Some of you may remember Xbox's very own Forza Horizon 5 controller - a super colourful pad that arrived around the launch of the game back in 2021. Well, third-party accessory maker Thrustmaster has now produced its own FH5 Xbox controller, and it has a very unique feature.
Thrustmaster's effort may not be as bright and brash as the Microsoft pad, but the company has integrated a 'racing wheel module' into the package, which can be swapped out for either the analog stick or the d-pad. It sounds as if this module is supposed to get closer to the feel of a racing wheel than a typical stick - here's how the team describes the feature:
"With the [racing wheel] module’s re-centering system and 95° rotation angle, you’ll experience a whole new level of immersion — with incredible control of your turns and drifting."
The description is a bit vague admittedly, but it does look cool at least, with the Forza Motorsport logo splashed front and centre on the racing wheel module. We're intrigued to see how this thing performs in the hands of racing fans, and whether they think it gets anywhere near a wheel setup.
Truth be told, it'll have to do more than look cool. Thrustmaster is asking for an eyewatering $200 for their Forza Horizon 5 controller, but if it can get a bit closer to the experience of a racing wheel, it may well be worth that cost! It's a variant of the company's existing "ESWAP XR PRO CONTROLLER", and here's a bit more about it:
"Experience incredibly immersive racing with the gamepad, thanks to the brand-new RACING WHEEL MODULE. Master your trajectories and drifts, and stay in control on any type of terrain with the module’s 95° rotation angle and non-slip surface."
"Hot-Swap technology lets you swap modules at any time, to adapt the gamepad to your gameplay — and not the other way around. ESWAP XR PRO CONTROLLER FORZA HORIZON 5 EDITION includes RACING WHEEL MODULE, two mini-sticks and a D-pad. Swap modules in a snap, for the setup that suits you best at any given time!"
"Combining enhanced precision with an extended lifespan of 2 million activations, the next-generation S5 NXG mini-sticks and RACING WHEEL MODULE represent an excellent balance between driving precision, control of your trajectories and overall immersion."
"You’ll love the super-responsive clicks provided by the mechanical buttons, which are 64% faster than standard membrane-based buttons (tested under laboratory conditions). Say goodbye to lagging response times in games: with an activation distance reduced to 0.01 inches / 0.3 mm, you’ll be able to respond quickly and take control in your races!"
"Adjust the sensitivity and other settings of the mini-sticks, RACING WHEEL MODULE and the triggers with the ThrustmapperX software. When RACING WHEEL MODULE is inserted, the D-pad inputs are automatically assigned to the rear buttons (1, 2, 3, 4). ThrustmapperX is available for Windows, and accessible directly via the Xbox menu!"
Does this sound like a cool idea to you? Let us know what you think of this Thrustmaster racing pad.
[source thrustmaster.com]
Comments 12
Is it just me or does that 'wheel' look even worse to control on? I guess you'd have to try it, but based on this evidence, no thanks.
I'd like to see a video demonstration of how the racing wheel module works. I'm struggling to picture how that would work..
Wow thats pricey! But having control of steering angle properly is game changing, so could make it worth considering.
Nothing beats a real wheel of course, but having used gyro on gt7 and found it game chaning for me, ive recently purchased a xim nexus so I can use gyro on my series X as well., and that was also expensive. The difference is I can gyro aim on shooters too.
I would like to b able to try this one though!
I have a Thrustmaster eSwap S and honestly it’s hard to go back to the official controller after using it. Buttons are far more responsive and the sticks are pretty decent too.
Looks awesome , but 200, and wired (always for 3d party I guess) is a bit too much.
I would love if Microsoft made a symmetric wireless controller for the Xbox One/Series and Windows 11. I had to order one from 8bitdo.
@Titntin gyro with GT7 is incredible indeed, I wish Xbox had a more affordable alternative!
@BBB Nobody could disagree that a wheel and pedals are the proper option for racing.
Wish it were an alternative for me, but I have several health conditions that mean I struggle to use a wheel and pedal set up unless I have a dedicated rig, and I wouldn't have the room to do that. I found my halfway house was gyro steering, which took a bit of getting used to, but I couldn't go back to stick now. Fortunately, on PS5, this comes at no extra cost.
For me though, it was so transformative that I had to get something similar on Xbox, hence the Xim Nexus. Now Motorsport feels amazing and I'm suddenly enthused for the new motorsport when that arrives!
@TJ81 If you ever feel rich, look at the Xim Nexus on amazon where its £139. That's a pretty significant saving over the usual price - though its still a lot of money for a feature that should be standard in all controllers imo.
Just because it looks like a (small) wheel it doesn't mean you gonna get the same feel and control a real one has,an expensive gimmick that's gonna be forgotten by next month...PS:I don't even think you can have better control then with a regular controller, let alone a wheel set up.
This looks interesting but also kinda gimmicky and way too expensive when I don't even know how it works. If it proves to be great I might have to pick one up, but I am very skeptical.
If nothing else it does look really cool!
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