Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 vs Gen 1 (2021): What’s New?

Turtle Beach just refreshed its Stealth lineup, among which is the Stealth 600 Gen 2. As expected, the company made a version specifically for the PlayStation and another for the Xbox.

Compared to the previous generation, the new models come with a few upgrades here and there, updating the wireless gaming headsets to today’s standards. We put them side by side so you can get a clearer picture of how the Stealth 600 Gen 2 builds on its older sibling, which is now known as the Stealth 600 Gen 1.

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 vs Gen 1 Comparison Chart

Main Differences

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 isn’t that different from the Stealth 600 Gen 1.

Right off the bat, the biggest improvement is in the port. While the Stealth 600 Gen 1 uses micro USB, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 sports USB-C.

Meanwhile, the microphone is the same in that it’s flip-to-mute with an omnidirectional pickup, but it now fits seamlessly with the ear cup when folded away.

Color schemes are also retained. Particularly, the black variant for the PlayStation sports blue accents, while the Xbox model has green ones. The difference is the white versions no longer have any highlights. Put differently, they no longer show which side of the console war you’re on, so to speak.

Last but not least, control layout has been redesigned. Buttons and dials are now placed closer together, but whether that’s an improvement or not is still up for debate.

Sound Performance

Both generations of the headset are future-proof for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Between the Stealth 600 Gen 2 and Stealth 600 Gen 1, there’s really nothing new in the audio department. You get the same frequency response range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 50 mm drivers with neodymium magnets, and surround sound technology. 

In other words, you can expect the same high-quality audio across platforms, not to mention that positional audio is still impressive. That goes for the microphone and its monitoring feature too. By the same token, that also means that sound quality for music is still just okay—for a gaming headset, that is.

Design and Comfort

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 is just as comfy as the Stealth 600 Gen 1.

When it comes to design, they’re pretty much the same, except that the Stealth 600 Gen 2 is a tad bulkier. The new model keeps the all-too-familiar plastic build, and it’s not really more comfortable than its predecessor.

As mentioned earlier, the mic can now be hidden from plain sight since it blends right in with the ear cup when it’s flipped. That gives it an overall sleeker profile.

Speaking of the visually pleasing, the buttons and dials are positioned nearer from one another on the left ear cup, as pointed out before. On one hand, it could be considered as an improvement since they arguably look better now. On the other hand, they could feel a bit too crowded and more difficult to find your way around.

Other Features

Battery life is the same on both wireless gaming headsets.

Audio Hub continues to power the next-generation Stealth headset, so it’s safe to assume a similar experience. That means adjusting the microphone’s pickup and audio presets are accessible there.

According to Turtle Beach, the Stealth 600 Gen 2’s battery life is up to 15 hours on a single charge, just like the case with the Stealth 600 Gen 1. However, it should charge faster because of its USB-C port.

Verdict

Better but not worth upgrading for.

By all means, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 is better than the Stealth 600 Gen 1. It would be weird if it didn’t. However, the improvements aren’t exactly meaningful enough to justify an upgrade—with the exception of the USB-C port, of course.

In short, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 feels like it’s only worth getting if you don’t already own its predecessor.

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