Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset review: Entry-level wireless

You may still have trouble getting your hands on the new-gen consoles, the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, but the good news is there are already peripherals available for purchase, whether you have one or are looking to get ready for when one is available. The beauty of the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset – available for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch – is it’s compatible with last-gen and new-gen consoles. So if you have an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4, the relevant Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset will be compatible with that current console and ready to connect to that same-family console when you upgrade.

Read on for my full thoughts on both the Xbox and PlayStation versions of the headset, which are mostly identical headsets.

Turtle Beach keeps it simple when it comes to what’s in the box for the Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset. You’ll find the headset itself, compatible with either the last-gen or new-gen console named on the box. That said, the PlayStation variant is compatible with the Nintendo Switch (if you have a Wireless USB Transmitter) and PC, while the Xbox version is compatible with PC, natively in certain Windows 10 versions or via the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows.

You also get a USB-C charging cable, which means no having to fiddle around with putting the headset end in the right way, as well as a quick-start guide and a Turtle Beach sticker.

• Revised take on a top-selling headset
• Enhanced fit
• Expertly tuned drivers

The original Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Headset was a big hit because of its ease of use, attractive price point, and great battery life for lengthy gaming sessions. For Gen 2, Turtle Beach hasn’t so much reinvented the wheel as much as it’s refined what already worked for the Stealth 600. While Gen 2 is more comfortable than the first-gen headset, the hard plasticky exterior means the headband doesn’t flex in a way that’s complementary to bigger noggins.

It’s not that the Gen 2 is uncomfortable; it’s more that it’s a firmer-fitting comfort that feels tighter in comparison to better solutions like those found in higher-end headphones such as the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. Either it’s getting looser or my noggin is getting used to the tight fit the more I use them.

That said, the Gen 2s are absolutely comfortable enough for the price point, even during longer gaming sessions, and the spectacles-friendly soft earcups are a nice touch. Those 50mm drivers provide big sound, albeit not one you can tweak with an equaliser (there are presets you can cycle through). The cost of that big sound, though, is it bleeds out of the headphones, but the volume and earcup design does make for solid passive noise-cancelling from the outside world.

Syncing the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset with a compatible Xbox is a cinch. Once synced, powering on the headset will also power on your Xbox, which is good or bad depending on whether you want another wireless way to get gaming. With no need for a dongle, you don’t have to use a precious USB port to get connected, and the spatial audio perks – either via free Windows Sonic integration on Xbox or PC, or via premium Dolby Atmos – give a nice virtual surround-sound boost to what’s otherwise big stereo sound.

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset was a great performer across games and videos during Xbox Series X testing, but there was an odd Assassin’s Creed Valhalla audio glitch that would overwhelm the soundscape with static if you weren’t interacting with the controller for 30 seconds. If you do want to connect it to a PC, you’ll either need a Xbox Wireless Windows 10 PC or an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows (purchased separately). This is an Xbox headset first and foremost, though; my PC tests offered great sound, but the playback buttons didn’t function and Windows detected the headset as a controller.

While compatible with Nintendo Switch with an adapter, the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset for PlayStation likewise requires a dongle for connecting to a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console. That dongle does have the added benefit of making the PlayStation version of the headset plug-and-play compatible with PCs, plus the physical buttons on the headset worked during my PC tests. While the PC software for both Xbox and PlayStation is effectively used for finding firmware updates, those with Nahimic-compatible systems (like me) can use that third-party software to tweak the soundscape. Though not advertised, the PlayStation version of the Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset also supports virtual spatial sound via Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos on PC, too.

Those spatial sound options aren’t available on the PlayStation 5, though. Given the PS5’s emphasis on 3D audio, I’ll put this to the test in comparison to the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset once it arrives (they’ve been notoriously out of stock since launch). Across models, the flip-down microphone is easy to reach and gets the job done, with muting just a flip up away. What’s less great is the physical buttons on the left earcup. I regularly accidentally changed the chat volume instead of the audio volume, and this could be easily fixed if they were separated by the barely used mode button (used to cycle between four fixed equalisation presets).

There really isn’t a software solution for the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset, whether you opt for PlayStation or Xbox. The Turtle Beach Audio Hub app isn’t compatible with these entry-level wireless cans, so you’re left with incredibly basic Windows software that’s effectively only useful for firmware updates. In terms of playback controls, this means you’re left with the four EQ presets via the ‘Mode’ button: Signature Sound (one beep), Bass Boost (two beeps), Treble Boost (three beeps) and Vocal Boost (four beeps). Quickly tapping the power button enables the Superhuman Hearing mode, which is recommended for fans of online shooters as it boosts critical audio cues that can give you a competitive edge.

There’s enough good stuff going for the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Headset to warrant the entry-level wireless price. The audio drivers provide big audio, separate volume dials for voice and game audio is a nice touch, and limited cross-platform use adds some great versatility. I particularly enjoyed how much juice they had out of the box before I needed to charge them via USB-C cable (which means no struggling to find the right way to insert the charging cable).

Still, the plasticky exterior feel and tight fit makes them less comfortable in comparison to other form-fitting solutions, even if you do get used to it after time. They also bleed sound at higher volumes, which isn’t great if you’re trying to not disturb the person sitting next to you on the couch. But if you want to take your first foray into wireless gaming without spending double the price for a high-end headset, this is a great place to start.