Nearly four years ago, I wasn’t super thrilled with the Gen 2 version of the venerable Turtle Beach Stealth 600. I reviewed the headset during my short-lived era where I would sometimes accept (fully disclosed and no-strings-attached) test units from companies. Turtle Beach sent a Gen 2 Stealth 600 to me alongside a whole bundle of other stuff, and I thought it was completely let down by lackluster build choices.
It’s amazing how much a design revision can change things.
Two weeks ago, I bought this year’s new Gen 3 edition of the headset to test out, driven by an intense curiosity. I’ve been using it exclusively that whole time. I wasn’t asked to review it by the company, nor paid to post this in any way.
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 comes in two different $99 flavors: an Xbox compatible model, and a “standard” PC/PS5 version. The Xbox edition has a little toggle switch on its dongle that allows you to use it with either a PC/Switch/PS5 or in an Xbox mode that satisfies Microsoft’s frustrating audio licensing requirements. The Xbox version is more broadly compatible, but if you don’t own any Xbox consoles I’d recommend leaning towards the other version instead as it has Waves 3D support on PC and slightly more configurable on-headset controls. Both versions have 80 hours of battery life and a secondary Bluetooth listening mode.
Build wise, the entire thing was overhauled, with only the barest bit of design language in common with the past headset. Everything is thicker, sturdier, and more enjoyable in the hands. The adjustment mechanisms are nice and clicky. The headband is thick yet flexible. Headband padding is solid, but the ear cups go the extra mile with cushy memory foam that’s shaped to seal well around your head and glasses. I have two extra clicks of adjustment space on my huge head so it should fit most people just fine.
The left ear cup is crammed full of physical buttons and wheels that are easy to differentiate by touch. Some button and wheel functions can be customized in the Swarm 2 app, either on a PC or on mobile, which is nice.
Sound quality is wonderful for the price. The response curve is impressive, with only gentle elevation in the bass and treble letting you know that this is a “gaming” product. I spent most of my time listening in the default EQ mode, but there’s a button to quickly toggle to other settings, and the headset takes EQ quite well. In the bass boost mode, the sound was still free of the distortion and noise that sometimes happens on other gaming headsets. Also, even with the bass boost turned on, the headset still sounds far more accurate and pleasant than the nightmarish “official” Xbox headset.
Comfort is great, thanks to the better-than-expected ear pads. The clamping force feels high on first wear, but I quickly adjusted to it — and that grip helps with the bass response and isolation. Most headsets with cloth ear cups don’t do a perfect job of blocking out your environment, but these do fine. The cloth material is smooth, free of the rougher texture that most older Turtle Beach pads possessed.
Almost every headset-maker now boasts about their AI noise cancelling for their microphone, with some even requiring additional software to enable it. The Stealth 600 Gen 3 mic has good noise handling which doesn’t need a secondary app to work, so you’ll benefit even on an Xbox. The mic has a tiny pivot point that lets it bend closer to your mouth, and in a two hour gaming session with a friend, he said it was nice and clear — and even a little too sensitive at max volume.
I have only a tiny list of things to complain about. The included USB-C charging cable is woefully short, to the point where it’s silly. You probably have another one from some other device, but if you don’t — get ready to place these right next to something to charge them. The Bluetooth mode sounds similar to the dongle mode and is great for music, but on a few occasions I noticed it would drop the volume level much lower than normal. Quickly toggling the modes again seemed to improve it.
The included manual has a huge yellow sticker screaming “hey please update this” slapped on it. I used a PC to do so, and the Swarm 2 software proudly boasted that the headset could update over the air, without being plugged in. This process failed three times, but worked just fine on the fourth try when I decided to go ahead and just plug it in to my PC.
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 is one of the most radically improved gaming headsets I’ve ever experienced. The sound quality, build, and comfort are all much better than in the last version. The 80-hour battery life rating is accurate, and great for the $99 price point. It’s also cool to see a multi-mode Xbox version at this same price, as Microsoft’s arcane licensing often leads to higher costs for consumers.
Turtle Beach nailed the fundamentals here, producing a solid headset that elevates what I expect from this price. It’s a great default choice for most gamers and will be hard for other companies to match. For Xbox customers, it’s also ten dollars cheaper than Microsoft’s newly revised Xbox Wireless Headset, has four times the battery capacity, and has built-in compatibility with PS5 and Switch.
Obvious choice there, right?
Alex Rowe spent many years reviewing headphones and headsets both on Medium, and in the world at large. Now, he often writes commentary about games — like this recent piece on some arcade hits that should stay buried in time.
He doesn’t ever use affiliate links or take sponsorship deals. Please consider subscribing!
