As the price of everything in gaming continues to climb, finding more economic solutions to fit your gaming needs becomes difficult. Controllers are one of the most widely purchased gaming peripherals, whether they’re first-party or from one of the many third-party hardware developers out there. Turtle Beach is one of the leading peripherals developers, known primarily for their audio solutions, but also for controllers. They look to offer high-quality third-party devices that help gamers keep a little more cash in their pockets, such as the Turtle Beach Rematch wireless controller for the Nintendo Switch. However, this begs the question: how does the Rematch wireless controller compare to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 pro controllers?
Last year, Turtle Beach acquired PDP Gaming from Diversis Capital for $118 million. PDP Gaming is one of the most common and most affordable third-party controller developers, offering wired controllers for as low as $20 USD and wireless controllers starting around $40 USD. PDP joins other brands such as ROCCAT (now a retired brand name) and Victrix under Turtle Beach to provide a wide host of hardware solutions all under one roof. The Rematch wireless controller is one of those solutions, providing a lower-cost wireless controller option that also adds a little bit of flair to your Nintendo Switch setup. It is compatible with all Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 systems, making it the perfect companion for Nintendo lovers.
Joe Morgan
I have a couple of questions about some features of the Rematch wireless controller; however, before we go into all of that, I wanted to look at some of the technical specifications of these controllers. All three controllers – the Rematch, Switch Pro, and Switch 2 Pro – have the same wireless range of around 30 feet and up to 40 hours of battery life, although the Rematch charges the fastest at under 2 hours. All three feature motion control as well. That is where their similarities end.
The Rematch is a smidge weightier, sitting at just under 1lb (417.3g), while the Pro controllers hover around half a pound. The Rematch is also a little bigger than the Pro controllers, which I actually like because it fits better in my hands. Both of the Pro controllers have HD Rumble, which the Rematch does not, instead having a standard vibration. The Switch 2 Pro controller and the Rematch have the C button; however, this button doesn’t have any functionality for the Nintendo Switch 2 on the Rematch controller, which makes me question why it’s even there since the first Switch doesn’t support it either. Is there a plan to add this functionality? I hope so!
Another thing the Switch 2 Pro controller and the Rematch wireless controller both have is mappable buttons on the back, a feature the first Pro controller missed out on, alongside the audio jack, which the Rematch also lacks. In this day and age, not having an audio jack on any controller is an odd decision. Maybe back in 2017, when the Nintendo Switch Pro controller was released, you could get away with it, but this is 2025. We are long past the days of not including what has become an essential part of gaming, which is connecting with other players in voice chat. Who doesn’t want to heckle bad drivers in Mario Kart World or laugh loudly into the mic when you steal someone’s stars in Mario Party? It’s a part of gaming, so give us this functionality, please!
The other, and most notable, difference between the Turtle Beach Rematch wireless controller and the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 Pro controllers is the pricing. The Nintendo Switch Pro controller was $70 USD, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller is $90, which is absurdly high considering there really is nothing overly special about the controller in my opinion, especially when a third-party option has almost all of the same features for $30 less. That’s right, the Rematch controller is only $65 USD in comparison, and you only miss out on a few features from the Switch 2 Pro controller, mainly the C button functionality and lack of an audio jack. Maybe some will use those missing features to justify the price difference, but it’s a hard sell for me.
So, is it worth it to splurge for the Switch 2 Pro controller? Personally, I don’t think so. The Rematch feels better in my hands with its size and weight, which I’ve grown accustomed to because of my Xbox controller being a bit on the chonkier side, and the first Pro controller is compatible with the Switch 2 as well, and both the Switch Pro controller and the Rematch are cheaper. For the missed functionality, ask yourself, would you even be using it? Would you be taking advantage of the full capabilities of the Switch 2 Pro controller, or are you just buying it because it’s specifically labeled for the Nintendo Switch 2? Overall, your gaming experience on the system is unlikely to be greatly affected by choosing one controller over the other, but these are things one should still consider when the prices of things don’t appear to be going down any time soon.
Overall, it really does boil down to personal preference. I’ve been guilty of being a brand junky in the past (I’m hard glued to iPhone over Android), but there are some areas I’m willing to compromise if it means I’m not shoveling out more and more cash. And, most importantly, my Rematch controller looks dope, with a lenticular multi-image faceplate that unveils an image of Mario jumping up to grab a star. Does your Switch 2 Pro controller have that? I bet not
