The sound of victory

I have reviewed a ton of headsets in my lifetime. I have an entire bin in my closet dedicated to the ones I have tested just for the PS4/XB1 era. Turtle Beach is a brand that I was very fond of during the PS3/360 era, but fell off a little during this generation to test out some of the other names. How I have missed a solid Turtle Beach headset in my life. The latest 600 Series 2 headset for the PlayStation 4 reminds me of why I fell in love with their products in the first place, and comes highly recommended for those looking for a mid-level set for the console.

First impressions are always key and with Turtle Beach they involve the packaging. Figured I would get this out of the way first since it is easily the least impressive thing about the set. The box looks nice, but the packaging that holds the headset seems cheap. Just a simple cardboard box holstering the set with some wires and instructions, oh and of course the stickers. All headsets seem determined that we need stickers with our audio gear.

I want to start with the sound since I have been using the Sony first-party set for a while. It lacked bass and true ambient sound. As soon as I configured the Turtle Beach though it was like stepping into a different world. Booting up Ghost of Tsushima let the thunder roar. The various settings let me amp up the bass to my liking and it was easy to get accustomed to the button commands on the headset. Setting up is also a breeze. Just plug in the USB dongle and the PS4 recognized the set immediately. Sadly though it doesn’t switch back to PS4 audio to TV for me. I have to set it each time I decide not to use the headset for my gaming session.

The 600 feels good. The ear cups are comfortable even during prolonged use. I do wish they were a bit larger though. I had to squeeze my ears into them just a bit. The build is sturdy and it fits in my headset mount just perfectly. The cable that comes packed with it is a bit on the short side, but it is easily replaceable with a standard USB C cable. The battery life is excellent. I could go two days of solid gaming sessions before needing a charge. Even then it wasn’t necessary. I still get interference from other devices in my office, but that feels par for the course with wireless headsets for me.

The flip mic is great. Drop it down and the sidetone kicks in. Not everyone is a fan of hearing their own voice, but for me it is a must-have. The quality is good and I had no issues chatting with friends in-game. Everything on the headset is just in a good place. Even not using a Turtle Beach set in a while, I was able to quickly adapt to where the volume and sound mode controls were. Also this thing sounds amazing in VR. Set it up with my headset and the immersion is incredible.

Overall it feels good to be back in a Turtle Beach headset. Their quality and sound is always impressive. I have wanted to update from my PS4-branded set for a while as it was just not cutting it in the bass department. With all the bells and whistles though, the 600 Series 2 is a wonderful bang for your buck. For anyone looking for a mid-level set for the PS4 there is hardly a better option. The fact that it should carry over to PS5 is just an added bonus.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.