Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2 Gaming Headset Review

If you’d told me fifteen years ago that Turtle Beach would now be considered amongst the most prestigious peripheral makers in gaming, I’d have snorted into my plasticky, uncomfortable Xbox 360 headset and started another round of Gears of War 3.

While I definitely still snort into my headset, and we’re about to get a brand new Gears of War, the reality of the global peripheral market is clear to see. Turtle Beach has elevated its craft and now sits among the absolute best in the business, and with the release of the Stealth Pro 2, the team from San Diego have created a truly premium gaming headset that makes sense no matter what you’re playing.

The original Stealth Pro remains amongst my favourite headsets of all time. I awarded it a seriously rare 10/10, loving its build quality and the exceptional audio it pumped out. When I say the Pro 2 is a successor in every single way, I want you to understand what I mean. This is a truly generation-defining headset.

Turtle Beach has looked to Apple for some of its design cues this time around, most noticeably in the Stealth Pro 2’s headband, which is now a mesh and rubber-coated metal frame offering more than a nod to the AirPods Pro Max. Still, if you’re going to make something that apes one of the most desirable pieces of audio tech out there, you might as well go the whole hog, with the tubular adjustment joints continuing to steal some more of Apple’s lunch.

There’s a host of controls, shared across the rear surfaces of both earpieces, with separate power and Bluetooth controls keeping things simple, while a trio of textured dials gives you access to separate wireless and Bluetooth volume. You can then customise the third dial and the Mode button to perform a variety of functions using the Swarm II app.

Besides that, you’re getting one of the most value-packed packages in modern gaming thanks to the Pro 2’s ability to seamlessly switch between up to four different devices, as long as they’re packing their own wireless dongle. You get a base station and a USB-A dongle in the box, so you can have it set up for two devices out of the box, and you can buy additional dongles from Turtle Beach for a vaguely reasonable £29.99 if you need them.

As is fairly common with headsets, the Xbox Series X|S edition is suitable for use with PC and PS5 too, while the PlayStation version only works with PS5 and PC, making the Xbox version the best bet for a multi-platform household. With the additional Bluetooth connection, you’re also good for Nintendo Switch 2, and pretty much everything in your house at this point.

There’s then dual batteries, with one constantly charging in your main transmitter, and the other in the Pro 2 headset. If your headset is running out, you just pop the battery out of the transmitter, lift the magnetic cover on the left earpiece, and swap them around. I think that makes the Stealth Pro 2 basically impossible to run out of juice, unless you forget to put the battery back on charge.

While the Stealth Pro 2 mostly opts for understated black and gunmetal tones, it adds some real visual flash with copper highlights that appear at the end of each side of the headband, circling each earpiece, and as a clear contrast point on the foldaway mic. It’s smart, modern and plays the premium gaming headset card incredibly well, balancing some heft and solidity while keeping the weight low enough to remain comfortable through hours of play.

The only point where I found it began to wear on me was because I have a habit of wearing over-ears just on one ear, and the Pro 2’s headband doesn’t make that a great way to play. Still, that’s not how you’re supposed to wear it, and the memory foam earpads are super soft and responsive, moulding around your ear and ensuring a good seal, while the soft, plush fabric manages to stop things from becoming too sweaty.

Thanks to the removable mic arm, the Pro 2 is also a perfect fit when you’re away from home, and with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, you can utilise it with any mobile devices, whether that’s your smartphone, a Switch 2 or a Steam Deck. There’s a number of other reasons why you’d want to, not least the inclusion of high-res LDAC codec support and strong ANC that does a great job of cutting out the outside world and helping you focus on the game, movie or music you’re in the middle of. It’s definitely amongst the best ANC implementations I’ve come across in a gaming headset, and comes closer than ever to a Sony or Bose level of performance.

Portability is slightly hurt, though, by the comically large hard case that the Stealth Pro 2 comes with. The earpieces only rotate flat instead of folding up and in, and the case is designed to fit the entire package in at once, including the battery-charging transmitter. If you were hoping for room for your packed lunch, prepare to go hungry. I’ve taken to just dumping the headset itself into my bag on its own, and thus far, it’s held up well, so you probably don’t need to lug the entire case around as long as your bag isn’t full of broken glass and bladed implements.

The Stealth Pro 2 is fitted with 60mm Eclipse drivers, and that larger surface area means that this is a headset that can move some serious air around. In use, that makes for an expansive soundstage, and some serious depth in the bottom end, especially if you’re playing the kind of bombastic blockbuster that’s set to fill up the release schedule this autumn.

I’ve been playing an interesting mix of games through our review time, though Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave has definitely taken the largest share. The Pro 2 has made the orchestral soundtrack sound suitably epic, and I found myself totally locked into the multiple threads of fantastical storytelling thanks to the exceptional audio delivery.

Besides that, I’ve loved my time with both Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition. The Stealth Pro 2 undeniably enhanced both of these experiences, whether that was the clangs, crashes and hokey dialogue of Onimusha, or the overwhelming, otherworldly soundscape of Elden Ring.

Whatever media you’re consuming, the Stealth Pro 2 just sounds great. A bunch of anime in Crunchyroll? Perfect. Catching up on Silo on Apple TV? Spot on. I’ve also listened to a load of horrible metal, and the Pro 2’s larger drivers gave some serious depth to President’s brand-new Blood of Your Empire, maintaining all of the definition from Charlie’s vocals over the churning guitars and thumping beats. It’s naturally set up for rock, metal or dance, but lighter styles, like Of Monster and Men, still benefit from the wider soundstage.

It helps that you can adjust and tweak the performance of the Pro 2 incredibly easily. The Swarm 2 app is available for iOS, Android, Mac and PC, and gives you control of everything you could hope for, from a batch of EQ options through to setting up your mic performance with adjustments for sensitivity or your noise gate. It’s worth noting that the mic setup is slightly quieter than you might find from other headsets, and I had to move the boom arm closer to my mouth for regular conversation. That said, its clear delivery makes the Pro 2 a great choice whether you’re just chatting or streaming and recording.

The only sticking point for some players will be the Stealth Pro 2’s pricing. At £299, we are in premium headset territory, but when you look at the overall value, it’s hard to argue with the package or the performance. I’d always consider the Logitech G Astro A50 as an alternative at this price point, with comfort levels that even exceed those of the Pro 2, and it’s got multiple wired hook-up options to plug all of your devices in at the same time, assuming they sit next to each other. The A50 lacks the ANC that really sets the Pro 2 apart, though, and you wouldn’t want to wear an A50 anywhere where other people might see you.