Turtle Beach’s budget-friendly Designed for Xbox REACT-R controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows is a formidable opponent for any third-party controller that costs under $40, with a few caveats.
When looking for a budget controller, Turtle Beach might not be the first company that springs to mind given its continued success in the audio industry, but the company does offer a few controllers, and for the price, they’re a newer and more budget-friendly option could be the best bang for your buck…literally.
The Turtle Beach REACT-R is a wired Designed for Xbox controller that you can use with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC. It features the company’s “Superhuman Hearing” technology for use with any wired headset, full audio controls on the front of the controller, and two remappable “Quick Action” paddle buttons on the back. You can currently buy the React-R from the Turtle Beach Store for £34.99/$39.99/€44.99.
Turtle Beach REACT-R Wired Game Controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows
I’ve been using the Turtle Beach REACT-R as my daily controller for the past few weeks and would say I’ve definitely put the poor thing through its paces, but to be fair it’s handled everything very well. In terms of build quality, it’s by far the best controller I’ve used at this price point. The REACT-R is much lighter than an official controller (300g), which seems to be the rule of thumb for budget-friendly controllers, but its general hard plastic shell gives it a build quality that’s leaps and bounds ahead of other company offerings. It’s sturdy, comfortable to hold for long periods of time, and feels like it could have decent durability. We’ve done quite a bit of work here at TA with PowerAs Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S, which is priced in the same price range as this controller, and the REACT-R feels much more durable and much better quality in every way.
The shell features diamond-cut handles on the arms, as well as the bumpers and triggers, which actually provide a comfortable grip rather than being there as an aesthetic addition. The bumpers and rest of the buttons on the REACT-R feel solid in use and offer minimal noise feedback, but the triggers are loud – why do they always have to be loud! A small buffer would be perfect here, but that’s the only gripe I have with the buttons, which isn’t exactly a big deal.
The rear remapping paddle buttons, and I’ll admit these are the ones I don’t use very often, are exceptionally good. The actual switch feels like it’s on the inside of the arm rather than the back of the controller. So when you hold it, your fingers rest comfortably in its cradle-like shape, which offers the same grip as the rest of the controller. They’re easy to press, but I’ve yet to accidentally click them when performing other actions – they’re by far the best back buttons I’ve come across.
The Turtle Beach controller’s standout feature is its audio-enhancing controls, which activate the company’s “Superhuman Hearing” feature any wired headset connected to the REACT-R, whether it is a Turtle Beach headset or not. Everything works from the front panel, which has buttons for activating superhuman hearing and muting your microphone, as well as controlling the overall volume of your headset and mixing game and chat sounds via a control button and the d-pad. The whole system is genuinely intuitive, providing a quick way to control your audio levels without having to fiddle with the headset controls mid-game or pull up the Xbox audio menu. It’s without a doubt my favorite part of the controller, and the feature alone makes it a controller worth having.
Of course, using the audio panel requires you to have a wired headset to plug into the 3.5mm audio jack, and without that the audio panel is obsolete. The REACT-R is self-wired, so with an additional wired headset; You’ll get tangled up nicely – but it’s definitely worth it if you’re comfortable using wired accessories. The REACT-R comes with an eight foot cable, and while it’s entirely situational, it’s a little short for my living room needs – ten feet would have been great!
The Turtle Beach REACT-R Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S really gives you more bang for your buck than its competitors if you like messing with the wires. It’s well built, feels durable, and truly offers an excellent experience when playing for long periods of time, while the addition of the company’s proprietary audio technology adds elements not found in most other controllers, especially at this price point. My time with the controller has been enjoyable and mostly positive, barring a few hiccups, and it speaks to the level of quality Turtle Beach continues to offer with its peripherals. Right now, the REACT-R is by far the best controller I’ve used that costs under $40, making it an easy recommendation if you’re looking for a new controller without breaking the bank.
A test unit of the REACT-R was provided by Turtle Beach for the purpose of this article.
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