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

I have now had the pleasure of reviewing a few of PDP's wireless Nintendo Switch controllers. The first were part of the much older clear Afterglow line, and more recently, the Afterglow Wave (which I like much better). This newest model is the first Nintendo Switch controller from Turtle Beach, but it's quite clear that since buying PDP in 2024, this controller is a 'formerly known as PDP'. The shape and design almost perfectly matches previous PDP controllers, right down to the shape and materials used. There is nothing wrong with that; if it isn't broken, don't fix it right? Like the previous lines, this controller lacks HD Rumble and Amiibo NFC reading, but is otherwise fairly full-featured.

When I reviewed the Afterglow Wave last year, I pointed out that it had a bunch of tiny improvements compared to older models that added up to a better controller, even if those changes were subtle. Strangely, one of those changes was rolled back in this new model to the earlier design, and is unfortunately worse for that.

Though to be fair, for many Nintendo fans, the appeal of this controller is not as much the functionality (though that is important), but the beautiful art that makes up this latest Rematch. I have the pleasure of reviewing the Invincible Mario model, and it is quite an appealing design. Mario is strutting his stuff right across the face of the controller, while also adorned with stars. The sticks and rear are purple, and the buttons are a nice green color. To top it all off, the glowing stream behind Mario glows in the dark, though it takes a pretty much pitch-black room to see it. Nevertheless, it's a neat addition.

As a third-party controller, it does lack a few features that the first-party ones include. This controller is less expensive than Nintendo's Switch Pro Controller, but the price difference is less here than in the past, with that difference being only $10. As mentioned before, it is missing Amiibo NFC reading and HD Rumble. Amiibo support is hardly a big loss, but HD Rumble is a bigger loss in my opinion. Unfortunately, this missing feature seems to be a condition of getting Nintendo's official licensing, so there isn't anything PDP (or now Turtle Beach) can do about that. Fortunately, motion controls are available on this Rematch controller.

This Rematch is extremely similar to the older Afterglow lines, both the six-year old model and the one from last year. Both offer largely the same feature set, like two rear buttons and motion controls. This one lacks RGB lighting, instead opting for the Mario finish. If you set them side by side, the familial resemblance is certainly there. As I mentioned before, the Afterglow Wave had a few small improvements, particularly with the bumpers and triggers that this Rematch strangely undid - this model takes after the six-year-old model's bumpers and triggers almost exactly.

You see, the bumpers are close together with the triggers, and the triggers themselves are quite small. What this means is that if you have larger hands like I do, you can't easily have fingers on both the bumper and trigger at the same time. They had largely fixed this with the Afterglow Wave last year, but this one went back to the older (worse) design.

Outside of that, most of the controller is perfectly serviceable and otherwise quite similar to previous models, in that 'if it isn't broke' kinda way. The analog sticks are purple on my model, but otherwise identical to both the older and much older controllers from PDP. There are ridged horizontal rings around the outside, with a textured crosshatched circle in the center of the concave ring. The buttons are largely similar, being membrane and somewhat loud. The rear paddles are identical to what last year's Afterglow Wave offered, other than a different texture. The plastic used feels reasonably high-quality all around, though I wouldn't say it's premium.

There is a very slight texture on the back of the controller, making it easy to keep a solid grip. The Afterglow Wave did have a more pronounced texture, but both get the job done. This controller uses a similar texture for the rear paddle buttons. The front of the controller, with Mario's smiling face on it, is perfectly smooth.

This controller has been flawless in use, as I would expect from a Nintendo-licensed product. (A lot of the cheaper controllers are not licensed, and may have mixed results.) While unlicensed controllers have come a long way, and we have even reviewed some that work well for us, you just never know what you're getting. Some third-party controllers work well, while others have a hard time pairing or connecting when you want them to. The quality level is going to vary greatly with unlicensed controllers, where with this Turtle Beach, it's going to be reliable every time, or you can contact technical support if you have a problem. Sometimes reliability is worth that piece of mind of a licensed product.

One notable area of improvement with this new Rematch controller is in battery life. The older models promised about 20 hours. This one goes above and beyond, to 40 hours. That is a long time for any controller; I'm very impressed.

The Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch is a continuation of the long legacy of PDP's popular controller line for Nintendo Switch. While I am likely to grab the Pro Controller for single player experiences since I really love haptic feedback, for large group games like Smash or Mario Kart, this Rematch will join our existing PDP controllers as great options when we have a large group ready for some multiplayer action. It looks and feels great in operation, especially with that attractive new Mario design. If you wish to use them on a PC you can, but you need to connect them wirelessly over Bluetooth. Regardless, while the lack of rumble is regrettable, the Turtle Beach Rematch is a perfectly fine controller, if you don't need every feature under the sun. After all, Nintendo's own Switch Lite console doesn't even include HD Rumble, so many gamers simply won't miss it - and if you love the attractive Mario artwork, then there is even more to love. Recommended if you love the look or desire the extra-long battery life.