Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra Review: The Smart Controller Has Arrived

The pro controller market has become a battlefield of iteration. We’ve seen swappable components, trigger stops, and rear paddles become the standard-issue armaments for any gamepad commanding a premium price. But genuine innovation? That’s been harder to find. Enter the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, a controller that doesn’t just join the fight—it attempts to rewrite the rules of engagement with a feature no one else has: a full-color LCD screen. This isn’t just another Elite competitor; it’s a “smart” controller that promises unprecedented on-the-fly customization. The question is, does this bold new feature justify its top-tier price, or is it a solution in search of a problem?

Design and Premium Feel

Unboxing the Stealth Ultra immediately sets a premium tone. It comes nestled in a sturdy hard-shell case that also houses its magnetic charging dock, a 10ft USB-C cable, and a set of alternate thumbstick caps. The controller itself feels substantial yet comfortable. The ergonomic shape is a familiar, slightly refined take on the standard Xbox layout, making it instantly accessible. The faceplate and grips feature a soft-touch finish that feels great, and the textured surfaces provide excellent purchase during intense sessions.

While it feels solid, it doesn’t have the dense, metallic heft of an Xbox Elite Series 2. Turtle Beach opted for high-quality plastics and alloys, which keeps the weight down but may leave some users wanting a more “indestructible” feel. However, the true stars of the build are the buttons. Every primary face button (A, B, X, Y), the D-pad, bumpers, and the four remappable rear paddles use tactile micro-switches. The result is a short-travel, satisfyingly clicky response that feels closer to a high-end mouse than a traditional gamepad. It’s precise, fast, and an absolute joy for competitive play.

Performance That Eliminates Doubt

At the heart of the Stealth Ultra are its two Hall effect thumbsticks. For the uninitiated, this is a game-changer. By using magnets instead of physical potentiometers for tracking movement, they are immune to the wear and tear that causes the dreaded stick drift plaguing so many other controllers. This isn’t just a quality-of-life feature; it’s a long-term investment in reliability. In practice, the sticks are incredibly smooth and accurate, with no perceivable dead zones out of the box.

Wireless performance is equally impressive thanks to Turtle Beach’s proprietary 2.4GHz low-latency USB transmitter. The connection is rock-solid and indistinguishable from a wired experience, a critical factor for competitive gaming. The adjustable trigger stops are effective, offering two levels of actuation that significantly shorten the pull for rapid-fire inputs in shooters. Combined with the micro-switch buttons, the entire input chain feels instantaneous and surgically precise.

The Command Display: Gimmick or Genius?

The 1.5-inch full-color “Command Display” is the Stealth Ultra’s defining feature. This small screen, situated below the Xbox button, is your onboard command center. Holding down the + button allows you to navigate a series of menus to adjust everything from button mapping and stick response curves to RGB lighting and audio EQ without ever touching an external app. You can create and switch between up to 10 profiles on the fly, tailoring your setup for different games mid-session. This level of hardware-based control is unparalleled and genuinely useful.

The display also has a more controversial function: connecting to your phone via Bluetooth to display social media notifications from WhatsApp, Discord, and more. While a novel idea, it feels like a feature few gamers were asking for. Seeing notifications pop up on your controller can be distracting and pull you out of the experience. Thankfully, this is entirely optional, but its inclusion feels like a slight misstep in an otherwise laser-focused design.

The Verdict

The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a bold, feature-forward controller that largely succeeds in its ambitious goals. The combination of drift-proof Hall effect sticks, tactile micro-switch buttons, and a low-latency wireless connection provides a truly elite performance foundation. The Command Display, while not perfect, is a legitimately innovative tool for on-the-fly customization that sets it apart from every other controller on the market.

At $199.99, it is an undeniable investment. It costs more than its primary rivals and asks you to buy into its vision of a “smart” controller. If you’re a competitive gamer who craves deep, accessible customization and wants to future-proof your purchase against stick drift, the Stealth Ultra makes a compelling case. It’s for the power user, the tinkerer, and the player who wants to fine-tune their experience without ever leaving the couch. For them, this isn’t just another pro controller—it’s the new standard.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon