If you’re searching for a new high-end controller to elevate your Xbox gaming experience, then you might find yourself choosing between the Xbox Elite Series 2 and the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra. Both of these products comfortably rank among the best Xbox controllers and the best PC controllers on the market right now, so we’ve created this comprehensive guide to help you choose between them.
Although the Xbox Elite Series 2 is the cheaper option, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra boasts a whole range of premium features that we think justify the additional expense. This includes superb tactile face buttons, durable Hall effect thumbsticks, and, of course, a full-color display to help you tweak your settings while you play.
Still, the Xbox Elite Series 2 is a perennial favorite that has plenty to offer. It’s the only one of the two controllers that supports interchangeable thumbsticks and alternate d-pads, for example, and also has far better software.
So, which of the two is best for your specific circumstances? Here’s a breakdown of their price, design, buttons, thumbsticks, and overall features to guide your decision.
Xbox Elite Series 2 vs Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra - Price
The Xbox Elite Series 2 costs $179.99 / £159.99 / AU$249.95. This price includes useful extras like a robust carrying case, removable back paddles, a charging dock, and an alternate d-pad and thumbsticks. While the Xbox Elite Series 2 is readily available in a basic black, you can fully customize the look of your Xbox Elite Series 2 via Xbox Design Lab, which is perfect for those craving more personalization.
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, on the other hand, costs $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$329.95 and includes a flashy purple carrying case, charging dock, spare thumbstick covers, and USB-C cable.
Although the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is $20 / £20 / AU$80 more than the Xbox Elite Series 2, we think the more premium buttons and Hall effect sticks make it comfortably worth that extra cost. Not only do they feel better, but they will be more durable in the long term, potentially saving you cash on replacements or repairs in the future.
Xbox Elite Series 2 vs Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra - Design
The design of the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is what truly sets it apart from the vast majority of Xbox controllers. It uses a familiar overall form factor, but with its start, select, and share buttons moved to accommodate a small color screen at the top of the pad. It also features an additional input focus button, which switches the inputs over to control the screen rather than your game.
Each grip is adorned with an eye-catching RGB strip, which can be customized using a range of preset patterns or freely set to your desired color entirely through the screen on the controller itself. Using a pleasant blend of shiny bronze-colored and smooth matte black plastic, its front is covered in small decals that lend it a futuristic look. The back of the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is plainer but does sport four low-profile additional rear paddles that lie in a convenient position beneath your fingers.
By comparison, the Xbox Elite Series 2 looks much simpler. It shares a lot of design elements with the current standard Xbox Wireless Controller but with three additional LED lights between the d-pad and right thumbstick denoting your active profile in addition to a new profile switch button. Its grips are also covered in a pleasant rubber material, and its rear has four slots where you can insert the pad’s removable paddles.
The Xbox Elite Series 2 is the best option if you’re very happy with the overall look and feel of the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. If you want something that seriously stands out from the crowd, however, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is the way to go. Its design won’t be for everyone, but slick additions like the RGB lighting help create a controller that looks as good as it feels.
Xbox Elite Series 2 vs Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra - Buttons and thumbsticks
Buttons and thumbsticks are one area where the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra easily beats the Xbox Elite Series 2. The feel of the buttons and thumbsticks on the Xbox Elite Series 2 is identical to those of the stock Xbox Wireless Controller, meaning that they are suitable for everything but offer nothing special in particular.
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, in contrast, boasts impressive tactile microswitch face buttons, which provide crisp and clean inputs and a satisfying click. Despite the additional noise, the precision they offer makes it by far the best choice for genres where every input matters, like high-intensity platformers or fighting games. The feeling is similar to a mechanical gaming keyboard, offering a good, firm sensation.
The same tactile switches are used for the shoulder buttons, rear buttons, and d-pad, ensuring a uniformly pleasant experience, too. The Hall effect thumbsticks are also a superb addition, bringing enhanced durability and better resistance to thumbstick drift.
