Turtle Beach gets Microsoft stamp of approval to build Xbox One headsets
Microsoft's new Xbox comes with a console, controller and Kinect, but even if you pre-order One for yourself, you may choose to go elsewhere to pick up a matching headset. And, Turtle Beach will be one of the first next-gen headset providers, as it's just signed a license with Microsoft to build them for the One. Turtle Beach isn't sharing any more info on the forthcoming headsets, but we'll be telling you all about them when they're revealed at E3 in a few weeks. Oh, and before you go thinking that you can save yourself some cash by using your trusty Xbox 360 cans, remember that the One's controllers have a new proprietary port on them that's incompatible with your old gear. You were looking for an excuse to upgrade your over-ear gaming audio anyway, right?
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TURTLE BEACH BRINGING NEXT GENERATION AUDIO TO XBOX ONE
VALHALLA, N.Y. – May 23, 2013 –Turtle Beach is excited to announce that they are working with Microsoft to develop market-leading audio solutions for Xbox One. The two companies will leverage their proprietary technology and experience in gaming to bring advanced audio solutions to consumers.
Earlier this week Microsoft announced the powerful new Xbox One. Under the agreement Turtle Beach will be among the first to market with Microsoft-licensed gaming headsets for the Xbox One.
Turtle Beach designs and markets wireless and wired headsets for video game, personal computer and mobile platforms. The companies wide range of headsets, which combine quality with audio innovations, are popular with consumers because they make gaming more immersive and provide a competitive advantage. Turtle Beach manufactured 9 of the top 10 best-selling gaming headsets in 2012 when ranked in dollar sales, and 4 of the top 5 best-selling gaming headsets ever, according to the NPD Group. The Ear Force X12 wired headset for the Xbox is the No. 1 best-selling third-party gaming headset ever made.
"In Turtle Beach we have a partner that can help Microsoft deliver world class gaming audio experiences to our customers," said Branden Powell Director of Strategic Alliances Xbox Hardware Group. "Turtle Beach has consistently innovated in wireless, surround sound, and other features and we are looking forward to working with them."
Turtle Beach is largely responsible for the growth of the gaming headset category. The company quickly grew sales through a combination of product innovation, distribution, and marketing prowess and now owns more than 50% market share in the U.S. As a result, in less than five years gaming headsets have grown from only 3 percent to 21 percent of all U.S. gaming accessory sales, and now rank second only to gamepads based on NPD sales data.
"Turtle Beach is dedicated to creating audio products that improve players overall game experience," said Bob Picunko, Chief Marketing Officer at Turtle Beach. "We are very excited about the opportunity to work with the XBOX team to develop new products that support the advanced XBOX platform.
Official products, pricing and release information to be revealed in the coming weeks.
