If there’s one place where Microsoft is undeniably winning the current console wars, it’s with game streaming. The Xbox Series X is a fantastic console, but buyers are still having to invest in the promises of Microsoft’s first party studios for the time being, so it’s Xbox Game Pass and the option of cloud gaming that feel like the company’s biggest wins of the last few years. They mean you can play games across multiple platforms, taking your progress from your Series X at home to wherever you’ve got some decent WiFi for your phone. That’s led to the a whole host of third party peripherals specifically catering to this, and the Turtle Beach Cloud Recon is one such controller.
The Recon Cloud is a hybrid Bluetooth and wired controller, capable of working with both Android and your Xbox console via USB-A. Continuing that dual nature, it’s also available in two colour schemes, a subdued black number, and a racier blue with reddish-copper highlights version. We tested the blue and copper edition and it really is a great-looking and distinctive paint scheme, if a little tricky to capture in photographs.
The body of the Recon Cloud is primarily plastic, with textured sections that sit beneath your palms and finger grip. They’re designed to assist with your grip, but the rough surface isn’t prominent enough to really make much difference. It’s also just plastic, as opposed to rubber, but it didn’t affect my use of the pad, even during longer, tenser multiplayer sessions with Warhammer Darktide and Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak. At least it’s not going to distract you.
As part of the Xbox eco-system, it’s little surprise to find that the layout and shape of the Recon Cloud match Xbox’s Series S/X official controller, including the newer Share button. The standard face buttons feel firm and responsive, and both of the analogue sticks are an extremely close match for those on the official offering. The D-Pad is a touch squishier than Microsoft’s own, and it is probably the weakest part of the controller. While I wouldn’t want to use it for Mortal Kombat or Killer Instinct, it is accurate and perfectly acceptable for moving around menus or accessing additional items.
The triggers are probably my favourite part of the package, proving precise and reactive across multiplayer shooters like Overwatch 2 as well as offering perfectly defined gradations when playing serious racers like Forza Motorsport. They have the same rough texturing to assist with your grip, but here it feels useful rather than superfluous.
The Recon 500 brings in a host of additional features that you won’t get on your regular controller, starting with the additional inputs that sit beneath each of your middle fingers. These are easy to reprogram, and you can have them replicate any of the other inputs, including the four main directions on the D-pad.
I love how versatile the Recon Cloud is, with Bluetooth connection giving you the ability to play on both PC and, in this incarnation, mobile Android platforms. You can then also play wired, with a braided USB-A wire bringing a latency-free experience to both PC and Xbox consoles. It’s this adaptability that has made the Recon Cloud my favourite option in the increasingly competitive cloud gaming/mobile peripheral category, since it’s not just tied to that single use.
The Recon Cloud also comes with an attachable stand to place your phone in; it’s easy to attach to the body of the controller, and once in place it provides a suitably sturdy place for your phone to sit. It can even become a separate stand as well to prop your mobile up on the nearest table. It’s going to be down to personal choice which setup will suit you better; offerings like the Backbone or Nacon give your phone the feel of a Switch or Steam Deck, but they can’t come close to the full-size controller experience of the Recon Cloud, with the Cloud’s fully actuated triggers sealing the deal for me.
The Cloud carries the Recon name due its additional audio features, and they’re all set to make the best of any wired headset you might have lying around, though you have to be using them wired to the controller. You’re given control over both the master volume and chat output, as well as four signature EQ settings including Turtle Beach’s treble-heavy Superhuman Hearing that’s designed to give you the edge in multiplayer shooters like PUBG. It’s great to have these options on hand, especially if you’re using a good quality headset like the Turtle Beach Elite Pro that doesn’t have any on-board EQ controls.
The main downside to the Recon Cloud is that a host of features are unique to the wired mode, and that extends from the various audio options through to the rumble feedback. However, that’s balanced by the extensive 30-hour battery life – a more than healthy estimation played out in our testing.
With an MSRP £90, it’s also a rather pricey option, with one of the main alternatives being to pick up a standard Xbox controller and a plastic phone mount. The Xbox controller can jump between platforms too, thanks to having both Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth built in, though you do lose out on the Cloud Recon’s built in battery. If you can find the Turtle Beach Cloud Recon on sale closer to £70, that’s a much better balance of value.
