Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3
Turtle Beach
Switching between a console in the living room, a gaming PC upstairs, and a phone on the commute usually means switching headsets too — or fighting with three different dongles and cables. The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 Wireless is built around solving exactly that problem. It pairs low-latency 2.4GHz wireless with Bluetooth 5.2, so the same headset that handles a ranked match on Xbox or PlayStation can hop onto a phone call or a podcast a few seconds later. Add an over-ear design, 50mm drivers, and a battery rated for multiple days of use between charges, and on paper this looks like one of the more sensible wireless purchases a multi-platform gamer can make. The real question — the one raw spec sheets never answer — is how it actually feels on your head after hour three of a raid, and whether the trade-offs that come with a sub-premium price are ones you can live with. Here's the full picture.
Design, Comfort, and Build Quality
Materials and First Impressions
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 doesn't try to disguise its price point. The shell is plastic, the cushioning is a mix of memory foam and pleather-style fabric, and there's no metal headband slider or aluminium yoke hiding underneath. That's not a knock so much as a fact worth setting expectations around: this is a headset designed to hit a specific budget, and Turtle Beach spent that budget on drivers, battery, and software rather than premium materials. Independent testers have consistently noted that the construction feels adequate rather than luxurious, with the ear cushions and headband padding falling short of what you'd find on headsets roughly £50 higher up the market. It's a fair trade for the money, but if you've owned a £150+ headset before, you'll notice the difference the moment you pick this one up.
The over-ear cups house 50mm drivers on each side, and the outer shell is styled with the clean, minimally branded look Turtle Beach has favoured across recent generations — an update from earlier Stealth 600 models rather than a dramatic redesign.
Comfort During Long Sessions
This is where opinions genuinely diverge, and it's worth reading carefully before you buy. The headband is adjustable and the ear cushions include glasses-friendly padding cut-outs, which matters more than it sounds if you wear specs — plenty of gaming headsets ignore this entirely and end up pinching after twenty minutes. Several testers and everyday buyers report the headset is comfortable enough for typical multi-hour sessions, and quite a few owners specifically praise the fit during long weekend gaming stretches.
At the same time, more than one review has flagged that the clamping force runs on the firm side, and that pressure across the top of the head and around the ears can build up during marathon sessions — sessions in the ninety-minute-plus range rather than a quick 30-minute match. One recurring theme is that firmly pressing the physical controls on the ear cup can nudge the headset out of position, breaking the seal you'd just gotten comfortable with. If you're someone who games in short-to-medium bursts, comfort is unlikely to be an issue. If you regularly play for four-plus hours in a sitting, it's worth trying this on in person or buying somewhere with an easy returns policy before committing.
Onboard Controls
The left ear cup carries a genuinely busy control layout: a QuickSwitch button to toggle between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, a separate Bluetooth pairing button, a power button, a customizable "Mode" button, and two scroll wheels — one for master volume and one that's remappable to chat mix, mic monitoring, bass and treble boost, or noise gate threshold, depending on your platform and preference. That's a lot of functionality packed into a small space, and reviewers consistently describe a real learning curve before you can operate everything by feel mid-match. It's a "give players every option" approach rather than a minimalist one, and whether that's a pro or a con depends entirely on how much you like to fine-tune your audio on the fly versus just wanting to pick something up and play.
Sound Performance: What the 50mm Drivers Actually Deliver
Fifty-millimetre drivers are a common size in gaming headsets at this price, and the way Turtle Beach has tuned them out of the box leans bass-forward. Low end is punchy and full-bodied — good news for game feel, footsteps, and explosions, and the reason this headset tends to get praised for immersive, "in the room" audio. The midrange, where voices and character abilities live, comes through natural but slightly pulled back, and the treble — footstep detail, glass breaking, distant gunfire — is clean and precise but similarly a touch recessed compared to the bass. In short, it's tuned more for impact than for tonal balance, which suits shooters and open-world games better than it suits critical music listening.
