Xboxaddict.com Article
Turtle Beach Recon Cloud Controller Review
by Adam Dileva
Features and Specifications
- Device Compatibility: Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One Consoles (wired connection), Windows PCs (Wired or Bluetooth), Android 8.0+ Devices (Bluetooth)
- Connectivity Wired: Detachable 10ft / 3m cable with Type-C USB Connector (Type-A at console)
- Connectivity Wireless: Bluetooth connection to Android 8.0+ Devices & Windows PCs
- Ports: USB-C Port for Wired Connection/Charging Cable (on top of controller), 3.5mm Audio Port (Bottom of controller)
- Dimensions (Device Only): 6.1” x 2.48”x 4.33”
- Weight (Device Only): 0.67 lbs
- Compatible Devices Sizes: Fits most smartphones between 47mm to 90mm in width
What’s Inside the Box
- Turtle Beach Recon Cloud Hybrid Controller
- 10’ / 3m Braided USB-C to USB-A Cable
- Detachable Smartphone Clip
- Quick Start Guide
- Turtle Beach Sticker
Opening the package is pretty standard fare. The controller and documentation (plus the always exciting Turtle Beach sticker) comes in one of the two compartments, with the clip and cable coming in the other smaller one. There’s no special unboxing experience or anything notable in that regard.
Welcome to the Recon Cloud
There’s no shortage of third party controllers on the market and you'll have plenty of choices if that’s all your looking for. Turtle Beach knows that some people want more from their controller though. With cloud gaming becoming more and more popular these days, especially with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, there’s clearly a need for a product like the Turtle Beach Recon Cloud.
Not only is the Recon Cloud a controller that will work with your Xbox One or Series X|S (wired), it will also work with your Windows 10/11 PC (wired or Bluetooth) or Android 8.0+ devices (Bluetooth). At $129.99 CAD / $99.99 USD, the Recon Cloud better have some other features if it wants to be considered over a standard controller. Its main feature is essentially having a detachable clip that you can rest your phone on to play cloud gaming on the go while using an Xbox-like controller in hand. With a variety of controller grips to use on phones themselves already on the market, there’s plenty of alternatives for that feature already. Do the rest of the Recon Cloud’s features justify the price tag? Let’s find out.
Designed for cloud gaming, being able to play a large assortment of streamed games to my phone was initially something I thought I would never really use, but the more devices I review for this accommodation, the more I find I use it. I won’t lie, quick rounds of Vampire Survivors via Xbox Game Pass is the perfect example of when I would rely on the product and service, as sometimes I don’t have access to my TV if the family is using it for other things. While I’m going to focus on Xbox Game Pass and its streaming capabilities, you could use the Recon Cloud for other services too like GeForce Now, Stadia (RIP), Steam Link and others. Given that this controller is more geared towards the Xbox experience, there’s of course a one-month free voucher for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included inside the box for new members.Clippy
While many cloud enabled games enable some sort of touch controls, this of course does work, but is nowhere near as accurate or the same experience as having something tactile in your hands such as a controller. So how does the Recon Cloud solve this? It includes a specially shaped clip that can screw onto the top of the controller that will hold onto your phone while you game. Listed as being compatible with phones up to about 90mm in width, I had no problem with it holding my Samsung S20 Ultra, even with a decently thick and heavy case on.
The clip simply stretches upwards to adjust for the width of your phone. The top and back sides that touch your phone has a rubber to keep it safe and secure, though with a thick case you might need to remove it for it to properly sit within the ‘teeth’ that stop it from popping out. There’s two little knobs that loosen and tighten so you can angle your phone the way you want depending on how you hold the controller.
The clip is actually two parts though, the main part is what screws into the top of the controller, and the top half is the phone holder. A cool feature is how these two parts can separate. The top phone-holding half might not look like much aside from a small plastic rectangle, but there’s a hidden kickstand a the back that can pop out. This means that this clip part can act as a stand for your phone while you separate it from the controller, kind of like how you can do the same with a Switch. Now, while this does work, the clip is narrow, so there is a chance it could tip over, but without touching it on a flat stable surface, this shouldn’t be a problem.
It’s Also WiredWhile the Bluetooth connectivity to the phone and PC is the Recon Cloud’s main feature, it needs to be able to connect to your Xbox and charge, which is where the included 10ft/3m braided cable comes in. As a side note, the braided cable does feel quite sturdy and premium, a nice touch with its textured casing. This cable is not only how you’ll use it on console (sadly it doesn’t include Xbox’s wireless connectivity), but how you charge the controller as well. The built-in battery is said to have a 30 hour charge and can fully charge in a brief 2.5 hours. Given that I’m jumping between my Xbox and cloud gaming, I’ve not had any problems with the controller not being charged for Bluetooth mode when the itch to play on mobile arrives.
A Plethora of Audio Features
I didn’t think I’d need a dedicated section in a controller review for a bunch of audio features, but here we are. At the top of the face of a standard Xbox controller is where you’d simply find the Xbox button, but on the Recon Cloud there’s a whole panel of buttons that are meant for a smorgasbord of different options and settings. Because of the included 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the controller, this is how you can quickly change settings and presets.
Now there are a multitude of caveats when talking about these audio features (and vibration feedback actually), mainly that they are only available when in wired mode, not Bluetooth. This means that you can’t use a lot of these features when cloud gaming to your phone sadly, but make for some interesting options when you are using on Xbox or PC while wired. Here is where you’ll be able to adjust the headset volume, party chat volumes, changing preset EQ modes, mic monitoring and more.
