Turtle Beach Ear-Force Recon 50 PC Headset Review

Headphones for gaming have to be comfy, rugged, and able to withstand those moments of rage when a game isn’t quite going you way. Let’s see if the Turtle Beach Ear-Force Recon 50 PC headset is up to the task.

The Turtle Beach Ear-Force Recon 50s are a comfortable over the ear set of headphones made with the casual gamer in mind. I personally feel that if a headset manufacturer mentions that the headphones are suitable for console gaming on the box is not for PC competitive gaming. Think your casual console with your mates on a Friday night kind of gamer.

When I first opened the box the headset felt very cheap, probably because of the plastic exterior. However, I was surprised when I discovered that they actually sounded pretty good.

The game I play is Counter Strike: Global Offensive, which if you play, you’ll know that if you game without crystal clear sound then you might aswell play without the use of your eyes. Sound is a huge factor in the game, you need to be able to hear the patter of footsteps your opposing team are making to know their positions.

The pros of these headphones are that they’re cheap enough to replace if you rage quit and throw them across the room. The sound isn’t as bad as I was expecting, and could comfortably play CS:GO for long periods of time, and more importantly, hear everything going on in the matches.

The cons would be that they feel like they could break fairly easily if dropped off your desk. The wire is also far too long for a competitive PC gamer, but would definitely be an advantage if you’re a controller and console sofa soldier. There is a 3.5mm jack plug coming from the end of the cable which is compatible with any kind of audio device, including mobile phones and MP3 players.

Overall, I felt the headset could have been made from a tougher material, but then I suppose the price would hike right up, which at the moment is pretty good for what you’re getting. The microphone which can be removed is a good touch if you want to wear them whilst at the gym, or an adult website so that your parents, girlfriend or wife can’t catch you.

Written by Sam Murphy, competitive Counter Strike: Global Offensive player