Two practical notes worth knowing before you buy. First, more than one reviewer has found that audio quality degrades somewhat at higher volumes, so if you're the type of player who cranks a headset to compensate for a loud room, you may hear some strain that a pricier driver setup wouldn't produce. Second, the default sound signature isn't final — Turtle Beach ships this with a 10-band equaliser and presets through its companion software, so if the stock bass-heavy tuning isn't your taste, you have real room to correct it rather than being stuck with whatever came out of the box.
Connectivity and Latency: 2.4GHz Wireless vs Bluetooth 5.2
The headset's dual-connection setup is one of its most genuinely useful features, and it's worth understanding what each mode is actually for rather than treating them as interchangeable.
| Connection Mode | Best Used For | What You Should Know |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4GHz Wireless (USB transmitter) | Console and PC gaming | Lower latency, prioritised for competitive play; some advanced audio features are only available in this mode |
| Bluetooth 5.2 | Phone calls, music, mobile gaming | Convenient for switching to a phone or tablet without a dongle; not the recommended mode for latency-sensitive gaming |
The headset can connect to two devices at once — for example, a console over the 2.4GHz transmitter and a phone over Bluetooth — but it's important to know upfront that you can't hear audio from both sources simultaneously. You're switching your active audio source with the QuickSwitch button, not truly mixing two feeds. That's a sensible limitation given the hardware, but it's easy to assume otherwise if you're expecting the seamless dual-device audio mixing found on some premium Bluetooth earbuds.
Key Features That Matter in Real Play
AI-assisted mic noise reduction
The uni-directional microphone uses software-based noise reduction to strip out background sound — fans, keyboard clatter, a noisy household — before your voice reaches your teammates. In practice, this does a solid job for standard game chat clarity, though it's not tuned for broadcast-quality voice work; if you're streaming or recording, expect "clear enough for comms," not studio-grade. It's also worth knowing that voice clarity depends on getting your settings dialled in — a handful of user reports describe the mic sounding processed or unnatural, which points to fine-tuning the noise reduction level as a step worth taking rather than assuming default settings are always optimal for your voice and environment.
Flip-to-mute design
Rather than hunting for a mute button mid-match, you flip the boom mic up. It's a small mechanical solution, but it removes any ambiguity about whether you're muted — you can see it.
Swarm II companion app
This is genuinely one of the headset's stronger selling points. Available on desktop and mobile, it lets you adjust EQ across ten bands, manage presets, tune mic sensitivity, check battery level, and remap the physical controls to match how you actually play. The desktop version is the deeper of the two, but having any control over the mix from your phone is a rare convenience for a headset in this price bracket.
Remappable secondary controls
The chat-mix dial (on Xbox) and mic-monitoring dial (on PC and PlayStation) both let you shape the mix without leaving the game to open software — a detail competitive players will actually use, and casual players can safely ignore.
"SuperHuman Hearing" competitive mode
A software EQ preset designed to boost footsteps and gunfire while flattening everything else. It's a taste-dependent feature; some players lean on it heavily in competitive shooters, while others find the resulting sound unnatural for general play. Because it's a toggle rather than a permanent setting, it costs you nothing to try and switch off if it's not for you.
Battery Life and Charging: The 80-Hour Question
An 80-hour battery rating is a genuinely strong figure for a wireless gaming headset — most competitors in this category land somewhere between 15 and 30 hours per charge, so this is built to last through roughly a full week or more of regular evening gaming sessions before you need to plug in again. Several Argos customers report going a week or even two between charges depending on how many hours a day they play, which lines up with what you'd expect from the rated figure. For anyone who's ever had a headset die mid-match, this is the kind of spec that actually changes how you use the product day to day — you stop thinking about battery percentage almost entirely.
There is, however, an important catch buried in the fine print that's easy to miss at checkout: no charging adapter is included in the box. You get a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, but you'll need to supply your own USB power source — a phone charger, a PC's USB port, or your console's USB port will all work, as long as the source delivers between roughly 0.25W and 2.5W. It's also worth knowing this headset does not support PD (Power Delivery) fast charging, so plugging it into a high-wattage laptop charger or a modern fast-charging phone brick won't speed up the process, and in some cases may not charge it at all. In practice, this means the safest bet is charging directly from a console, PC, or a basic phone charger you already own — not your newest 65W USB-C fast charger.