Although the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra comes packed with a pair of thumbstick caps, it does not feature interchangeable thumbsticks like the Xbox Elite Series 2. This likely won’t be an issue for most players, but the choice is clear if you rely on such customization options. For everybody else, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is definitely the way to go if you’re willing to pay extra.
Xbox Elite Series 2 vs Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra - Features
In addition to everything found on the regular Xbox Wireless Controller, the Xbox Elite Series 2 introduces rubberized grips that make it feel a lot more premium in the hands. The controller also features interchangeable thumbsticks, with convex and concave options included in the package. Similarly, the concave d-pad can be swapped with one of a more traditional shape.
The controller has a trigger lock with three settings, including a hair trigger mode, in addition to four removable back paddles that can be mapped to various inputs with the Xbox Accessories App. You can save different configurations to one of three profiles, which can be selected via the front profile switch button. It’s not an exhaustive set of features, but it should prove more than sufficient for most players who want a bit more than what the stock controller can offer.
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, in contrast, brings a considerable amount more to the table. The color screen can be used to tweak your controller settings without the need for the companion Turtle Beach Control Center 2 software, offering the ability to easily edit the button configuration or thumbstick settings. The screen can also be used to display incoming messages from your mobile phone, though our testing found that this feature could be unreliable at times.
Like the Xbox Elite Series 2, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra has four back paddles (though they are not removable). Both controllers also feature a 3.5mm jack, allowing you to connect one of the best wired gaming headsets with ease, but the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra comes packed with a whole host of useful audio equalizer (EQ) settings. This includes the fantastic superhuman hearing mode, which we found makes it easier to hear enemies in first-person shooter (FPS) titles, which could be a huge bonus if you regularly play any of the best FPS games with a headset or wired gaming earbuds.
The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra can save up to ten custom profiles, far more than the three supported by the Elite Series 2. This, in addition to the ease with which you can set up new profiles on the screen, makes it comfortably the best choice if you enjoy customization.
Our testing showed that the Xbox Elite Series 2 has a substantially better battery life, lasting over double the roughly 18 hours that we achieved with the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra. In the case of the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, however, the on-screen battery indicator made it much easier to tell when it’s time for a charge. The two controllers also include wireless charging docks, which provides charging and a convenient storage solution.
The biggest areas where the Xbox Elite Series 2 takes a strong lead are in its trigger locks, interchangeable parts, and software. The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra only has two trigger lock settings, which is a shame for the price. It also does not have any way to swap out the thumbsticks or design of the d-pad, which could be an issue if you rely on those features.
Furthermore, while the Xbox Accessories App works well, the Turtle Beach Control Center app is extremely unpolished on both mobile and PC, with an unpleasant UI and frequent bugs. Although the controller’s color display removes much of the need for the app in the first place, it’s worth bearing this in mind if you want to make use of everything on offer.
Overall, if any of these shortcomings are not a complete dealbreaker for you, we think the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is the significantly better choice when it comes to features, thanks to just how much more it offers.
Xbox Elite Series 2 vs Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra - Which should you buy?
If you have the budget, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is the better option for most Xbox players. The delightful tactile buttons are a joy to use, while the Hall effect sticks should last long. Throw in a color screen that makes it easy to access a ton of features and settings, plus some RGB lighting, and it’s an extremely compelling offering. Still, there are some things that the Xbox Elite Series 2 continues to do well - including better battery life and its alternate thumbsticks and d-pad.
Buy the Xbox Elite Series 2 if…
Buy the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra if…
Xbox Elite Series 2 vs Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra - FAQs
What's the difference between the Xbox Elite Series 2 and the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra?
There are plenty of differences between the Xbox Elite Series 2 and the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra. The main distinction is that the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra features a color screen, in addition to tactile buttons and Hall Effect Thumbsticks. There are other major differences, so be sure to consult the rest of this guide for more information.
Is the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra worth it?
We think that the additional cost of the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is well worth it. This is because it boasts considerably more features than the Xbox Elite Series 2, while also offering better buttons and more durable Hall effect thumbsticks.
Looking for more Xbox recommendations? See our guide to the best Xbox Series X and Series S accessories or the best Xbox Series X games right now.
