Turtle Beach drops a sequel to one of the first Xbox controllers with a screen

Turtle Beach is shipping the Stealth Ultra 2 this week through its own site, Amazon and UK retailer Very for £199. The new model widens the built‑in touchscreen, drops the earlier “social” overlay, and introduces magnetic TMR thumbsticks that can be switched between gate shapes via on‑board toggles – a first for Xbox controllers. The D‑pad has been reshaped, the grips are slimmer and longer, and the rear paddles are now stacked vertically within the grips rather than laid out horizontally. Although the controller lacks extra bumpers found on rivals such as the Nacon Revolution X Unlimited or Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, it ships with a charging dock and a travel case, and offers three‑way trigger stop switches, giving users granular control over trigger travel. In wired PC mode the unit claims an 8 000 Hz polling rate, putting it on par with the high‑end PC pads reviewed this year. Battery life is split into Eco (34 hours without vibration or RGB) and Full Power (10 hours with all features active), mirroring the tiered power schemes seen on other premium gamepads.

The Stealth Ultra 2 arrives at a moment when third‑party Xbox controllers are converging on feature‑rich designs that once distinguished them. Turtle Beach’s acquisition of PDP earlier this year let the company borrow hardware concepts from the Victrix Pro BFG line—most notably the swappable thumbstick system—while retaining its own brand identity. By keeping the price at $199.99/£179.99, Turtle Beach positions the Ultra 2 between the $250 SteelSeries Aeon Pro and lower‑priced options that lack a screen, aiming to capture gamers who want a premium experience without paying flagship prices. The larger touchscreen and refined menu system could revive the novelty factor that the original Stealth Ultra lost when competitors quickly copied its screen‑based UI.

Looking ahead, the success of the Ultra 2 will hinge on how well Turtle Beach translates its hardware upgrades into tangible gameplay advantages. The lack of a public demo video leaves potential buyers guessing about the responsiveness of the new UI and the practical impact of the three‑level trigger stops. Additionally, the controller’s omission of extra bumpers may deter competitive players who favor the extensive remapping options of the Nacon and Razer offerings. Watch for early user reviews that test the swappable thumbsticks and the 8 kHz polling claim, and for any firmware updates that could add the social features the original had but were removed here.