Platform Compatibility: Who Can Actually Use This Headset
| Platform | Compatible? | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X/S | Yes | 2.4GHz Wireless |
| Xbox One | Yes | 2.4GHz Wireless |
| PS5 | Yes | 2.4GHz Wireless |
| PS4 | Yes | 2.4GHz Wireless |
| PC | Yes | 2.4GHz Wireless or Bluetooth |
| Steam Deck | Yes | Bluetooth |
| Mobile devices (phone/tablet) | Yes | Bluetooth only |
This breadth of compatibility is the headset's core proposition, and it holds up in practice — this isn't a headset that's technically "compatible" with a platform but loses half its features there. The one thing to flag for mobile users specifically: connecting to a phone or tablet is Bluetooth-only, since there's no 2.4GHz transmitter support on mobile devices, so don't expect the lowest-latency mode when gaming on a tablet.
Who This Headset Is Really For
This headset makes the most sense for players who genuinely move between systems — someone gaming on Xbox in the evening, hopping onto PC on weekends, and wanting the same headset to handle Bluetooth calls or music in between. It's also a strong fit for anyone who's tired of managing battery anxiety with a wireless headset, given how far the 80-hour rating stretches real-world use. Players who like tinkering — adjusting EQ, remapping buttons, dialling in a mic sound — will get real value out of the Swarm II software rather than treating it as a box they never open.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
If you record podcasts, stream with a focus on vocal clarity, or need studio-adjacent mic quality, this isn't the microphone that will get you there — it's built for in-game comms, not content creation. Audiophiles who want a flat, accurate, or high-end-detailed sound signature will likely find the bass-forward tuning frustrating, even after EQ adjustments, since drivers at this size and price have physical limits the software can't fully undo. And if you already know you're sensitive to headband pressure during long sessions, or you've struggled with clamping force on other headsets before, this is worth trying on in person rather than buying blind, given the recurring comfort feedback around extended wear.
How It Stacks Up Against Other Wireless Gaming Headsets in Its Class
Positioned in the sub-£100 wireless bracket, the Stealth 600 Gen 3's core advantage over most rivals at a similar price is battery life — 80 hours comfortably outpaces the roughly 15-to-30-hour range that's typical for competing budget and mid-range wireless gaming headsets, meaning less frequent charging and less risk of getting caught out mid-session. Its dual 2.4GHz-and-Bluetooth connectivity is also a genuine differentiator; many competitors in this price range pick one wireless protocol rather than offering both, forcing a choice between low-latency gaming and easy phone pairing. Where rivals often pull ahead is build materials and passive comfort — headsets that spend more of their budget on padding and premium housings, rather than software features and battery capacity, tend to feel noticeably better during very long sessions. The trade-off Turtle Beach has made here is clear: features, platform flexibility, and endurance over plush, premium-feeling construction. Whether that's the right trade depends entirely on which of those two things you personally value more.
The Honest Trade-Offs
The Strong Case
The case for this headset is strong on paper and largely holds up in practice: exceptional battery life, genuine cross-platform flexibility without sacrificing features on any one system, a customization suite that goes deeper than most headsets at this price, and mic noise reduction that handles everyday background noise competently. The AI noise reduction and flip-to-mute design solve real annoyances rather than existing as marketing bullet points, and the Swarm II app turns "buy it and forget it" into "buy it and actually shape it to your preferences."
The Honest Weaknesses
Set against that, the honest weaknesses are the ones a budget conscious buyer should weigh carefully. The plastic-and-fabric construction, while functional, doesn't disguise its price point, and the firm clamping force means comfort over very long sessions isn't guaranteed for everyone. The control layout on the left ear cup is powerful but genuinely takes time to learn blind, and pressing those controls can shift the headset's fit mid-game. The bass-forward default tuning won't suit listeners chasing tonal accuracy, even with EQ access. And the charging situation — no adapter included, and no fast-charge support via PD — is a detail easy to overlook until you're standing in front of a drawer of incompatible chargers on day one.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3?
