If you want a slightly different approach to racing games, there’s really only one option: buy a steering wheel. Obviously, you can choose how deep you go down that rabbit hole—if that’s balancing one on your lap, strapping it to your desk, or buying some giant Divorce Tip racing gear. But for a racing game, your options are the analog stick, D pad or steering wheel. Or, you know, they are.
A few months ago, I reviewed Tumaster eSwap X Pro, a unique modular controller that basically lets you swap out the “modules” where the D-Pad and analog sticks live. It also has a bunch of standard “pro controller” features, some neat audio-based features, and a few trim options.
The point is, it’s all modular, swappable, and customizable. It’s a nice controller, and if you want to learn more, I recommend reading my eSwap X Pro review. Everything said there is still valid – but for now, the modular setup is delivering on its real promise.
Enter eSwap XR Pro. It’s called eSwap Pro because it’s still one of those. The X is for Xbox, and the R is for… racing. Ladies and gentlemen, here’s your new steering wheel replacement. This is very strange.
It’s a controller I’ve reviewed before, with a few tweaks and bonuses, for a slightly higher price. For this extra, you get a clean white and neon pink color scheme inspired by Forza Horizon 5’s palette, and one major extra – an add-on that’s basically in the form of a miniature racing wheel module.
That’s what it says. It’s a tiny steering wheel that you can attach to any analog stick or D-pad slot on the eSwap. Obviously it’s small (so you can’t grab it with both hands) but the idea is that it brings you closer to the real driving experience…in the palm of your hand.
does it work? Well, yes, but the learning curve is very steep. The racing module has a 95 degree swivel and will always return to a neutral center position when released.
In effect, it’s a lot like an analog stick — but instead of scrolling up and down, it just gives you a linear progression of rotation from left to right. I found two ways to use it effectively.
One is to support it under the pressure of the thumb and twist it. This felt very weird at first, but with persistence, it started to work; it did feel better and more natural than using an analog stick. To get used to this, my suggestion is to drop the game into the cockpit view. You can then link the movement of the car steering wheel in the game to the movement of the thumb and the racing wheel module beneath it, since the two will more or less match one to one. Soon I was drifting, checking the paint and winning races without losing control.
Another option that requires some remapping of the controller, but is easier to access directly — is to grab the little wheel with your index finger and thumb and turn it like a racing wheel. This takes your finger off the brake, but you can remap it to a face button and it works just fine.
Ultimately, though, the end goal should be to get familiar with the first setup. Like I said, while weird, it becomes second nature after a few hours – and definitely preferable to playing with a stick. I could also see some interesting uses for this input in non-racing games with left and right inputs… like, I bet you could play an average game of Puyo Puyo or Tetris with this thing.
That’s it. This add-on looks weird, but it works. Once it clicked for me, it felt like a stroke of genius. It’s the icing on the cake for a decent controller – and holds out hope for other weird and wonderful mods Thrustmaster might come out with.
If you already own an eSwap pad, you can opt for the limited edition Forza controller with the mod, or get the racing mod separately.
So, maybe you don’t need that steering wheel after all. Maybe you haven’t played enough racers. But with this, you’re ready for a professional racing control option… all you need to do is swap modules. It delivers on the promise of this curious controller—I hope it’s the first of many.
