The Turtle Beach Scout Air wireless gaming earbuds manage to get the job done on a number of fronts and are a solid option if you’re in the market for a pair of simple and effective mid-range buds.

Don’t expect incredible quality here though, as nearly everything about the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming buds is pretty middle-of-the-road. Audio for gaming and casual music listening is decent without feeling particularly full-bodied or accentuated in any one area. Plus, the overall average battery life and awkward form factor make them rather unsuitable for extended listening sessions.

It’s not all bad news, though, and these buds do excel in some pretty important areas. Their low-latency Game mode is fantastic for providing accurate and responsive audio while gaming and a high water resistance rating means they’re perfectly suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. If you can deal with their shortcomings, the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds are a solid pick if you’re after a well-rounded and versatile pair of buds.

Price and availability

You can get the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds for $99.99 / £89.99, either from the brand’s official website or other big box retailers. This is fairly competitive as far as gaming-focused true wireless earbuds go, coming in much cheaper than the Razer Hammerhead Hyperspeed earbuds for PS5 which cost $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$259.

While you’ll get overall better performance from non-gaming earbuds released around the same timeframe, such as the Creative Outlier Pro for $119 / £84.99 (around AU$159), you’ll find that the Turtle Beach Scout Air buds are discounted quite regularly, making them worth keeping in mind during key sales periods.

Design and features

The Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds come in a pocket-friendly charging case that features a lightweight design and form. A line of three white LEDs on the case indicates the state of charge for your buds, too, which is a welcome addition for seeing how much battery they have at a glance. On the rear, you’ve got a USB-C for charging up the case, and buds, once it’s run dry.

Flip open the charging case to find the earbuds inside, and you’ll notice that they have a rather distinct look. While there are no complaints to be had in terms of overall build quality, the stems of the buds are slightly angled by design, and the buds themselves don’t rest well in the ear without some fidgeting. Readjusting them mid-session was a fairly common occurrence just to make sure they wouldn’t slip out.

This form factor led to the buds becoming more uncomfortable over time; in fact, after just a couple of hours, I felt I needed to place them back in the case to give my ears a bit of a break. The buds made my ears slightly achy and overly warm over the course of a cross-country train ride, and it was a relief to stop using them for a bit.

The Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds do excel in other areas, though. Bearing an IPX4 water resistance rating, they can operate in conditions equal to an average amount of rainfall, and are resistant to small splashes of water. This makes them ideal for out-and-about play just so long as you’re not running into a storm with them.

As for connectivity, you’re strictly dependent on Bluetooth with the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds. While that makes them ideal for Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck and Android-based devices, you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re after buds that’ll be compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Performance and battery life

The Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds perform adequately in terms of sound quality, but they’re not particularly special. The overall sound profile is decent but rather flat. Music with particularly high production value - like the Sonic Frontiers soundtrack or Tool’s 10,000 Days, for example - doesn’t sound as rich or full-bodied as it should when listened to with some of the best gaming earbuds around.

The earbuds do fare better for gaming, thankfully. A built-in low latency Game mode helps to reduce delay inherent with Bluetooth connectivity. The mode allows for accurate, responsive audio which makes them an excellent choice for Bluetooth-ready devices.

Connectivity in itself can be an issue, though. When pairing the buds to my Android phone (which you can do by flipping open the charging case with the buds remaining inside), I often found that only one of two earbuds would pair. As a result, expect to have times when you’ll need to unpair the device and try again. This is a substantial frustration and one you wouldn’t expect to deal with when spending nearly $100 / £100.

Battery life is acceptable, with the charging case providing up to 20 hours of battery when it’s fully topped up. It’s a shame that the earbuds themselves can only hold up to five hours of charge, but that should still be enough for most daily activities, and it helps that the case charges them fairly quickly, in roughly 60 - 90 minutes from empty to full.

Overall, the Turtle Beach Scout Air wireless gaming earbuds are a decent pair if you can grab them in a sale. It’s hard to recommend them at full price given their relatively flat sound and occasional connectivity issues. That said, they’re about as affordable as true wireless gaming earbuds get. If you have the budget, then, we’d recommend a higher-quality pair like the excellent Epos GTW 270 Hybrid Earbuds.

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds?

Buy them if...

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How we reviewed the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds

I tested the Turtle Beach Scout Air gaming earbuds over the course of a couple of weeks, ensuring to use them in a range of environments including both in and outdoors, as well as aboard public transport. Both casual listening and gaming were tested, and I played many of the best Nintendo Switch games to get a feel for what their low-latency Game mode offers. 

If you’d prefer higher-quality audio while gaming, consider checking out our guides to the best PS5 headsets, the best Xbox Series X headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch headsets to experience a more immersive sound.

Under The Waves is an awe-inspiring story-rich adventure into the ocean's dark depths and one man’s psyche. While the grand ocean canyons are glorious, soon you'll realize that this underwater world is somewhat empty. 

However, follow the story through completing the various missions, and you’ll find a story which is just as fulfilling as it is sad. The meat here is slowly learning about the main character's past and what drove him to venture deep into the depths. 