If your priority is a wireless headset that moves fluidly between Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and your phone, holds a charge for the better part of a week, and gives you real software control over sound and mic behaviour — all without spending much beyond the £100 mark — the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is a genuinely sound purchase, and one of the more feature-complete options at this price. Go in accepting the trade-offs that come with the territory: this is a plastic-bodied headset with a learning-curve control scheme and a bass-heavy default sound, not a premium-feeling all-day-comfort flagship. For multi-platform gamers, casual-to-mid-length session players, and anyone who values battery life and flexibility over plush materials, it earns its place on the shortlist. For dedicated marathon gamers chasing all-day comfort, or anyone whose priority is a microphone built for content creation rather than in-game comms, it's worth trying before you commit — or looking a tier higher.
What People Say
111 commentsGreat headset for gaming.
In the box you get the headset, USB transmitter, USB-C charging cable and a quick start guide. I scanned the QR code in the guide which led me to download the app on my phone in order to update the firmware. I plugged in the USB transmitter into the port of my Xbox series X and turned on the headset. I opened the app on my phone and went to connect to the headset. Make sure that the toggle on the USB transmitter is set to Xbox otherwise you’ll have problems connecting. The app checks that the headset is at least 25% charged and that the USB transmitter is connected before you can update. Thankfully it was at 94% charged out of the box. I did encounter a couple of errors whilst it was trying to update but I just kept retrying and eventually it was able to update successfully. Now onto the design, the headset can adjust to fit various head sizes and the ear cups can rotate to about 135 degrees inwards as well up and down. The headband is cushioned but not as cushioned as other headsets I’ve had before in the past but still comfortable to wear. The ear cups are made of soft memory foam material which is comfortable and also detachable which is great if it needs replacing. Mainly made out of hard plastic it is very flexible in terms of its construction. There many features in the app which allows you to select different sound presets as well as creating your own custom profiles, a total of 5 can be saved. You can view the status of the headset showing it’s connected, the % battery remaining, microphone sensitivity and other features. Flip up the mic to mute rather having to fiddle around finding the mute button. You can also connect these headset to your phone via Bluetooth. I listen to music whilst searching for a game and then switch to back to gaming with a button press. So how does it sound? In my opinion these are a step up from my previous headset which had 40mm drivers where these are 50mm drivers which helps deliver full range of audio from the high to low end frequencies to give a nice balanced sound. Also these headset boasts an 80 hour battery life where my previous headset was only 15 hours. That means more playing, less time charging. There is a super human mode which helps accentuates footsteps or gun fire however I feel this mode sounds rather artificial and I usually have it turned off. The cable provided is relatively short, would be nice if it was longer so if you wanted to charge whilst being able to play. The fit does feel a tad tighter than my previous headset but it still was comfortable enough for long gaming sessions. Overall great headset for my Xbox.
Great headset
I’m an avid gamer who has been gaming for over 20 years, so as you can imagine I’ve had numerous amounts of headsets from all different brands and I have to say this headset definitely ranks in my top 5.
Let’s start with the pros of this headset - firstly it has wireless & Bluetooth functionality which in my opinion makes a huge difference it means you can connect to almost anything including consoles, PC’s, handheld’s, Phones & it even connects directly to my tv which has cloud gaming on it.
I have always liked turtle beach headsets for the wearability meaning the headset feels a nice fit and isn’t too tight this one also features athletic weave fabric ear cups which are super comfortable and don’t put too much pressure on the side of your head, the design is also pretty low profile compared to some other headsets and the mic isn’t right in your face. Also talking about the microphone it features a uni-directional mute feature which allows you to mute the microphone on the fly super quickly.
Other pros are the battery life which has been one of the best I’ve used lasting around 80-100hs of pretty consistent use. The sound is very high quality and enhanced by the super human hearing mode which can be customised using the turtle beach swarm app which I have on both my desktop & phone.
