like a classic plus-shaped direction pad). For $20 less, the $179.99 Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 remains our top pick for premium gamepads due to its pleasant heft and many swappable physical controls. And if you don’t mind foregoing rear paddles, a case, and a charging cradle, you can save even more money by picking up the $129.99 Elite Core Controller.
Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra
Pros
Responsive
Cool OLED display and RGB lighting
2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless options
Comes with a case and charging cradle
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Cons
Unimpressive build quality
Overly clicky buttons and direction pad
No alternate sticks or direction pad
Rear buttons can’t be removed
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The Bottom Line
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra controller stands out from other gamepads with a built-in display, but its feel and physical customization options don’t live up to its price.
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