Turtle Beach Rematch Switch Controller Review – Here We Go!

Turtle Beach is back with another exciting lineup of products, though this time with a big focus on the Nintendo Switch with new headsets and controllers. Previously under PDP, which Turtle Beach acquired last year, the peripheral maker is gearing up to release a new Rematch controller, which has been officially licensed by Nintendo and comes in some pretty awesome Super Mario-themed designs.

I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to play with these new controllers hands-on ahead of their release, and let me just say, this might be my favorite Nintendo Switch controller yet.

Turtle Beach’s New Rematch Nintendo Switch Controllers Boast Gorgeous Designs and Performance

The first thing a lot of you are going to notice is the controller’s colorway designs. Like previous Nintendo Switch Rematch controllers, the new ones from Turtle Beach are themed after Super Mario. The Invinsible Mario design features Mario himself in his powered-up invisible state. The backside is colored purple, with the buttons being turquoise, and the front side is covered with small stars and a shifting color between a light hue of purple and light blue.  I’m quite fond of the color-scheme myself, but if you’re looking for something a little less “colorful,” the Mario Star Rematch controller is another option as it’s essentially a black controller with yellow stars and stripes. There are, of course, other options on the Turtle Beach website, but for this review, we are looking at the two new ones.

What I love about the Rematch controller is that you’re sort of getting another design with it, as once all the lights go off, the controllers will glow in the dark. Sure it’s a gimmick, but come on, that’s just insanely awesome and a cool way for Turtle Beach to make these controllers even more special.

In terms of build quality and overall design, you can expect the Rematch to match (haha) the quality of Nintendo’s Pro controller. I’d argue it might even be better, or at least very close to that of Nintendo’s, but the bottom line is that these controllers feel great. They perform excellently too, with ultra-low latency, and the battery life can last 40 hours before needing a charge. Additionally, there are two back buttons underneath the controller, something that the Pro controller doesn’t even have. For my hands, which I would say are small to medium-sized, the controller was perfect, with the trigger buttons having a curve to them to keep your fingers nice and snug.

The back buttons also felt like they were in a pretty good spot. My middle fingers rested easily on them, allowing just the right amount of pressure to press them and avoiding accidental presses. They are programmable, which is a pretty big deal, especially for first-person shooter fans.

The only layout choices I do not like are the +/—and Home/Capture buttons. First, they’re swapped around, whereas the +/—buttons on the Switch’s Pro controller are on top, with the other two on the bottom. Turtle Beach has reversed this, and for me, it’s become motor memory at this point. There have been moments when I accidentally pushed the wrong button when I meant to bring up the menu, or meant to hit the capture button instead of the other buttons. I would have loved to see the layout shared on that front, but I do love that they repositioned them closer to other face buttons on each side rather than more in the middle, like on the official Pro controller.

The Rematch controller also lacks rumble support. This is not the biggest deal-breaker, but I do wish that Nintendo would allow more third-party manufacturers to include their HD rumble tech in controllers. I suppose having a much longer-lasting battery life is a much more worthwhile trade-off.

Now, “unofficially”, these controllers are supported on PC, with connectivity possible through a USB-C cable or Bluetooth, much like the official Nintendo Pro controllers. You’ll have to tinker around with button mapping, either through Steam’s input settings or third-party software. However, it is possible to map every button to support any game. I tested a few titles on PC, and my experience was just as good as using a DualSense or Xbox controller on PC after configuring. It also makes for a great choice on PC if you have the patience to set things up correctly.

Woo-hoo!

Turtle Beach’s new Rematch Nintendo Switch controllers strike an impressive balance between playful design and serious performance. With gorgeous Super Mario-themed colorways available, a comfortable and thoughtful form factor, and bonus features like programmable back buttons and glow-in-the-dark shells, these controllers go beyond being just another third-party option—they’re standout accessories in their own right. While the lack of rumble and the swapped button layout may take some time, the overall experience is exceptional, especially considering the price point. If you’re a Switch gamer looking for an alternative to what Nintendo offers, but worry about the quality a third-party may provide, well, worry not, as Turtle Beach’s Rematch Nintendo Switch controller is absolutely worth a look.

Score: 9/10

Pros:

• Excellent design and build quality.
• Gorgeous and stunning colorways.
• Long-lasting battery to keep you playing longer.
• Glow in the dark, come on, that’s awesome!
• Back buttons that are easily programmable.
• “Unofficial” PC support if you have the patience to map everything.
• Built-in motion controls.

Cons:

• No rumble.
• Swapped +/-, Home/Capture button layouts.

Turtle Beach Rematch Switch Controller review unit was provided by the manufacturer. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.

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