Overall I’d highly recommend this headset if your looking for something budget friendly & with excellent features.
Very happy. Tried & tested 👍🏻
I’ve had this headset a few weeks and I’m very happy with it.
I’ve previously had two steel series headsets one wired and one wireless. Invite all the Xbox references and logos. Fully compatible with PS5.
Set up was easy, plug in the USB receiver to my PS5, set the switch from Xbox to wireless. Turn on the headset and it connected. I was then able to change PlayStation settings to headset for sound and mic or PS5 controller/TV.
Whilst the headset is connected to the PS5 USB receiver in wireless mode, I’m able to connect my phone to the headset Bluetooth and use the phone App ‘swarm’ to adjust mic and sound settings and check battery level etc.
I like how popping the mic down activated it, and pushing it up into the headset automatically mutes it.
Sound quality is very clear, very slightly heavy on the bass. Friends tell me my mic quality is very good and clear. Headband is a little on the snug, tight side.
I would buy this again, it was on sale at the same price as the older 500 series.
I highly recommend this headset at this price bracket.
Great for gaming
These are a mid price pair of bluetooth gaming headphones that can also be used for music and team meetings etc.
The feel of the headphones is good initially, with a soft expanding headband and comfortable ear pads. They do feel a snug fit and I havent got the biggest of heads so this could be an issue for some.
Connecting to bluetooth was really easy and just took a few seconds and it is easy to switch from bluetooth to wireless, just by pressing a button on the headphones.
The mic tucks away really neatly if not required into a recessed area on the left ear.
All controls are also on the left side and are easy to operate and use whilst the headphones are on, which is a positive and negative as they are easy to touch when adjusting the headphones on your head too, particularly the volume.
You can hear background out noise outside of the headphones, particularly if you have them on a lower volume, but 'noise leakage' from the headphones to the outside is good.
Great comfort and rapid connectivity,
I’ve been using the Stealth 600 Gen 3 for a while now, and it is easily one of the best headsets I’ve owned. The first thing that stood out was the comfort; the ear cushions are soft enough for multi-hour sessions without any "clamping" feel.
The connectivity is a huge win here—being able to switch between my Xbox, PS5, and PC seamlessly makes it a total workhorse. I haven't noticed any latency issues at all; the audio is crisp and perfectly synced with the action on screen.
The battery life is also impressive. I can go days without reaching for a charging cable, which is a massive plus. Additionally, the mic does a great job of filtering out background noise, so my teammates hear me clearly even if there's a bit of chaos happening in the room. If you’re looking for a reliable, multi-platform headset that sounds great, this is definitely the one.
Not as good as I hoped
Used this a few times as an upgrade from a previous Turtle beach headset (600 max Gen 2) and I unfortunately disappointed with this new one. They have updated the sound controls to a mix of game and chat volume instead of two independent controls which has decreased the quality of sound. You may want the game volume and chat higher but you can’t have both, it’s either chat higher and lower game volume or vice versa.
When played a game such as call of duty where you want to hear things such a footsteps, it ruins the experience as you would sacrifice hearing anyone talking in the chat. Wish i had returned and chosen a gen 2 model again.
Connectivity issues
Do not buy this product if you have another one in the property, I bought my son one a year ago and its been brilliant, no issues. My previous headset had broken after many years and decided to buy the same headset my son uses. As we had no issues. Unfortunately since the purchase of this second headset. Both myself and my son now have major connection issues with the headsets connecting to each others consoles. Then you have to unpair them and pair them to the correct console again, causing alot of un needed stress every single use.
I have to give 3 stars as the product on its own is good but do not buy a if you already own one.
Excellent gaming headset
This turtle beach headset was easy to set up (took less than 5 minutes) using the Bluetooth dongle which comes inside the set. These headphones are great at blocking out background noise, therefore allowing more focus towards the game you are playing. The thick spongy ear protectors are comfortable especially if you are using them for a long period of time.
The headset has adjustable straps, so can fit a variety size of head shapes and sizes. With volume control it allows you to turn up and down to meet the users preference. I have really enjoyed using these headphone.
