With the growing market for ‘pro’ controllers promising a competitive edge, it’s no surprise that most of the heavy accessory hitters have thrown their hat in the ring. Thrustmaster have already done with their eSwap X Pro controller for PlayStation. Now, it’s time for the Xbox and Windows crowd to have a go, as eSwapX Pro comes to Microsoft’s stable.
Odds are that you associate Thrustmaster with high-end HOTAS flight sticks and desirable force-feedback steering wheels. That’s hardly a bad thing, being known for building quality kit.
This penchant for quality kit continues under the catchy name eSwapX Pro. A high-end controller which, on the surface, looks like a few other performance controllers on the market just now. But it has more than a few tricks up its sleeve to standout from this ever-growing crowd.
Kitted Out
One of the biggest selling points has to be the ability to pop and move the sticks and D-pad to best suit your style and game you are playing in seconds. And it’s very easy to do so. Whereas other controllers have lock guards that need tools to swap out. All you do here is pull them out when you want to, as the system is all held in by magnets.
Even more interesting is that Thrustmaster have also released a number of mod kits for the eSwapX Pro which come with different modules. Meaning you can change up a range of elements to best suit your needs; from changing the look with new side grips, to even giving you different designed d-pads or more buttons.
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There are a few different colour swap kits available just now, as well as a fighting pack. The latter adds an extra two face buttons instead of a stick and a totally redesigned D-pad. Worth noting that these additional packs will set you back an extra £45/€55 each.
If you’re really looking to stand out, the eSwap LED kits look the business. These add either orange or blue light-up elements to your sticks and D-pad. In the box, you’ll find two swappable thumbstick modules, a D-Pad module, grip and trigger mounts, the controller itself and the USB-C to USB-A power cable. There’s plenty of chopping, changing and customisation to do right out the gate.
eSwap X Pro Build
But away from the hours of popping and locking fun you’ll have, the controller itself is a weighty unit that feels great in the hand and really solid. This is a welcome plus given you can pull it apart so easily and the overall finish of the controller feels great in hand.
It’s worth pointing out the obvious – that eSwap X Pro Controller for Xbox is a wired-only controller. The controller comes with a lengthy 3-metre (10-foot) heavy-duty braided power cable.
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The form, shape and layout (if you have changed anything) can take a bit of time to get used to when coming from a stock pad. But when it clicks, playing with eSwap Pro Controller for Xbox is just plain great.
We played the likes of Call of Duty:MW2, Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5 and Rainbow Six Siege. And it delivered across the board. We also found that the more time we spent with eSwap X Pro Controller for Xbox the better it got.
As we started playing around with re-mapping the four back buttons to help make things easier in the heat of a firefight. Doing so is very easy thanks to a few sneaky buttons along the bottom of the controller, which let you map buttons on the fly. As well as switching between you pre-set profiles extremely quickly.
Also along the bottom is a set of audio controls for when you have a headset connected. These are much appreciated (especially the mute) and work really well.
ESwap X Pro Controller for Xbox comes with physical locking for triggers which is a huge plus. Many, including myself, prefer physical trigger stops over digital. Not only is it easier to make a change as you need, but physical stops also have a very defined real-world resistance which feels better when playing.
App Support
ThrustmapperX app which is you one stop shop for any and all tweaks you could ever want to make to the controller). We are talking dead zones and the most granular of vibration settings. You can also create controller profiles that help give you the upper hand across a number of games. If you’re looking to get the most out of the custom settings, there are a tonne to play around with here to really dial in what you need.
Thrustmaster eSwapX Pro Controller for Xbox is a solid piece of kit that feels comfortable in hand. With its extensive mod options, there is a world of possibilities that Thrustmaster can explore; adding different options for different games.
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If you’re looking for a controller that offers something different, eSwap X Pro is well worth chasing down. As an alternative to the Xbox Elite Series, it’s absolutely worth a look.