The market for mid-to-high-end gaming headsets has become saturated over the last few years, but as I have learned, no two headsets are the same. Companies are working to balance price with features and aesthetics; some do it well, others don’t.
The higher the price point, the more consumers expect from a product. At 349.99 USD, I was expecting big things from the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2 headset.
For too long, gaming headsets have been gaudy, chunky, RGB-lit monstrosities that were appealing to a wide audience. Over the past few years, companies have moved towards a more sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing look. That is definitely the look Turtle Beach was going for with the Stealth Pro 2.
The big difference here from other brands is the reliance on the aluminium frame and volume wheels, something most companies, even at the higher end, are still producing out of plastic. There is plastic here as well, but not as much as other headsets I’ve reviewed.
The aluminium gives the headset a premium feel. The trade-off, though, is that the headset is a bit heavy, coming in at 393 grams.
To keep a streamlined look, Turtle Beach has opted to reduce the size of the band along the top of the headset. In my opinion, it does improve the look of the headset, but the smaller band resting on your head doesn’t distribute the weight as evenly as other options; I do feel the difference after about an hour or so of wearing.
Earcups on headsets are always a point of contention. While the cloth earcups on the Stealth Pro 2 alleviate the potential for sweaty ears, it also doesn’t create the greatest seal to block outside noise. This is a give and take when it comes to any headset, and I fully suspect that aftermarket replacement cups will be available within a few months.
The audio quality on the Stealth Pro 2 headset was about what I was expecting. GamesHub isn’t here to provide audiophiles with all the specs – there are plenty of sites that do that already.
What we explore is how this headset works for the average gamer looking to elevate their experience. We tested the Stealth Pro 2 playing Call of Duty, Fortnite, Bellwright, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar to hopefully give us an idea of how it performs in a plethora of situations.
Across the board, the audio experience was fantastic. The headset is a bit heavy on the bass, so if you are sensitive to that, you might need to tweak it in the free-to-download app on your mobile device or PC/Mac.
Out of the box, though, the audio quality is quite impressive, which is important for users like myself who don’t want to fiddle around with the app to adjust my listening experience.
For those who love spatial audio, Turtle Beach’s own Superhuman Hearing does a great job. Playing Call of Duty, I had little trouble noting distances of people walking, shots being fired, or grenades going off. If this is what you primarily want out of a headset, few are doing it better than Turtle Beach. In battle royale situations like Fortnite, it’s a bit harder to distinguish because of how much can be going on at one time.
Out of the box, the microphone quality wasn’t exactly what I would have expected from this level of headset.
In Fortnite and Call of Duty, my friends noted that my voice sounded a bit off and definitely had a tinny sound. That said, a quick bit of research let me know that a firmware update for the headset was available to download and install, and this drastically improved my audio quality.
The quality to begin with was perfectly usable, but there was a definitive improvement after getting the headset updated.
As with many headsets, your mileage will vary on the device you ultimately choose. Here, you have great audio, and after an update, a great microphone as well. The comfort is going to be hit or miss – on my larger head, these get uncomfortable after just an hour and a half.
Out of the box, the headset comes with a wireless transmitter that stores and charges an additional battery, as well as a USB-A dongle for another device. You can purchase up to two other dongles, and seamlessly switch between devices with a press of a button.
I am reviewing the Xbox Series X version of this headset, and I have the wireless transmitter connected to the Xbox Series X, and the dongle connected to my PlayStation 5. Swapping between them has been seamless.
This also makes the Stealth Pro 2 a very versatile headset. As a warning, however, there is also a PC version of this headset, and should you purchase that version, there won’t be support for Xbox.
It is a good thing that companies have return policies because headset comfort is almost always a person-to-person decision. I find that the Stealth Pro 2 puts too much weight on the top of my head, and these get uncomfortable a lot faster than other headsets.
For quicker gaming sessions under 2 hours, I love to use this device; when I want to play for an entire evening, I’m definitely going with another option, regardless of the quality here.
There is also the conversation of versatility. This device can be used across all your platforms, but the PC version will not work on Xbox at all, and the Xbox version will have a few missing features when using it on PC.
Yes. Xbox Series X uses a proprietary wireless signal; the Xbox version of the headset is a much more versatile option as it will work across all your devices, with some caveats.
We got more than 40 hours of game time per battery.
Adam has been writing about video games since 2014 and board games since 2018. If he's not rooting for the Toronto Maple Leafs or Toronto FC, he definitely has a controller in his hand - probably playing on a Nintendo platform - or is sitting at a table playing a board game. Adam also has firm opinions on a few key topics: there are much better board games than Settlers of Catan, and Nintendo doesn't need to compete with Sony and Microsoft.
Every year, there always seems to be a small handful of games that go absolutely wild thanks to streamers and content creators showing how fun they are to the masses.…
