The Turtle Beach Recon 70 are low-cost gaming headphones. The voice recording quality of their microphone is good, their sound profile is well-balanced, and they have a comfortable fit for long gaming sessions. Unfortunately, they’re poorly constructed, lack a companion app for customization, and their fit doesn’t isolate well against ambient noise. Nonetheless, if you want a versatile wired headset for all of your gaming platforms without breaking the bank, these are a good option.
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 for Nintendo Switch matches the console’s aesthetics with its black and red color scheme. But, as previously stated, if you own another gaming platform, don’t be put off – the 3.5mm headphone and mic jack means it’s compatible with virtually every current-gen gaming platform out there, including PC. Just keep in mind that its short lead may make connecting it to a PC more difficult than with a handheld Switch or console gamepad’s 3.5mm port.
The headset is primarily made of plastic, which, given the price, is not a detriment. Fortunately, despite this, its construction feels solid. The overhead band has a comfortable clamp, and the sliding, clicky-fit resizers that connect to each ear cup feel like they could be resized many times without loosening.
When it comes to the earcups, you can see where money has been saved by using synthetic leather rather than a more expensive material. But, once again, they punch above their weight, with well-tuned 40mm drivers and a breathable design that keeps your head cool while in use. They may become uncomfortable after a particularly long session, but there is no major discomfort to report, thanks to adequate foam padding in each ear.
The flip-down mic and cabling are both housed in the left earcup. A detachable microphone would have been preferable, but it can be pushed out of sight if necessary. Because the cable cannot be replaced, take care not to yank and damage it. To the rear of the left ear cup is a master volume dial. It’s a simple design, but it’s a foolproof one with construction quality that exceeds expectations for the price.
Keep your expectations in check, and the Turtle Beach Recon 70 will pleasantly surprise you. There’s no surround sound wizardry here, but the drivers used and tuned do a good job of translating what’s going on in game with a decent sense of space.
We played a variety of games across genres and platforms with the headset and found performance to be comparable regardless of which machine we paired it with. From Red Dead Redemption 2 to Fortnite to Gran Turismo Sport, they all have their strengths in some areas over others, but they’re all fun to play.