Manufacturer: Turtle Beach
Medium: Hardware
Headsets are not something I’m able to use and enjoy as much as I would like. There is nothing like having that isolated immersion between your ears where you can enjoy yourself at a high volume without the worry of disturbing others. As a father of a 7-year-old that is into very similar interests, my attention is with him a large amount of the time. I enjoy being able to connect with him but when it comes to gaming when he is around, I need to be attentive to him and allow him to potentially be interested in what I play or watch.
For me, it’s the evenings when I get the time to really enjoy a session with games that truly benefit from the use of headsets. Horror and Adventure games are where I enjoy this immersion the most and over the years, I’ve used a good number of headsets, and they are well, just ok. The sound will usually feel thin and not comparable to what you would expect listening from Surround Sound, but more of TV internal speakers.
For this reason, I’ve been wary of headsets for use beyond communication. With the evolution of the PS5 controller and the built in Mic, playing online for me is usually via this method. Being spoiled by the controller let me to using headsets less and less. Then came the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Wireless Headset. This headset has a lot to offer and one of the biggest selling points for me was the removable and rechargeable battery, which includes a spare battery and dock to charge it.
This was a brilliant design choice as something that happened to me all too often, is you go to use a wireless headset for an impromptu gaming session and, womp womp. Dead headset. Go and charge it and do not want to use it again for a while. Now, I always have a backup plan, even when I may not use it as much as the average gamer.
This was a win for me on this feature alone, but the headset gets even better. It’s super comfortable which I’m not a fan of large “can” style headsets as they tend to feel tight on my head after a while and give me a headache with extended use. Not the case here so that helps me enjoy more time during a lengthy session.
Along with the larger design comes a simplistic but highly effective and removeable Boom microphone. This is great for when you just want to listen to music or watch a movie and not have to worry about the mic getting in the way, even though it can also be raised, but I prefer to remove depending on what I’m doing so the choice is great.
Another concern I had based on previous experience with headsets was connection lag. It was never game breaking for me, but it was noticeable enough when playing online. Where it would potentially affect was Co-Op games that required quick and efficient communication. With the Stealth Pro, I had several online sessions playing Dead Island 2 with strangers and it worked smoothly. Many variables can come into play to affect lag like your internet and the other player, but you never want to add that with a headset. This is not the case here, so another win here.
Something I didn’t get to use was the inclusion of a Mobile app for both iOS and Android which looks to help customize settings on the headset outside of the game console since it can also be used for phone calls and listening to music while playing. This app also lets you remap modes for the headset and wheel to make it perfect for you. The app is the “Turtle Beach Audio Hub”.
You can also check out an unboxing video of the headset here, showing everything, it comes with, including a small bag for easy storage and for travelling use. As I mentioned, it can be used for your mobile device as well which is great because it has Bluetooth 5.1 Connectivity which allows you to have a dual connection between your console and phone.
The last portion I want to speak about is the overall audio quality. With my testing of the headset on a PS5 and iPhone 13 Pro Max, being able to jump in a Fortnite match, while listening to some “Synthwave” from my Apple Music Library is nothing short of sublime. I know this can be done with the on-console app, but it doesn’t work as well in my opinion. Overall, I was very happy with my time using the Stealth Pro and hope to be able to get more time with it soon. Highly Recommended if you are in the market for a high-end headset with a lot of features and built to last.
Note: Turtle Beach provided us with a Stealth Pro Wireless Headset for PS5 for evaluation purposes.