Turtle Beach’s original Rematch Wireless is what I’d call a decent and dependable budget pad, and around what you’d expect for your money. It looked and felt surprisingly premium in its buttons, its responsive D-Pad, and in its many different designs.
Now, Turtle Beach is back with the cunningly-named ‘Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller For Switch 2’, which brings pretty much exactly the same fully-licensed controller back to the table. Except! This time it’s got a flashy new design featuring Mario (never heard of him) and some flash semi-translucent grips. Oh yes. Much more importantly, though, it’s also got itself a ‘C’ button. Yes, that weird little button that I’ve never used. It has one of those!
I jest, of course. I’m sure lots of people are having a great time with the chat functions and whatnot on Switch 2, and this revamp gives us a controller, still in the same budget ballpark (£54.99), that feels like a nice alternative to the more expensive official Pro Controller 2 from Nintendo if £75 is out of your price range.
I alternated between the Switch 2 Pro Controller and this new Rematch for my review of Mario Tennis Fever (as they are the only C-button-wielding pads I own, and that’s how you do science, you see) and obviously the big difference here is that lack of rumble support. It’s one of those things I really struggle to do without nowadays, especially when you can feel the difference in shots and power. But taking this omission as a given, I’ve been mostly impressed by the rest of both the build quality and the overall feel of this pad.
It’s got stiffer face buttons than the Pro Controller which feel good in their own way – very responsive and firm, there’s no mistake in pressing them and no mushiness. They’re a nice match for a robust D-pad that sits up nicely from the controller face and clicks through its points more noticeably than the more expensive Pro. It’s personal preference with a lot of this stuff, but I do appreciate being able to feel every point being reached so I don’t ever have to check my bearings as I play, especially in fighting games.
In terms of weight, as this is a USB-C-charged affair with no removable battery, and given the lack of rumble tech in there, it feels very light. Again, I’m actually a big fan because my wrists are made of haunted dust, but it does feel slightly ‘cheaper’ (because it is?) than the Pro.
Speaking of the battery, the official details tell me you get 40 hours on a single charge, and being that I’ve played an entire review game with it and just one other pad, and with no recharges required, I’m gonna go ahead and say I definitely got 30+ hours out of that single charge thus far.
The TMR sticks feel great, as expected, the home and screenshot buttons are well-placed just above your menu buttons, and that all-important ‘C’ button takes centre stage, because why wouldn’t it? I should also mention that I love the big red clacky extra buttons on the back. They feel a little less primo than the dinky little hidden ones on the Pro Controller, but they are much easier to find and to tell that you’ve pressed on them at all. The Pro is a little mushy in this regard.
In your hands, the Rematch is bigger on its rear side and slightly flatter on the front than the Pro, which makes for a better grip overall for me, and between the two I also have to give this pad the nod for its triggers. I love the shape of these, as they flick upwards rather than tailing off like the ones on the Pro, making them easier to find blind and, well, they just feel more ‘trigger-y’, meaning your finger stays on there and doesn’t start sliding when things get intense in Stardew Valley or what have you.
Other things of note. You can use this controller with your OG Switch. There’s no 3.5mm jack. Boo! But there are motion controls smuggled in to sweeten the deal. Hooray! Well. Sort of hooray.
My biggest issue with this thoroughly decent controller, you see, is that for just a little bit extra cash, you could nab something better. If you’re on a super-duper strict budget, or simply must have this design in your collection, things are different, but considering this one is retailing at £54.99 on the official site and I could pick up the excellent 8BitDo Pro 3 for less with a little searching, it gets complicated fast. The Pro 3 gives you TMR sticks, Hall-Effect Triggers, and rumble support. You see the issue. Even if you don’t like the Dualshock-apeing style of the Pro 3, there’s also the Ultimate Wireless/Bluetooth 2 to consider, which again I can find online for similar money right now.
This controller can’t wake up the console, and it also has no rumble/amiibo-scanner to boot. So, whilst you get a nice licensed pad that feels great, looks great, plays great, and has got that C-button, it’s possible to get alternatives with other bells and whistles for cheaper.
If you love the livery or if that C-button is a must for your amazingly social gaming lifestyle, then this is a very solid pad, so long as you can make do with the omissions I’ve noted.
