To start out my assessment of the ESWAP XR Professional Forza Horizon 5 version controller, I first want to present you some context. I’ve quickly moved again into my dad and mom’ home, which as a sim racing fanatic, means zero room for enjoying with my full rig within the spare room or having to elevate it from the storage to the lounge each time I wish to play.
Should you’re in a equally cramped dwelling area, then Thrustmaster’s controller begins to look like a tempting resolution. A modular pad with the choice to connect a miniature wheel element for the feeling of steering.
Nonetheless, as you’ll begin to perceive as I’m going via this assessment, the corporate’s experiment might have been profitable, nevertheless it’s at the price of some naked necessities that make any good controller nice. Let’s get into it.
ESWAP XR PRO Forza Horizon 5 version pricing and availability
Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Don’t take a drink, as to keep away from a spit take after I inform you that this controller is available in at a hefty $179/£199.
For context, that’s $5 greater than the superlative Xbox Elite Wi-fi controller Collection 2. However compounding issues additional, you might spend an additional 20 bucks and get the T218X wheel and pedals (opens in new tab).
In case your major intention is entering into racing, this places the controller in a bizarre place. So the query is clear: is it definitely worth the large funding? The quick reply is sure and no, however we’ll get to that.
ESWAP XR PRO Forza Horizon 5 design
Customizability is the secret with the ESWAP XR PRO, and the Forza Horizon 5 version isn’t any totally different. From switching the modules round to altering magnetic controller grips, the number of choices primarily based on style and play type are spectacular.
There’s a “driving” aesthetic to the pad, which matches properly with the brilliant whites, dashes of pink and distressed look which can be core to the sport’s visible theme. Consider it just like the banana yellow Lamborghini Diablo poster you had in your wall as a child, moderately than the subtler, extra refined Huracan you’d want as a grown up.
Personally, I might’ve preferred one thing a little bit extra upmarket within the appears to be like division (possibly seize an ordinary ESWAP PRO and purchase the separate wheel module), nevertheless it’s not offensive to take a look at.
Whereas there’s a first rate heft to it within the hand, 11.2 ounces to be actual (by comparability the Xbox and PS5 controllers are slightly below 10 ounces), the plastics really feel a little bit low-cost. To not say they’re a deal breaker, however the matte areas have a scratchy sensation, the shiny areas are a little bit cheesy to the contact, and the plastic outer grip areas don’t provide that a lot grip.
Regardless, the body is a perfect measurement that slotted into my hand grip simply and comfortably. My advice could be so as to add some type of raised/patterned texture to the grips, and look in the direction of a extra premium plastic for the remainder of the body (possibly even with a touch of metallic).
ESWAP XR PRO Forza Horizon 5 software program
In fact, this controller is simply plug and play on the Xbox, and it’s related when connecting it to a PC. However for the complete expertise, you’re going to wish to use the ThrustmapperX software program.
From right here, you’ll be able to customise controller mapping, vibration energy, set off sensitivity, and save all of this into one among two customized presets primarily based on the video games you’re enjoying. The software program is intuitive to make use of, and actually doubles down on the tweaking nature of the {hardware} with an app that continues the expertise.
It meant that after I was searching for a extra laid again expertise on Forza, I might flip down the harshness of the vibrations. Whereas for racing sims, I might crank it as much as get that feeling of understeer, and save myself from spinning in a pinch.
ESWAP XR PRO Forza Horizon 5 efficiency
To get a correct grasp of what the ESWAP XR PRO is like for racing video games, I broadened my horizons past…nicely…Horizon 5, and examined it with a number of totally different subgenres within the driving class. This included the rallying likes of DiRT 2, and all the best way as much as hardcore sims like Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC).
And after an hour of getting used to this wheel module, I can reply the apparent query that’s in your thoughts proper now: sure, it does offer you a style of that driving sensation with out the necessity to take up half your room with a sim rig.
The module itself has a 95-degree rotation angle, which is minimal while you consider the 270+ levels you’ll be able to rotate most wheels. However for a thumb on a controller, that is logical. You don’t wish to be relentlessly turning a small dial, and turbo boosting your strategy to carpal tunnel. However this narrower vary of rotation does imply sensitivity is turned up, so you’ll want to be mild together with your steering actuation — until you wish to absolutely spin your automotive on a mild bend.
Because of the pliability of having the ability to place it in one among three areas, I might experiment with what felt most comfy to me. In actuality, my optimum driving type trusted the sport.
For one thing extra arcadey like Forza Horizon 5, I most well-liked the wheel within the backside slot — that means I might place my thumb excessive ridge and make extra deliberate steering actions. On the flip facet, when extra finer levels of enter had been wanted in ACC, I moved it to the highest left, so my thumb gently caressed the underside edge for smaller rotations. It’s a nifty system to make use of in a snap, which talking of, the wheel does snap again to its default place when you let go.
Nonetheless, the remainder of the expertise doesn’t fairly stand as much as this similar stage of playability. Positive, the mechanical face buttons have a pleasant tactile really feel to them, however the D-pad feels low-cost and mushy — nearly such as you’re power pushing down on a small sponge to set off the enter.
Extra mappable buttons are good to have, however I might have most well-liked the choice to customise these with some paddles (full the driving expertise with guide gear modifications).
Moreover, the dearth of wi-fi looks as if a missed alternative within the comfort division, and why are we nonetheless seeing micro USB ports in 2023? Certainly it could not have been too expensive to make the soar to USB-C.
This blended expertise when enjoying different video games does constrain it to a considerably particular use case, which brings us to the last word level of this pad.
Backside line
Thrustmaster’s experiment is kind of a chance. The ESWAP XR PRO Forza Horizon 5 version is a giant swing at a racing fanatic viewers that won’t have the area for a rig, or don’t actually wish to muck about setting it up each time they wish to play.
If that is you, you’re devoted to this motorsport mecca of gaming, and you’ve got $179 mendacity round, then I’d say this may very well be worthwhile. After the preliminary studying curve of the wheel module’s sensitivity, it offered a brand new dimension of management to my racing motion — throughout each arcade driving and hardcore sims.
However that value is a little bit exhausting to justify — particularly while you bear in mind the cheap-feeling plastic, mushy D-pad and the wired-only connection. Plus if you’re on this target market, then I’d advocate selecting up an affordable, small wheel and pedals for a greater expertise. Both that or maintain off till you could find it at a good low cost.
