Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot review: neat ideas with some clumsy execution
Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot: One-Minute Review
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot is an Xbox and PC controller I want to love. From the solid build quality and impressive battery life to the anti-drift thumbsticks and all-round great-feeling buttons, bumpers, and triggers, it performs very well. As a controller it ticks all the right boxes, making it an easy recommendation.
I’m also a big fan of the feature of the same name. The pad’s two “pivot” modules allow you to switch from a traditional two thumbstick layout to one that’s perfect for arcade and fighting games. As a result, the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot’s versatility is impressive, making it perfect for both competitive and relaxed retro gaming.
However, there are some design flaws that hinder the success of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot. First, the act of “rotating” these modules is a rather cumbersome three-stage process that requires you to unlock the modules, manually rotate them, and then lock them back into place.
Additionally, I’m a little confused by the inclusion of the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra monitor. It’s certainly nice to have, and its intuitiveness makes customizing your controller experience a breeze. But it almost certainly makes the Stealth Pivot cost more than it would have been without it, and messes with the controller’s overall design somewhat.
I absolutely love the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot. But I feel its unique selling point could shine even more at a lower price point without an on-board display and with more improvements to the overall rotation process.
Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot: Price and Availability
- US$129.99/£119.99/AU$249.95
- Available from Turtle Beach and other major retailers
- Priced between Recon and Stealth Ultra
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot is available now, priced at $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$249.95. It can be purchased directly from Turtle Beach, or from retailers such as Best Buy in the US and Argos in the UK. Amazon in all regions.
Among the wider range of Turtle Beach controllers, the Stealth Pivot finds itself more Turtle Beach Scouting Controller ($59.95 / £49.99 / AU$99.95), but also much cheaper than the premium version Turtle Beach Stealth Super ($199.99 / £179.99 / approximately AU$329.95. Overall, the Stealth Pivot is in roughly the same price range as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core ($129.99 / £114.99 / AU$189.95).
Well, the Stealth Pivot’s mid-range price seems pretty good. However, I feel like it might have been a more tempting option had it been priced closer to $100/£100 and focused exclusively on pivot functionality – leaving the built-in screen exclusively to the Stealth Ultra.
Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot: Specs
| price | US$129.99/£119.99/AU$249.95 |
| aspect | 6.3″ x 4.7″ x 2.5″/160mm x 119mm x 64mm |
| weight | 0.66 lbs/300g |
| compatibility | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC |
| Connection type | Wireless (2.4 GHz, PC only), wired (USB Type-C) |
| battery life | 20 hours |
| software | Control Center 2 (Xbox and PC) |
Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot: Design and Features
- Overall excellent build quality
- Pivot technology is a standout feature
- Also has a built-in display, but doesn’t feel necessary
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot impressed the design department. It’s mostly made of plastic but is of very high quality and feels nice in the hand – even if it’s bulkier than most Xbox Wireless Controller– Silhouette Gamepad.
While the back of the grip is untextured, the front has subtly textured pads that rest easily on the palm of your hand. Meanwhile, the bumpers, triggers, and rear remappable buttons have a more pronounced, bumpy texture, and the overall feel is great. I’m also a big fan of the sleek, rounded D-pad, which I find perfect for fighting games.
In fact, Stealth Pivot is a perfect fit for the fighting game genre. That’s where we get to the pad’s standout feature: those custom Pivot modules. There’s one on each side of the controller, and both come with two different layouts. By default, the controller’s pivot is set to a traditional two thumbstick layout. The left side of the module has a D-pad and two buttons on the other side, while the right side has a six-button layout.
This is a neat feature that makes the Stealth Pivot stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, the whole spinning process can be quite awkward. For starters, you need to unlock the pivot by toggling an unusually stiff switch on the back of the pad. Then, turn the joysticks clockwise to press them inward, making sure they fit inside the controller. Next comes the rotation itself and then locking the pivot module again. Overall, it’s a fairly clunky process, and I feel like it could use some improvements if Stealth Pivot were to be followed up.
In addition to some very effective trigger locks with different analog and digital settings, another standout feature of the Stealth Pivot is its built-in display. It’s effective and distraction-free, and can be activated by simply pressing the small “+” button on the bottom of the controller. Stealth Pivot’s input will then interact with the display’s options rather than your game until you press the “+” button again.
