For the last four years, I've been using three separate gaming headsets — one for my gaming PC, one for Xbox Series X and one for PlayStation 5.
On PC, I've been using Corsair's Virtuoso RGB Wireless, which sounds decent and offers excellent battery life, but which isn't my favorite in terms of fit — its circular ear cups have always sat strangely against the sides of my head, not really creating a seal and leaving gaps for unwanted sound leakage.
Then, the arrival of the PS5 and Xbox Series X saw gaming peripheral companies scramble to release new products for each console. By virtue of being a tech reviewer, I ended up with not one, but two pairs of Turtle Beach's Stealth 700 Gen 2 — one for Xbox, and another for everything else.
To say I was impressed by the Stealth 700 Gen 2 would be an understatement. Not only do they sound fantastic, they also feel deluxe, boasting a snug fit (if perhaps a little tight) and plush leatherette and weave fabric ear cups with memory foam, along with a stylish yet tasteful design. Long story short, they are easily among the best gaming headsets that I've reviewed.
Of course, I do have one major gripe about the Stealth 700 Gen 2: the very fact that I need to own two of the same headset — one for each of my consoles — shows they aren't perfect. Not only is it easy to confuse the two identical pairs, they just take up more space than is necessary.
Thankfully, the new Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 gaming headset addresses my main gripe with its predecessor, which means I can now streamline my setup and pass my old headsets off to friends and family.
That's right, the third-gen Stealth 700 is truly multi-platform, with one caveat: for some reason unbeknownst to me, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is still offered in Xbox, PlayStation and PC models, and while every model supports its chosen platform, PCs and Bluetooth-enabled devices, only the Xbox version supports every platform.
Yes, I'm just as baffled as you are, but the Xbox version comes with an Xbox-specific USB dongle, as well as an additional USB dongle which allows you to connect the headset to PlayStation, PC and Nintendo Switch.
It's that Xbox specific dongle which makes all the difference — with the previous Stealth 700, the Xbox model paired directly to my Series X without a transmitter, just like the official Xbox Wireless Headset. Unfortunately, no additional dongle was provided for other consoles.
Now, I simply have a USB dongle plugged into each console, and the Gen 3 headset will pair with whichever one happens to be switched on at any given time. Alternatively, there's also a dedicated button on the right ear cup which lets you switch between dongle connections.
That's not the only area in which the Stealth 700 Gen 3 has seen improvement. Battery life has effectively doubled since the Gen 2 — I've been playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer constantly since these cans arrived, about to Prestige for the second time, and Turtle Beach's Swarm II app tells me the Gen 3's battery is at 70% capacity, despite only being charged once right after their unboxing.
To my ears, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 also sounds bigger and better than its predecessor, which may be due to the jump from 50mm drivers, to 60mm drivers. Immersion is fantastic, with a wide soundstage that convincingly provides a surround sound effect, making it easy to approaching footsteps from enemy combatants.
As before, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 offers four sound presets — Signature Sound, Bass Boost, Bass and Treble Boost and Vocal Boost — along with the ability to create your own custom presets. Turtle Beach's Superhuman Hearing mode also returns, allowing you to dial up certain audio cues (gunshots, footsteps, etc) at the expense of a balanced audio presentation.
If there's one gaming headset feature which I consider a must-have, it's mic monitoring, and I'm pleased to say that it returns with the Stealth 700 Gen 3. I will say that my own voice doesn't sound particularly clean when relayed through the Gen 3's ear cups, but the friends I regularly play with assure me I sound quite clear. I'm also glad to see that the Gen 2's discrete flip-down mic has not changed for the Gen 3.
The Stealth 700 Gen 3 offers not one but three scroll wheels: one for volume, one which lets you adjust your game and chat balance, and another dedicated volume wheel for your Bluetooth connection — handy for when you're simultaneously connected to your smartphone for music, podcasts or even Discord.
Last but not least, the third-generation Stealth 700 headset has received a major upgrade in terms of design. Gone is the split headband from the previous model, replaced by a more seamless single-piece headband with retractable arms.
The Gen 3 also has sturdy metal yokes which allow the ear cups to turn on both axes, and slightly slimmer width on the ear pads, allowing for a bit more space around your ears.
So now that the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 is here, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I will be sticking with this gaming headset for the foreseeable future. It offers everything I could possibly want from a gaming headset, making them easy for me to recommend. In fact, I can honestly say that even if you already have the Gen 2, I think the Gen 3 is well worth the upgrade.
