Thrustmaster eSwap Pro Controller Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The stock controller is priced at around £149.99, which is pretty great given the level of features and flexibility it offers. It’s about the same price as a basic SCUF controller, Astro C40, Nacon and a bunch of other options. Shop around though, as I’ve seen the eSwap listed for as low as £125 at some smaller retailers.

The LED Add-On Pack was another £49.99 and worth every penny in my opinion. It looks fantastic, but also offered the option to change the sticks to dome heads too.

There are quite a few options out there though. The one I really want to try is the Fighting Pack, which changes the right stick to two buttons, giving you six face buttons… AWESOME!

Furthermore, you can buy single parts. A new D-Pad module is just £1799. A new classic mini-stick is only £13.99, and the NXG mini-sticks are only £18.99. That’s cheaper than binning the whole controller each year because the sticks are clapped out.

Full prices add-ons can be ordered directly at PC Gamepads | Thrustmaster Shop. A similar model is available for the Xbox/PC here.

Overview

This controller is clearly more than a lot of gamers need, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome to wield. I’m quite happy with a stock Xbox controller myself. However, even I have to admit that I have to buy a new one every single year when a stick inevitably wears out or something similar. While the eSwap is more expensive, at least I can just drop in a new stick if one fails and it’ll cost me less than £20 to do so. In all seriousness, I would buy this controller, and just stock up on spare parts with my first order. Sure, it’ll rack up the bill now, but it’ll give me peace of mind for years to come.

I can’t imagine buying this and not getting that fighting game add-on either, it’s just too cool looking to have six buttons like that. Plus, I play a lot of arcade games at home, so we’re pretty used to the six button layout here.

The build quality on this thing is impressive. It feels robust and durable without being overly heavy. Given the level of hardware that goes into those hot-swap mounts and the internal electronics to make them work, I’m actually amazed this controller does cost a lot more than this. It offers up all the features of a Scuf controller, but with Scuf, you don’t really change the hardware once it’s been built.

Giving the D-pad and buttons a mechanical switch configuration is what really nails this controller though. It’s a lot more tactile and responsive and simply more enjoyable to use. I may have used this to play more Elder Scrolls Online this last week than I have Street Fighter V or Battlefield, but it was still a lot of fun to use in any game I chose.

Should I Buy One

While it is a big investment, it’s worth every penny. While there are a bunch of other controllers that do a lot of similar things, there’s nothing out there quite as unique, versatile and modular as the eSwap. It’s the swiss army knife of gaming controllers!