Turtle Beach Rematch Nintendo Switch controller review: a worthy alternative

Recently, I went hands-on with one of Turtle Beach’s new Nintendo Switch controllers, and dare I say it, they’re almost as good as Nintendo’s own Pro Controller range.

I suppose I should kick things off with a confession though, I almost never buy or use third-party controllers. There’s nothing inherently wrong with them, but everytime I’m tempted to get one because of a cool design, or just because I need a spare, I always back out and end up getting an official controller instead.

I’ve even preordered the Pro Controller for the Nintendo Switch 2.

However, I’ve got to say, the Turtle Beach Nintendo Switch controllers have really opened my eyes to how good a third-party controller can be, and how similar they can get to the genuine article.

The controller I’ve been using recently is the Rematch Wireless Controller for the Nintendo Switch, adorned with Mario using an invincibility star power-up. I love the design - and it even glows in the dark. I’ve actually ordered another Turtle Beach controller featuring a glow in the dark Boo design; that’s how good it looks.

A design can only carry a controller so far though, the real test for third-party controllers is how they feel, especially when they can be just as costly as the official controllers. The Turtle Beach controller I used felt largely similar to the Pro Controller except clickier, with the buttons and triggers having a bit more resistance than a normal Nintendo controller. I didn’t mind this as such, and frankly, I mainly noticed the difference in the triggers than anything else.

There are, of course, two extra triggers that you can assign to another control, which is useful if you’re playing a competitive game on Xbox or PlayStation but for Nintendo Switch games, I didn’t really see much point to it. I only used it in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and assigned it as an extra item button, but I’m sure other players have more creative uses for it. It’s a nice inclusion though, I can’t deny. The controller also had the gyro controls and vibration too, but not the NFC compatibility Nintendo games use for Amiibo support.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the controller, and for £50, I’d say it’s worth the money. You’re getting a slightly less premium product than the official Nintendo Pro Controller but at a reduced cost, and I think that’s perfectly reasonable if you’re either on a budget or just need a decently made spare controller for multiplayer.