Perfect for gamers
These headphones are amazing, clear sound, compatible with play station and Xbox which suits me as I own both. Easy to use, I like the fact you can put the mic up and it automatically mutes the mic. Very comfortable to wear, I wear glasses so its important headphones don't interfere with me being able to wear them. I love that it's wireless! No more wires, unless it needs to be charged. They are good for listening to music as well or even watching stuff. Would 100% recommend!
Perfect for xbox
I've bought many headsets and find that they often are not compatible with xbox, but these connect effortlessly.
My son has broken countless pairs of headsets by dropping them or throwing them, sometimes due to design flaws in lower quality headsets. But turtle beach always does a great job in there design build and quality.
The sound quality is fantastic, my son can never hear me when I call him.
This headset gets an all round 5 stars from me.
Amazing
I love these headphones they are amazing quality the sound is phernomonal and has the extra hearing mode that picks up the smallest sounds, the mic is perfect and pics up so well without being crackly or unclear and easy to store back up when either not in use or on silent, i love the battery life its incredible i can use for days eithout charging and when i do it has super fast charging speed honestly best choice ive ever made for headphones
Headphones are really quiet
Bought these as a replacement to some cheaper turtle beeches I had, expensive doesn’t always mean better. I struggle to hear game play through these on max volume. I have altered all my settings to max also, so either I’m going deaf or the headset just doesn’t cut it. Apart from that, they are pretty comfy to wear, and have about 7 hours worth of gaming time before needing to charge. Not a bad head set but would expect more for the price paid.
Impressive headset, performance and battery life
Great comfort, sturdy and blocks all the noise from surroundings. Likes the sound and mic adjusting dials and USB-C charger compatibility. Good that it came with ISB-C cable so you don’t have to buy one in the market. Ear cushion lads and the overhead cushion are of good quality. As well as sound quality, connectivity and performance. Battery life is good too. Overall very impressive and would recommend this.
Great Headset!
I bought this two weeks ago, and honestly the battery life is insane, i haven’t even charged it since and it’s still on 60%? The latency, noise, comfort and connectivity is all good too.
Deducted a star because in the original box the xbox/pc adapter wasn’t included but the argos staff sorted this out when we returned to the store. Also the mic can be very finicky, so i’m not too sure how long it’ll last.
Gen2 are better
Sounds great comfortable however the new set up for switching between voice chat and game sound is shocking used to be able to turn them both up and down separately and now it is on one roller and after the headset half’s the game volume as soon as you go into a voice chat with no way of turning the game chat back up it stops the headset from being as good as the old ones
Brilliant Gaming Headset
This is a superb headset. The battery life is excellent, the connection is stable, the sound quality is truly sublime, and the side controls for volume, connection, and power are easy to reach and very convenient. On top of that, they’re extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time. A fantastic gaming headset that delivers on every front—highly recommended!
Good quality headset for the price
Brought this recently and have had a decent amount of use from them now. Sound quality is good, they are easy to use as well as set up and pair in Bluetooth mode. The sound and feedback is really good, especially on games with immersive audio. The noise cancelling is very good, all though it does mean you don't realise how loud you are talking through the headset.
Excellent Headset for Price!
I bought these a few weeks ago, as I was looking for a headset that ticked of all my boxes for gaming, affordability, usage, capabilities etc - and this headset has been absolutely spot on! It even has an app, and allows you to connect to multiple things at once. Supper was happy with this purchase and Argos's service was simple and easy to use too!
One of the best purchases I have got recently
I purchased these a month or two ago it was easy simple cheaper than the local superstore actually a really great product I've had many other headphones these are fantastic you can use them with your Bluetooth devices also your phone TV computer laptop as well as your games console obviously I find them extremely useful would definitely recommend .
Awful
Brought these as I have had turtle beach previously. I wanted to stay a loyal customer. The Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection dips in and out whilst playing on the console. I brought 2 sets and only one would connect to the Xbox x.
Returned both sets and ordered razor headsets from curry’s, I have no found my new brand, no more turtle beach for us!