You’ll follow protagonist Stan into the North Sea as he works for a company that becomes more sinister the closer you look. Throughout your time monitoring their submarine facilities and repairing broken machinery, you appreciate not only the beauty of the sea but also the ugly nature of what humanity is doing to it as you clean up plastic and cover up oil spills. In this solitary confinement, Stan also has no choice but to reflect on the recent passing of his daughter. This experience makes for some truly insightful and heart-wrenching experiences that’ll resonate with you long after you close down the game. 

Don’t look too close 

Under The Waves is a stunning single-player game with forgotten rocky crevices and vast open water sections that house all sorts of magnificent creatures. Exploring the map in your trusty submarine nicknamed Moon is all sorts of fun. I loved racing through schools of fish or watching from afar as a gigantic whale made its way slowly across my screen. If you’re a fan of the lonely adventures in the dark bottom of the ocean, then Under The Waves has a lot to offer. 

There are also several structures to enjoy on the ocean bed, each with its own distinct ambience. Having the cozy and safe structure of the base was a welcome change from drifting around in the cold and harsh sea. While activities were limited in here, crafting supplies, making a coffee, or even just staring out your porthole from a warm and soft bed gave me some much-needed respite from the otherwise emotionally taxing story.  

There are also several structures to enjoy on the ocean bed, each with its own distinct ambience. Having the cozy and safe structure of the base was a welcome change from drifting around in the cold and harsh sea. While activities were limited in here, crafting supplies, making a coffee, or even just staring out your porthole from a warm and soft bed gave me some much-needed respite from the otherwise emotionally taxing story.  

On the other hand, you have the decaying corporate structures scattered across the map, such as The Terminal. This emits an entirely different atmosphere from your warm deep sea base. Swimming around the dark, or ominously glowing red hallways made my imagination run wild. While this certainly isn’t a horror game, I couldn’t help but feel on edge at almost every moment in these claustrophobic corridors.

Unfortunately, as soon as you look a little closer at Under The Waves, the atmosphere crumbles under the weight of  various glitches and bugs. At moments when I would be travelling across a seriously strange and awe-inspiring dreamscape I’d at times accidentally turn the camera so I could see the character’s face while talking. Instead of focusing on the glorious landscape or heartfelt words all I could see was Stan’s mouth garbelling at random as he desperately tried to keep up with the words leaving his mouth. 

There’s also very little in the way of crafting and action. While there are a few adrenaline-filled moments, you're mostly guided through this story with convenient item drops, which meant I had to spend very little time crafting or searching for materials. 

These small quirks plagued my time in Under The Waves. Whether it was my character jankily repositioning himself to get through small entrances or accidentally phasing through one particularly happy and friendly seal. While this doesn’t mean that this story rich game is unplayable, it does put a damper on what would otherwise be a terrific emotional experience. 

The sound of the sea 

However, there are so many more elements of Under The Waves that round this title off beautifully. One of my favorite elements had to be the soundscaping and music that accompanied my dangerous endeavors. 

As previously established, the story at the centre of Under The Waves is more than just a little emotional; while the fantastic voice work ensures that you feel the main character’s pain in every way, the soundtrack was the nail in the tissue-filled coffin for me. Traversing through strange dreamscapes or seeing an image of your daughter again is always paired with heart-wrenching music or ethereal sounds, which make the emotional impact all the more devastating.  

On the other hand, I also enjoyed how quiet Under The Waves was while you’re traversing through the open desolate ocean. The quiet and distant bellows of sea creatures, along with the reliable hum of your submarine, permeates the vacuum-like ocean floor, making me feel smaller than I ever had before. It’s a feeling that you can’t get from many games, and one that I greatly enjoy, in a twisted sense.

While Under The Waves does lack some final polish, it delivers an emotionally thoughtful story, beautiful landscapes and an equally brilliant accompanying soundtrack. If you’re a fan of narrative-driven adventures and don’t mind an adventure game that’s on the easier side, then Under The Waves is just the tale for you. 

Accessibility 

Accessibility features for Under The Waves are solid for a game of its size. You can toggle subtitles and change their size as well as the background to suit your needs best. There's also options to change the HUD color as well as its radar size and objectives size. Finally, there is the possibility to change button mash interactions as well as enable or disable camera sway and vibrations. 

How we reviewed 

It took me about seven hours to complete the main story of Under The Water, while I tried exploring for a bit which added some more time. On top of this, I soon found myself out of ideas and ways to explore the ocean floor. While there were some constant glitches for both the main character and the wider landscape, these never felt as if they impacted my experience to a massive extent while in the story-driven game. 

If you're a fan of expansive landscapes and thoughtful tales, be sure to check out these best story games that are available to play right now.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a stunning tale of vampire hunting and lost love set in a bizarre roadside motel that seems to be an unlikely gateway to another dimension. The further you fall into this strange story, the more you’ll witness reality itself crumble at the feet of the suave vampire hunter James Savage. 

