Should you want a gamepad with a removable USB-C cable, two rear buttons, in an ordinary Xbox kind issue, and solely wish to spend about 40 bucks, it is best to take into account the Turtle Seaside React-R.
The React-R is just a little hole feeling and lightweight, which makes it really feel like essentially the most “finances” of “finances” gadgets right here. It additionally means this controller is slightly loud. Button presses and thumbstick actions reverberate at a really audible stage. The USB-C jack may additionally give bigger cables an issue as they danger not becoming into the housing. Both use the supplied cable (not pictured) or follow slim USB-C cables. However don’t dismiss this one simply but.
The buttons and triggers all really feel responsive sufficient, if not as fast and snappy as dearer controllers (and even some which are on this checklist, in reality). They roughly have the identical really feel and sound related to one another when being pressed. Vibration could be hit and miss on PC although, because it wouldn’t all the time work with some video games. When it did although, this factor positively rumbles.
The 2 assignable rear buttons are form of formed like broad, the other way up Ls, that means you possibly can press them by squeezing the grip in your center finger towards your palms, or you possibly can push your fingers up into the controller to actuate them.
The d-pad “satellite tv for pc dish” that’s normal on trendy Xbox controllers is a bit spongy, but it surely doesn’t float round in its slot or something. The gamepad additionally has a whole lot of textured surfaces that really feel just a little prickly at first, however these will doubtless put on down over time. Given its additional options, significantly the rear buttons, this can be a good worth in the event you simply need that straightforward backup controller, one thing you fish out of a drawer a number of occasions a month. It additionally makes use of a USB-C cable, so that you gained’t have to maintain monitor of a special or proprietary cable if most of your peripherals have moved on to the newer normal.
However actually the perfect a part of this controller is the low-cost of entry to start out getting used to professional setups with assignable rear buttons. Rear buttons usually are not for everybody, and arguably they principally profit aggressive video games (significantly shooters). However take into account the Turtle Seaside React-R (and even among the different controllers on this checklist) as an reasonably priced approach to do that characteristic out in the event you haven’t but. Consider it as a “coach” and develop a little bit of muscle reminiscence for rear buttons earlier than spending two or 3 times on an Xbox Elite or Scuf controller. You would possibly discover you don’t use them, after which can both hold on to this controller or improve to one thing like an everyday Xbox Core gamepad down the road, and save your self the cash of getting a tricked out professional controller if you perhaps don’t want or don’t use these options.
Fortuitously, mapping the rear buttons on this controller is a breeze. Double faucet the middle button, then faucet the rear button you wish to assign, adopted by the button you wish to assign to it and there you go. Fast sufficient even to reset it throughout a respawn counter if you wish to check out some totally different setups.
Determining how one can make the most of rear buttons would possibly contain some trial and error in the event you’re new. That’s why it’s typically higher to clock these coaching hours in on one thing extra reasonably priced, than it’s to place mileage on a dearer gadget if you’re simply studying the ropes. Mainly, if you’re prepared to maneuver on from this controller as a result of it runs its course otherwise you’re focused on a extra premium gadget, the React-R goes to inform you whether or not you wish to prioritize rear-assignable buttons or not. For that, I feel this can be a stable worth.
The React-R additionally has a singular characteristic referred to as “Superhuman Listening to.” You hit a button within the heart space and, when you have headphones linked to the three.5mm braveness jack on the underside, the audio of the sport will likely be processed otherwise. I’m hesitant to name this a gimmick, however I truthfully can’t consider a state of affairs the place this is able to actually be helpful to me, even in a sport the place extra perceptive listening to is important like, say, Siege (and I wouldn’t be caught lifeless enjoying that sport on a controller anyway). So, yeah, I feel it’s form of a gimmick.
However what does this even do? Effectively, I ran a fast EQ take a look at on the output of the audio when this mode is turned on, and I’ve deduced that it should be operating the sport’s audio by some form of light low-pass filter and/or it’s in all probability boosting some mids and highs on the EQ spectrum. In lay phrases, it mainly means the controller juices the sport quantity and better frequencies, so clicky, clacky, sharp seems like reloading, and footsteps, are theoretically louder. It’s remixing the sport audio to intensify the areas the place these sounds are most clearly outlined. That does make a form of sense, however I don’t see this catching on the way in which assignable rear buttons have.
Listening to this mode at full quantity over a big time period is prone to get exhausting, if not probably damaging to your listening to. Turtle Seaside intends for this to be a fast factor you activate within the second to get a sonic edge on sneaky opposition, however I’m both not enjoying the best video games or am not satisfied of this. It’s a neat characteristic, however I by no means used it exterior of operating some audio assessments on it to determine what it’s doing.
The Turtle Seaside React-R additionally has a barely dearer sibling which can typically come up in search outcomes if you’re searching for this one: The Recon. Although it’s usually on sale for beneath its $60 price ticket, its checklist value does put it in competitors with the Xbox Core controller greater than anything on this checklist. For that purpose, the Recon will likely be a subject for an additional day…however in the event you can snag one on sale for about the identical value because the React-R, it’s a extra premium gadget and has the identical options—together with the foolish listening to mode one.
