Turtle Beach Rematch review: The cutest Switch 2 controller of the bunch

Official Nintendo designs and RGB lighting give the Rematch an adorable edge.

Aaron Souppouris for Engadget

RATING : 8 / 10

• Super cute designs
• RGB lighting on most models
• Light and comfy for small hands
• TMR thumbsticks

• No rumble or haptics
• Can't wake the console
• Hollow sound and feel

The first time I turned on the Rosalina edition of the Switch 2 Rematch controller, and a rainbow of RGB lighting rippled across the stars on its face, I expelled a sound of delight that would've been embarrassing had anyone other than my two small dogs been in the room. The noise was involuntary, high-pitched and entirely warranted, because this gamepad is a slice of handheld joy — and that's a feeling we could all use a little more of nowadays.

On top of the adorable factor, the Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Switch 2 is a comfortable, reactive and low-latency wireless gamepad with a few key cutting-edge features. Obviously, it comes in a handful of Nintendo-inspired, RGB-lit designs. Light and slim with offset thumbsticks just like the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, Turtle Beach's Switch 2 Rematch is the gamepad for Mario Kart fanatics, Animal Crossing residents and anyone who wants to hold a bit of whimsy in their hands. There's also an all-black model, if smiling isn't really your thing.

The Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Switch 2 features built-in motion control capabilities, never-drift TMR thumbsticks, a dedicated button for GameChat, a rechargeable 40-hour battery (12 hours with RGB effects turned on) and a playable range of 30 feet. It also has buttons on the backside of the grips that you can map to whatever action you'd like, or just use them as built-in fidget toys. Most of the models include RGB effects with four settings.

I tested out the Rosalina edition, usually with a rainbow river flowing under my fingertips, and found it to be perfectly responsive across a few games, including Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Mario Kart World and Resident Evil Requiem. It has stiff, hard-plastic face buttons that look like little round pills, and enjoyably clicky triggers and bumpers. The face buttons have their associated letters carved into them — A, B, Y, X — and they'll leave an impression on your thumb-tip when playing anything that requires a long hold, like Mario Kart.

Aaron Souppouris for Engadget

The analog sticks are smooth with a crisp click when they hit the sides of their containment circles, and the fact that they're built with TMR tech means they're ultra precise and won't ever drift. This is a feature that even the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller doesn't have.

I enjoy the fact that the player indicator lives on the bottom of the Rematch, easily peepable with a quick glance down. And, of course, I adore the multicolored lighting effects on the Rosalina gamepad.

The Switch 2 Rematch doesn't have haptic feedback and it's not able to wake up the Switch 2 console on its own. The controller weighs just 0.79 lbs and here's a hollow sound about it that could read as cheap to some people, but I'm just happy it's not heavy. Sizewise, it's comparable to the official Switch 2 Pro Controller, with a super-smooth face and textured plastic grips.

I happen to have fairly small hands — it's like they stopped growing in middle school, I swear — and the Rematch is a perfect fit in my grasp, slim and light. It's never caused my palms or fingers to cramp up, even after multiple uninterrupted hours of play. A compact form factor is a common feature among Switch 2 gamepads, since they tend to be modeled after Nintendo's Pro Controller line, which is certifiably small-hand friendly. So, while it's not unique to the Rematch, the small chassis is definitely a bonus in my book.

The standout feature of the Rematch, the thing that makes it worth buying over any other Switch 2 controller, is its cute factor. Turtle Beach's Switch 2 Rematch controllers come in a variety of adorable and/or rad designs, complete with RGB lighting effects and officially licensed characters like Mario, Princess Peach, Rosalina and KK Slider. There's also a sleek solid-black model with red rings around the sticks for the minimalists, goths and spies among us.

Here are the available flavors of the Switch 2 Rematch gamepad:

• KK Slider: This lilac and baby blue edition features Animal Crossing's KK sitting under a night sky with his acoustic guitar, the stars and moon illuminated.
• Timmy and Tommy: The twin racoons peek out from a seafoam green and tan background, with Animal Crossing icons able to shine through the entire faceplate.
• Rosalina: You know how I feel about this one — featuring her classic turquoise-and-yellow colorway, the Rosalina controller has an illuminated wave of rainbow stars leading to the ice palace, plus the cosmic guardian herself.
• Mario Kart World: A cool black-and-yellow chassis shows Mario in his classic kart on one grip and Peach riding a dirtbike on the other, with bold RGB-lit tire tracks running down the center.
• Koopa Troop: Mario is being chased by all of his enemies in this adorable vignette dotted with red, yellow and dark blue buttons, and the whole cast of characters lights up.
• Mario and Luigi: Just like it says, Super Mario 3D World versions of the plumber brothers look out from a bright blue background, with lines of power-up icons able to shine across the face.
• Super Mario Jump: You know him, you love him, he's Mario, leaping out from a semi-translucent black background. What more do you need? Certainly not RGB lighting, because this controller doesn't feature any.
• Charcoal Black: Wrapped in matte black and featuring Mario-red rings around the analog sticks, this is a classic, no fancy lighting necessary.

There is no price difference among the models. While the Switch 2 Rematch wireless controller is priced at $65, it's often on sale for $50 or less. There's also a special, slightly more expensive version of the controller with a Fortnite Kevin the Cube design. Regardless of your knowledge of Fortinte lore, this controller is very pretty, with a purple ombre colorway and light-up sigils. It costs $70, includes an in-game emote, and doesn't seem to be on sale as often as the others.