ThrustMaster eSwap XR Pro Forza Horizon 5 Edition Controller

Themed gamepad released in 2023 in collaboration with Thrustmaster, Microsoft, and Playground Games—designed in the style of the racing arcade Forza Horizon 5 with its characteristic palette. The device is part of the expert-level eSwap line, whose main feature is the modular design: key components (sticks, D-pad, grips, and triggers) are removable blocks, replaceable in a minute using the included screwdriver.

This allows not only updating a worn module without buying a new gamepad but also literally reconfiguring the layout for a specific genre. The main technical feature of this version is the additional Racing Wheel module: instead of one of the sticks, a miniature steering wheel with a 95° rotation angle and an automatic centering system can be installed, allowing more precise steering than with a stick and controlling drifts in racing projects.

The ThrustMaster eSwap XR Pro Forza Horizon 5 Edition Controller is built on mechanical switches with just 0.3 mm travel—according to the manufacturer's lab tests, this is 64% faster than membrane counterparts. The sticks are made with S5 NXG technology, declared to have a lifespan of 2 million activations. The rear panel features four additional programmable buttons, where, when the wheel is connected, the D-pad functions are automatically transferred. The sensitivity of the sticks, wheel module, and triggers is configured via the ThrustmapperX utility on Windows and in the Xbox menu.