Turtle Beach has just unveiled the Stealth Pivot controller, a new type of PC and Xbox controller that houses rotating sections on the front, letting you flip it between different control layouts to suit your needs. The Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot also includes AntiDrift Hall Effect thumbsticks and can connect by Bluetooth, with a wire, or via wireless.
As a maker of some of the Turtle Beach is no stranger to fashioning innovative ways to optimize your inputs for different types of games. However, this new model shows one of the few ways to have a single controller that's aimed at gamers wanting analog sticks and a more traditional, button-heavy layout.
Launching and available from today – October 29, 2024 – the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot's signature feature is enabled by two lock mechanisms on the back. Flip these to the rotate position and the right side of the controller can alternate between a standard Xbox combo of thumbstick and ABXY buttons, and an arrangement with the ABXY buttons closer to the center, with two extra programmable buttons up and to the right.
Meanwhile, the left side can be either set up in a standard arrangement with a thumbstick high and to the left, with a D-pad towards the center, or with the D-pad up and to the left and two buttons in the central section (as shown in the image at the top of the page). These buttons are the left stick button (LSB) and the right stick button (RSB).
Lock the rear switches back into place and you're ready to roll, plus you can combine the two pivoted layouts however you like. The D-pad can also be changed between a digital input and an analog thumbstick response.
Aside from its flippy control sections, the Stealth Pivot also includes rubberized side grip sections, two programmable rear buttons, switchable short or long-throw triggers, and an OLED display on the front. This Connected Command Display lets you customize audio (for the 3.5mm headphone connection), button mappings, and more on the fly. Dual rumble motors are also packed into this controller.
Turtle Beach claims the Stealth Pivot battery lasts for 20 hours on one charge, and that its 2.4GHz wireless connection offers lag-free gaming. The USB port can also provide a game connection while you're charging the controller. However, note that the cable is required for using the controller with an Xbox.
Given the amount of features packed into the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot, it's no surprise its price is relatively high at $129.99. However, that's lower than the price of many controllers, such as the Scuf Instinct Pro and Xbox Elite Series 2, and neither of those controllers offers the switchable control layout of this device. Assuming the controls feel secure and responsive enough, this pivoting ability alone potentially puts the Stealth Pivot in a league of its own.
Why not complete your gaming setup by checking out our best wireless gaming mouse guides?