The options for the display are simple but have almost everything you could want while gaming without being overly complicated. You can switch between up to five button profiles (which you can create via the downloadable Control Center 2 app on Xbox and PC), monitor battery life, adjust headphone volume (if you plug them in via the 3.5mm port), and check Firmware updates.
It’s a nice addition, but I don’t think it’s necessary, especially since it doesn’t really enhance the unique selling point of these Pivot modules. As mentioned, I wouldn’t mind if the controller had the pivot module as a prominent feature, which might allow it to come in at a slightly lower asking price while still keeping this controller special.
Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot: Performance
- Turtle Beach’s AntiDrift joystick is responsive
- Tactile buttons, triggers and bumpers
- Specializes in competitive shooters, fighting games, and retro games
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot is far from a mixed bag when it comes to performance. For beginners, the Hall-effect-like AntiDrift stick is excellent. Not only do they look durable, but they’re also incredibly smooth and responsive, making them perfect for fast-paced competitive gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Miracle competitors. The trigger stop works well here too, and the option to quickly press the digital trigger is a boon to the aforementioned shooters.
While I have issues with the implementation of these Pivot modules, they actually work very well in practice. If you’re a regular fighting game player, you’ve essentially got two controllers in one, with the six-button setup on the right pivot module reminiscent of BFG Winnerdedicated battle mat module. I found this to be very suitable Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 Quick access to these extra buttons makes overall gameplay smoother.
This more arcade-like button layout also means the Stealth Pivot is perfect for retro gaming. I’ve tested various old-school compilations with the controller, including Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade ClassicMega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Series, and UFO50. The alternative controls provided by the Pivot module can provide a very comfortable experience for games that are largely better suited to D-pad controls and fast, responsive button presses.
In terms of battery life, I got about 21-22 hours of use here on a full charge, which is in line with the “20+ hours” quoted on the Turtle Beach website. But keep in mind that wireless connectivity via the included 2.4GHz adapter only works with PCs and mobile devices. for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series SWith Xbox One, you unfortunately need to rely on a wired connection.
Should you buy the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also considering…
If the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot isn’t quite right for you, check out this comparison with two other controllers that might suit your preferences, including budget and more premium options.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot | GameSir Tarantula Pro | Razer Wolverine V3 Pro |
| price | US$129.99/£119.99/AU$249.95 | $69.99/£69.99 | US$199.99/£199.99/AU$349.95 |
| aspect | 6.3″ x 4.7″ x 2.5″/160mm x 119mm x 64mm | 6.2″ x 3.9″ x 2.4″/157mm x 99mm x 61mm | 6.2″ x 4.2″ x 2.6″/157mm x 105mm x 65mm |
| weight | 0.66 lbs/300g | 0.72 lbs/325 g | 0.67 lbs/304g |
| compatibility | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC | PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC |
| Connection type | Wireless (2.4 GHz, PC only), wired (USB Type-C) | Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), wired (USB Type-C) | Wireless (2.4 GHz), wired (USB Type-C) |
| battery life | 20 hours | 12 hours | 12-13 hours |
| software | Control Center 2 (Xbox, PC) | GameSir Connect PC App | Razer Controller App (Xbox, PC) |
How I rate Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot
- Tested for a week and a half
- Played a variety of games including shooters, fighting games, and retro games
- Pivot modules are frequently used in some games
While my rating for the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot may seem pretty harsh, I had a lot of fun testing the controller and playing a range of games with it. I really like using the Pivot module for things like Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, UFO 50, and Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Series. I also took liberties with the standard thumbstick layout, loading a few final fantasy 14 Online, Marvel Rivals, and Path of Exile 2.
I primarily played the game on PC, with some testing on Xbox Series X paired with the Xbox Series X Digital Edition LG CX OLED TV and Razer Black Shark V2 X gaming headset. Overall, my conclusion is that the Pivot module brings fairly little traction to the controller due to its effective nature for certain game types. However, for players who regularly play competitive shooters or fighting games, this could easily be a pick-out-of-five or better gamepad.
First review time: December 2024