Mic Monitoring is a handy feature to have if you’re always in a party chat like I am with some friends, allowing you to hear your own voice and adjust based on what your party would hear. I do like the dedicated volume and party chat volume controls on the face of the controller, even if the buttons themselves are quite small.
As for the four different EQ presets, you can choose from Signature Sound (Default), Bass Boost, Bass and Treble Boost and Vocal Boost. If you’ve ever used a Turtle Beach headset in the last few years, you know one of their signature features is "Superhuman Hearing". This is where it boosts the smaller audio sounds, such as footsteps and reloads, giving you an advantage over the competition. While I tend to not really use this much, as it makes the rest of the audio not sound great, I can see where it would be beneficial in a competitive setting. Again, these options are only available in wired mode.
But is it Sexy Looking?
Available in Blue Magma or Black, we were sent the Blue Magma version. I’d consider it to be a near Cobalt, similar what you might find a car color to be with a slight sheen to it. It’s a good tone, but what makes it really pop is its black grips and orange accents all around. The orange coloring is a metallic ‘burnt’ style that looks quite sharp and adds a sexy contrast. The Triggers, Bumpers, extra rear P1/P2 buttons and some trim around the black grips are this standout orange, and I’m all for it. The subtle “Recon Cloud” label on the right side trim is a great way to show its branding without being overpowering or obnoxious.
The grip sections of the controller at first appear to be a plain and simple black, but upon closer inspection you’ll see the small triangle patterns that’s quite subtle. There’s barely any texture to these grips though, nowhere near as ‘grippy’ as official controllers, nor as rubber-like as Elite’s. These are described as “Ergonomic Cooling Grips”, and while I guess they do work as my hands never become sweaty when in use, extra grip would have been welcomed when I was using the Recon Cloud with my phone attached, as the phone weight really caused some fatigue on my wrists after about an hour.Feeling Pretty Fly
While I did quite enjoy the color contrasts, how does it feel for a third party controller though? I game, a lot, so if a controller isn’t comfortable when I’m doing a long gaming session, then it would probably be set aside as a backup or secondary if someone wants to play couch co-op with me. Thankfully the included cable is 10ft long, so reaching the couch was no problem, because remember, this has to be wired when using on your Xbox One or Series X|S. Wired also means you’ll get the vibration capabilities in the handles and triggers, something that felt lacking in Bluetooth mode.
Overall, the Recon Cloud feels decent, nowhere near as good as an Xbox Elite controller, but it’s also not competing directly with that either. I still prefer the official Series controllers simply due to muscle memory and texture feel, but that’s most likely due to the official grips having a more distinct texture as opposed to the Recon Cloud. As described above, this really was only noticeable when I was playing via cloud gaming with my phone attached on the clip, as the added weight did add some strain to my wrists, so I had to grip a little harder for stability and view.
Buttons, Switches and Triggers, Oh My!
As for the standard buttons, triggers and sticks, they are all here as expected. I do like the textured Triggers and Bumpers, my only complaint is that the Bumpers are much stubbier than official controllers. The D-Pad is your typical 8-way direction but does feel quite ‘platic-y’ and seems slightly larger. Also, pressing the D-Pad in doesn’t do the satisfying click that official controllers do, having a ‘mushier’ feel to them instead. The face buttons for A, B, X and Y are the opposite though, having more of a click to the presses than the official counterparts. The Thumbsticks feel virtually identical to the official counterparts, complete with small ridge on top for your thumbs to rest and a texturized outer rim for grip when aiming.
Next up is the Xbox logo button, View, Menu and Share buttons. These sit in a different spot than controllers I’m used to due to the top panel with all the Turtle Beach additional options. The View and Menu buttons are so close to the D-Pad and Right Thumbstick that I had to look down at the controller to purposely press them. They aren’t in a bad spot per-se, just slightly altered from the norm, so it took some getting used to.
On the underside of the controller you’ll find the Bluetooth synch button, 3.5mm headphone jack and the switch to change from Bluetooth to Wired mode, also acting as the power off for the Bluetooth when switched to wired, a clever double duty purpose. The back of the controller has a P1 and P2 button, somewhat like the paddles on an Elite controller.
These can not only be mapped to whatever other button you want to duplicate, but more interestingly, the Pro-Aim Focus Mode allows for on the fly adjustable Thumbstick sensitivity. Hold down the right Paddle for example and it’ll turn up, or down, your Right Thumbstick sensitivity, great for sniping in shooters when you want to tighten or slow down the speed of the movement. With four different levels of sensitivity, it takes some getting used to holding down the Paddle before sniping, but it does work quite seamlessly once you get the muscle memory.
The top middle part of the controller is what makes the Recon Cloud so unique though. Here’s where you have access to all your audio controls as described above, able to change settings quickly without any apps or software required. I did quite enjoy having the volume and party chat adjustments right at my fingertips instead of dealing with dials on my headset or on the wire somewhere. I liked having all my controls in one spot, but it surely does make it appear cluttered.
The Finale
With a more rubber-like grip, the Recon Cloud I think would feel much more premium, not that it feels cheap at all though. I’m sure many won’t have issues with the middle buttons being slightly offset from their normal placement, but my finger muscle memory certainly needed time to adjust. The detachable clip design is clever and most users shouldn’t have a problem fitting their Android phone within.
At $129.99 CAD / $99.99 USD, The Turtle Beach Recon Cloud is a decent solution for those wanting to play their cloud gaming on the go with an actual controller in hand (sorry though iOS users), yet want to double up its usage as a wired option when at home. Sure that niche crowd may be small, but this controller can do double duty whenever required.**Turtle Beach Recon Cloud was provided for reviewed on an Xbox Series X, PC and Mobile Phone**
Overall: 8/ 10
