Thank you Turtle Beach for sending us this controller to review!

Several years ago, Turtle Beach entered the controller market, and killed it with their first products. The Recon and React-R controllers were extremely impressive at their price points, especially the React-R. While it lacked Impulse Triggers, it was otherwise an excellent controller. Their higher-end models are some of my favorites, and I use them almost daily. My son uses the React-R I reviewed quite often, and really likes it. All of that to say, their initial designs got a lot right, even if some of their more esoteric features, like Superhuman Hearing, are not things I particularly care about.

Since that time, Turtle Beach acquired PDP, a major controller manufacturer. Over the years we have reviewed several of their controllers also, though a majority have been a part of their Switch controller line. Whatever the case, despite the Turtle Beach logo on top or the branding on the back, this controller clearly has PDP DNA. Rather than the 'include the kitchen sink' approach Turtle Beach had in the past, this controller is a no-nonsense design, focusing on doing the basics well. It also feels like a PDP when you pick it up. I know that may sound silly, but each brand's choice of materials, design language, and feel in the hand differs slightly in my experience. Sometimes, you can tell who made it just by picking it up, and this feels like a PDP controller. If you needed any more convincing, the Windows and Xbox app used to customize the controller is called 'PDP Control Hub'.

Compared those older models there are quite a few differences, but for me two really stand out. The analog sticks and the D-Pad use a solid plastic that unfortunately feels really slippery. My favorite controllers tend to have a grippy texture on the analog sticks. Unfortunately, that is not the case here, so with more complicated movements your fingers can slip off. That is probably my single largest complaint with this controller.

The D-Pad uses a similar plastic to the analog sticks, and also feels a bit slippery. It's also smaller and flatter than the first-party Microsoft design. It has a slight dimple in the middle, rather than the distinctly recessed center in the newer D-Pads. Turtle Beach's older Recon and React-R design more closely reflected Microsoft's approach this generation. On the plus side, the direction presses are fairly accurate, even if the D-Pad feels a little stiff, no doubt in part due to its smaller size (being smaller, you have less leverage). Even so, when I tested it with Street Fighter II, a classic game known for tricky required inputs, I was able to execute fireballs and dragon punches quite well. I didn't expect that to be the case, so I have to give them credit. The inputs themselves are very solid.

I feel the same about the rest of the inputs, also. The buttons all feel really good, and the sticks operate flawlessly, despite being slippery. Triggers work well enough as well. The buttons do require a slightly harder press than my stock Xbox Series controller does, but nothing serious. As for those sticks, I did try a controller stick top (you can buy third-party ones designed for Xbox controllers from many stores) that I had laying around, and it really transformed the controller for the better. So that's an option if you'd like, though given that stick tops cost money, I can easily understand why some may choose not to.

I will say that I also feel that grip tape for the palm area, and especially around the back where the back of your palm and extra fingers goes, would really go a long way. Unfortunately, that is another extra expense, when more expensive controllers might not need it for many players. It is what it is, but it's something to keep in mind.

I want to emphasize again that my main complaints are ergonomic in nature, but not functional. This controller performs really well, and is a great value at that price point. Especially when considering features that many other controllers don't even offer.

One major example of this would be the PDP Control Hub app. It lets you test and configure the controller in many ways. I would expect this feature for more expensive ones, but it's a welcome surprise for this value offering.

The Control Hub let's you test the controller, by interactively making sure each button and other input works. But what surprised me is that software features I expect from more expensive controllers, like button remapping, dead zone adjustment, and audio adjustments are all here and easy to access. You can swap sticks, triggers, and remap buttons as much as you like. You can turn up or down standard rumble or Impulse Triggers, and you can adjust audio settings like volume, microphone monitoring level, mic mute, and game/chat mix. You can also recalibrate your controls if they seem to drift or anything like that. I felt nothing important was missing.

I know this is a silly nitpick, but I had gotten used to Turtle Beach using branded USB cables for their products. This includes a very simple eight-foot USB-A to USB-C cable to plug into the controller with. I have no complaints about it, but it's entirely unbranded.

Surprisingly, this controller has a higher than standard polling rate, at approximately 190Hz. Most controllers use 125Hz, so this one is quite a bit better. (Premium controllers often use 250Hz or more.) It also has near perfect circularity, if that is what you like for your controllers.

I am of two minds on Turtle Beach's Rematch Core wired Xbox controller. On the one hand, it's functionally great. Not only do all of the basics work well, but the rumble is actually better than good - it's actually kinda great. I've used more expensive controllers with weaker or cheaper-feeling rumble; I like it a lot. The polling rate is also much better than I expected. Unfortunately, the slippery plastic used for the back plate, but especially the sticks and D-Pad is a really lamentable miss for an otherwise great controller. Turtle Beach's previous budget line, the React-R, had this just about perfect, so hopefully next time some of those ideas can be implemented here. Despite that, there is a lot for the very affordable price. I just hope that next time they choose a grippier plastic, even with this entry-level line. They are a great value, but some may find the sticks a bit too slippery. If you have some rubber stick caps, or are willing to buy some, then I would recommend this controller.