This part-time hunter and folklore researcher is played by game director Xalavier Nelson Jr. In this action-packed single-player third-person shooter, you're tasked with taking out your former lover Draculae or Janet Drake before she destroys the known universe with her army of monsters and human sacrifices. All there is to do now is to forge onward through the collapsing motel and hordes of vampires, wolves, and mummies in the hope of stopping her before it's too late.

The story of Savage’s journey to destroy his estranged ex, Draculae, lord of the Vampires, and constant monologuing can be underwhelming at times. However, the trippy visuals and poetic script balance this out to make sure that you’re always brought back onside. 

Guns blazing 

The combat does a great job at raising your blood pressure. Each level is packed full of bloodthirsty skeletal vampires, rabid werewolves, and their supernatural friends. While these enemies do pack a punch if you find yourself trapped in a corner, they won’t ever be too much to handle, thanks to the seemingly endless supply of ammo and meds on hand.  

I didn’t conserve my ammo by any means, yet I never once found myself in a situation where I was left with no way to defend myself. The difficulty curve is slight, and this meant that - as an experienced vampire slayer - I only died once during the entire campaign, and that was when I accidentally walked off the map. 

While this made my time reviewing El Paso, Elsewhere much easier, it also meant that it didn’t feel like a challenge. Almost every enemy dies within three shots, two if one is a headshot, regardless of any enemy’s perceived strength. I was slightly confused when the more powerful-looking cosmic witches died just as easily as the starter vampire monsters. James Savage seems like a tough monster hunter; I bet he could handle much more. 

The various weapons handled great, and it was very satisfying to mow down waves of enemies to the electric soundtrack, which Nelson also raps on. However, this blasting became repetitive as the story progressed due to said lack of difficulty. If you’re into beautiful shoot-em-ups and don’t want a grueling challenge, then this is definitely worth giving a go, but for those who prefer a tougher time, El Paso, Elsewhere may be too straightforward.  

Picturesque setting 

While the combat left something to be desired, the location and visuals made up for any lackluster action. The concept itself is enough to let your imagination run wild. As you delve deeper into the mysterious and mind-boggling roadside motel turned vampire HQ you encounter a world that is imploding in on itself. 

While the collapsing map can be confusing at times, it’s worth the headache just to see all the impressively kaleidoscopic visuals on offer. Wandering around backroom-esque hallways and haunted graveyards is an exciting trip into the supernatural and unknown. There’s even a bonus of each location not having a ceiling meaning you can always stare into the endless starry sky. 

El Paso, Elsewhere is more of a creative project than a third-person shooter. You’ll want to sit and watch through each and every cutscene - if only to admire the cinematic shots and wallpaper-worthy sights. However, the title does sometimes suffer at the hands of its own creativity.  

Too long in the coven

At first, the script stood out to me as something that has been painstakingly handcrafted and tweaked to perfection. The long monologues not only provide crucial information about your playable character James Savage, but also complement the artistic scenery with its Shakespearian tone. It covers tough themes like substance abuse in an interesting manner, constantly suggesting that this adventure might just be a one-way trip. However, the novelty of these beautiful monologues did begin to wear thin as I delved deeper into the survival horror. 

After only five chapters, I began to tire of the endless soliloquies. While the concept of emotional trauma is a worthwhile topic to cover, the presence of a lengthy monologue at the beginning of every chapter (there are many of these) ensures diminishing returns.

Towards the end of my time in El Paso, Elsewhere, I unknowingly began to just tune Savage out as it was the only way I could enjoy this third-person shooter. While all the voice actors are amazing in their own right, less is definitely more when it comes to brooding dialogues in twisted vampire-infested graveyards.  

The only respite from these dreary monologues were the rare dialogues scattered throughout between Savage and his old lover Draculae. These memories told a tragically beautiful story of a broken love that was destined to fall apart. They are full of emotion, lore, and humanizing qualities that make it easier to like Savage. I just wish there were more of these genuinely interesting conversations and less of the dreary monologues. 

El Paso, Elsewhere is a beautifully creative third-person shooter with an interesting story and a great range of fights and mechanics. However, at times it is undone by this very penchant for creativity as it morphs from an entertaining shooter to a pretentious short film. While this could well appeal to those who prefer story games, players who are a fan of action may be left unfulfilled.  

Accessibility

Unfortunately, El Paso, Elsewhere is seriously lacking in the accessibility settings department. Other than some basic game and control options such as sensitivity and key binding, there isn’t much here to customize the game to your liking. There are some basic subtitles which you can disable, but you can’t change the size of them.

How we reviewed

El Paso, Elsewhere was extremely smooth to play through. I encountered no bugs whatsoever while completing the action game. While I played each section in chunks, it took me just over 6 hours to complete as I tried to explore as many rooms as possible and try to collect as many items as possible. 

One factor to bear in mind is that this game is described as a survival horror by some. I would disagree with the horror element, as throughout the game, I encountered nothing particularly terrifying. 

For more titles filled to the brim with terrifying monsters, check out these fantastic horror games and survival games that are available to play right now.