Playing with cloud power
Cloud gaming is becoming more and more common in this day and age. There are also plenty of options when it comes to controllers for your cloud gaming needs. The latest comes from Turtle Beach as they throw their hat into the ring. These controllers mimic the look and feel of the standard Recon controller, which you can of course read our review here for all the controller details. What does this bring to cloud gaming though? Read on to find out why this is one of the best options aside from one minor detail.
The first thing I want to get out of the way upfront is that these controllers are only compatible with Android. I tried attaching it to an iOS device and it recognized the controller. I could use it for things like Apple Arcade, but for Xbox Cloud Gaming it doesn’t even recognize the controller exists. I am assuming this has to do with the way it works on the backend, but it is weird considering it is just a Bluetooth controller. It should at least register as a generic one or something along those lines.
MSRP: $99.99
Price I’d Pay: $79.99
If you read my review of the Recon controller, this is fairly similar. The design is almost identical outside of the obvious mounting bracket and a few extra buttons. I really like the design of this controller, and the Cloud version feels a bit more weighty, which I always appreciate. The back triggers are excellent and it just feels good in the hands. In the box we get the controller, a braided cable, three months of Game Pass, and the mounting bracket.
The bracket is well-designed and easy to attach to the controller. I love that it will fit almost any phone with its adjustable design. It also has a nice option to move the angle depending on how I am viewing. The cable is standard USB-C and the battery charge lasts about 30 hours, which is more than enough for on-the-go gaming. Everything in the box feels well-made and I would even use these controllers on my main Xbox in a pinch. They are well-designed and feel good in the hands. They definitely don’t feel like the crappy third party controllers I used to make guests use.
If I have a major gripe about these controllers it is the excess of buttons. It can be overwhelming how much there is to learn about all these buttons. I get the idea that there are audio controls, but most of that could be handled by the console. Putting them on the controller makes it look cluttered and confusing. I did appreciate their functionality after learning them all though and again makes this a very versatile controller.
Overall Turtle Beach continues to impress me with its controller offerings for Xbox. I do wish they would add a wireless option as well as supporting iOS as well as Android. Still if you prefer a standard controller for Cloud Gaming there are few better options with an included bracket. The design is solid and the features are excellent. I would not be upset using this controller as my main device and that speaks volumes for a third party device.
Review unit of controller provided by publisher.
