The ESWAP XR PRO is the Best Racing Controller I Ever Bought, But it Takes Practice!
How Much Does it Cost?
The Thrustmaster ESWAP XR PRO CONTROLLER FORZA HORIZON 5 EDITION is available now on Amazon for a rather hefty price of £179.99, so it certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone. However, the standard ESWAP X Pro is still £150, so it’s not a big premium over the previous model to get the new design and wheel module really. Plus, when it comes to premium quality aftermarket controllers, it’s actually a pretty competitive price. Fun fact though, if you can score an XR PRO for cheap, you can get the wheel modular for just £26.99, handy if you want the wheel but don’t care for the Forza aesthetic of the controller.
Overview
As I said in the title, this is the best racing controller I ever bought, but it takes practice! And I very much hold true to that. I was on the fence or do I keep it or move it on, but I am going to keep it and I am going to keep practising with it. I’ve set a few world record lap times in my many years of racing games, but have yet to get that pace with this controller. I’m sure it’ll come in good time, but I need to weed out those muscle memory responses in fast-reaction scenarios. However, when you set into the pace, the cornering accuracy and smoothness are really fantastic.
Is this for everyone? Certainly not, it’s expensive, and it’s likely overkill for many. Is this a replacement for a wheel? Not at all, that’s a whole different thing and the two don’t feel comparable. It’s a unique take on analogue thumb input and it’s given some extra weight by the fact you can move the inputs around the controller to find something that makes more sense to you ergonomically.
Ignoring the wheel for a moment though, this is still the stunning Thrustmaster ESWAP controller, and it’s actually a pretty exceptional competitive gaming controller. The mechanical face buttons are very responsive. The back buttons are fully programmable and you can shorten the triggers throw too. This makes it pretty fantastic for competitive shooters, and I’ve been killing it on Fortnite and Apex this week using the controller between my time racing.
The best thing, however, is that this controller is so modular. You can add things, take things away, replace them, and even customise them. Thrustmaster sells a few variants of analogue sticks, including some LED-lit models, there are replaceable and custom side grips, triggers, D-Pad, cables, and stick caps. Sure, it’ll be a big investment, but the end result is a controller that really suits your style.
It’s an interesting controller, there’s no doubt about it, and well worth trying out if you’re looking for a competitive gaming controller that has more than a few tricks up its sleeves.
