Controllers are now in a bigger business than ever. More interestingly, though, the market landscape for additional console input devices has changed. Specifically, it feels as though the era of third-party offerings of lightweight plastic tat you’ll give your least favorite partner has been replaced by the opposite: a high-end, all-singing, all-dancing sports car controller. These days, there are plenty to choose from.
Of course, the Xbox and PlayStation have their official products, but now third parties are joining in as well. Thrustmaster’s entry into this lucrative space is the eSwap X Pro, a premium keyboard with a wide range of features designed to outperform the official Xbox alternative with some unique features – although we’ll get to one later Major warning.
Regardless, from the moment you first take it out of the box, it’s clear that the eSwap X is a premium kit. It’s heavy, firm, lush feeling. Even the box tries to sell that premium feel somehow, with a magnetic opening mechanism and a soft interior that gently holds the controller and its various accessories in place.
Before we get into the controller’s big gimmicks and selling points, I actually think the most interesting thing here is how the controller’s shape differs from the very standard one on the Xbox. Through modest iterations from the 360 to the present, Microsoft has managed to perfect this particular style of controller, and most imitations have turned out badly as a result. So Thrustmaster has taken another approach, with a thicker controller design, a larger body and a longer handle than the official product.
Granted, it’s a matter of taste, but as someone with fairly long fingers, I love it. Anyway, I’ve never had an issue with the Xbox controller, but this makes a difference in a pleasing way, and I can immediately see that for certain styles of gaming this shape would be preferable and less stressful . So, that’s fine — it’s a great shape, especially for those of us with larger hands. It might not be the best controller for kids — but no kid should pay $160 for a controller anyway. This is for adults who have money to burn. This is established. So, what about the bells and whistles?
Well, the clue here is in the name. eSwap is all about being able to swap controller components. The main elements of this are the D-pad and analog sticks—which can be removed from the controller with relative ease and snapped back into place in whatever configuration you choose.
For example, if you’re playing an old-school platformer or fighting game – or just someone who likes a PlayStation-style layout – for example, you can flip the d-pad up to the top-left position and have two symmetrical analog sticks below. Again, if you’re some sort of absolute freak, you can have two analog sticks on the left. this is your choice.
There is also an aesthetic factor to this. You can move things around for utility, but you can also buy other parts that Thrustmaster graciously calls “an infinite modular system at the crossroads of design and performance.” What this really means is that if you want to buy a blinged-out stick, you can. In theory, d-pads of different shapes or styles are also possible. The panels on the sides of the controllers are also cut out the same way – so you can replace the solid black with something a little more artistic if you want.
All these exchange elements are held in place by magnets and they are strong and strong. I dropped tested the controller a few times and, surprisingly, no debris flew away. If you drop the Xbox Elite analog stick head, the D-pad will fly across the room. Not so here. In fact, they’re so securely fastened that the controller comes with a professional tool for extracting the d-pad.
I feel like the other features of this controller are fairly standard in this class. Each trigger has a three-phase setting that physically locks in how deep it can pull – so if you want a responsive hair trigger, you just set it to a lighter squeeze. There are four additional programmable buttons on the back of the controller – although compared to the paddles on the Xbox Elite board, I think the buttons are small and poorly placed.
There’s also a headphone jack on the bottom of the controller, complete with volume up and down and mic mute buttons — useful on an actual controller. Three additional discrete buttons allow you to set and switch between control mapping presets.
Still, it all sounds good, and it’s better value for money than the Elite controller. Except – here’s that warning – it’s wired. The wired solution is as elegant as possible, with a smart design that, once plugged in, the wires “sink” into the controller body, plus a 3m cable, a premium braided wire that won’t fray or break – But you still have to accept that even though you’re an officially licensed Xbox tablet, you’re still tethered to the console.
Thrustmaster’s reasoning for this is simple and understandable – it’s a cushion for those who take the game seriously and worry about lag. So wired makes sense. In fact, it all lines up—in the hand, it honestly feels like a controller built for shooters. For example, I’m not a huge fan of superficial face buttons – but the triggers and bumpers are fantastic. That’s a shooter and action game-led design, and that’s okay — eSwap is being honest about it. Everything about its design screams esports credentials. even names.
How does it ultimately stack up against its official rival, the Xbox Elite Series 2? Well, I think the answer is complicated. In a lot of ways, it depends on what you’re after – some things do each other better. However, eSwap’s joystick and d-pad flip gimmick is a huge selling point, especially for those who like symmetrical layouts or just play a lot of games they like to use d-pads. This is an excellent quality product with one very unique feature.
