The Turtle Beach React-R is the newest controller from the gaming equipment model, newly available in the USA today for $39.99. It’s a wired Xbox and PC controller with a removable USB-C cable, formally licensed by Microsoft, and it mixes a few of Turtle Beach’s audio chops from its headsets into an reasonably priced gamepad.

The React-R is a bit like Turtle Beach stripped down its Recon controller and gave it a barely worse identify. For $20 lower than the Recon, the React-R affords good high quality face buttons, sticks, triggers, and two programmable rear buttons. Some of these buttons, notably the shoulders, sound a bit extra hole of their clickiness — however that wasn’t one thing that felt particularly premium on its pricier counterpart both.

There are textured bumps all alongside the React-R’s shoulder buttons, although not as outstanding as those on the Recon. The raised texture alongside the hand grips of the React-R are grippy and cozy sufficient, although they don’t really feel as good because the Recon’s soft-touch rubber grips. However, an enormous characteristic that’s trickled right down to the React-R is Turtle Beach’s wonderful audio methods.

The React-R has Turtle Beach’s badly-named-but-actually-good characteristic, Superhuman Hearing. Just like on the Recon, when you may have any wired headset plugged in, you’ll be able to press the S icon button, and the React-R balances the sport audio combine to attract out seems like character footsteps and gunfire. This was the characteristic that tipped the scales and satisfied me to offer the Turtle Beach Recon the nod for finest controller for shooters in our purchasing information. It’s both one of the best gaming audio characteristic round or a tremendous placebo impact that leads me to having a greater KDR, however both means, it’s cool to see it provided in a less expensive pad.

While the React-R inherits Superhuman Hearing from the Recon, different options didn’t make the reduce. It doesn’t have the audio EQ presets, microphone self-monitoring, or Pro-Aim options. I’ll concede that these are possibly much less of an enormous deal right here, so I’m okay with dropping them. In reality, with among the Recon’s extras shaved off, the React-R turns into a a lot much less complicated controller to select up and use. All these buttons that have been littering the highest of the Recon like some small, light-up warts? Most of that’s all gone now, and the controller seems to be somewhat sleeker for it — even when Turtle Beach needed to go and emblazon an unpleasant REACT-R label on its high.

One different factor the React-R didn’t sacrifice is fast management of recreation quantity and audio / chat combine when utilizing wired headphones. You now management these by holding the highest button above the Xbox information button and pushing one of many labeled 4 D-pad instructions. Sadly, although, the chat combine management stays an Xbox-only characteristic, because it’s not suitable with Windows.

Still, the React-R affords fairly a bit for simply $39.99. I think that Turtle Beach was gunning for the likes of PowerA and its Enhanced Wired Controller, which stays a wonderful possibility — Micro USB port however — because it so incessantly goes on sale for well under $30. While the React-R has the sting on PowerA with its audio options and USB-C connectivity, it may be taught a factor or two within the coloration division. The black React-R controller is, nicely, advantageous. But the purple and white mannequin launching alongside it may have used a extra elevated look past its barely ’80s aesthetic — like monochromatic face buttons and a color-matched cable.

The Turtle Beach React-R exhibits some promise within the time I’ve spent with it up to now, and it makes among the proper sacrifices in the proper locations to achieve a cheaper price level. Now, if this $39.99 controller will get discounted with some regularity, it might change into a simple suggestion for anybody looking for a price range possibility with good added options, particularly for taking part in on-line shooters.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge