The Thrustmaster Eswap Pro with next-generation sticks is one of the finest controllers I've ever had in my hands, and it deserves to be added to my guide to the best PC controllers. That said, the steps you have to take and the price you have to pay to reach this potential nirvana - $180 for the basic controller and $40 for the additional module pack - is only feasible for the crazy or the rich. Or both.

Let's start with the basics. The Eswap Pro is a controller whose parts (except the face buttons and bumpers) fit into sockets and can be swapped out. This is where the name comes from. At the bottom of each socket is a magnet that holds the module in place and allows hot-swapping even when the controller is connected and active. This magnet provides an excellent swapping experience because it snaps securely into place without leaving any doubt that a new module is connected.

The thumbstick can be pulled out with a finger, but the D-pad requires the use of a small two-ended screwdriver included with the controller. The two small screws holding the triggers in place are actually so small that it is a wonder there are no replacements in the box, plus the tip targets.

The unit we received for review included an additional orange module. The analog sticks, however, are next-generation. Since the Eswap Pro is a licensed PlayStation controller, the face buttons have standard shaped symbols instead of the Xbox's ABXY. The sticks are side-by-side by default, but can be swapped to an Xbox-like position if preferred.

The standard sticks are chunky and have a concave texture at the top, providing a certain amount of resistance. The next-generation stick is taller and slightly easier to push, but also more forceful in its attempt to return to the center position. The tops are available in concave or convex shapes, but rolling the edge of the convex tip with the thumb and gently moving it away from the upright is arguably the best way to use a thumbstick. The next-generation top is also slightly larger than the standard model, which, combined with the added shaft length, makes for a truly premium experience.

In other respects, however, not so promising: the D-pad. No, please, take it away. Both the standard model and the one included in the add-on pack are loose, flimsy to the touch, and too thin to roll your thumb properly when aiming a fireball. The thumbs make too much contact with the plastic of the controller body to make any real flowing movement.

In contrast to the Xbox Elite pad, whose crosses have evolved into a circular shape, the situation is night and day: both the DualSense and Xbox One pads have thicker buttons and are better suited for certain games. The add-on Fighting Pack offers a circular D-pad, but it only adds more expense to an already expensive controller.

The face buttons (which cannot be changed) suffer a similar fate. It clicks well enough and doesn't require much force to bottom out, but you can hear the spring beneath it and it moves slightly in its socket. Basically, it feels a little cheap, which is not what you want from a pad that costs twice as much as the standard Xbox One model.

Unscrewing these little screws allows you to remove the trigger, and some add-on packs include extended triggers. Otherwise, the ones in the orange packs I was provided with are of no use, just to change the color. By the way, this color is much lighter when applied to a black controller. It is really dazzling when removed from the pack, but looks dull when plugged into a socket. The slight translucency is a drawback. The headset can be plugged into the controller, and since it is a PlayStation model, there is also a small touchpad on the top.

Below that, there are four additional buttons that can be assigned individual commands using the Thrustmapper software. At least that's what it does. First, the browser alerted me that it could not be downloaded safely, and after I downloaded and installed it, it did not work, with errors in both the name of the new profile and the controller settings, even though I had reverted to the default state.

The best configuration for this controller would be to have the software work perfectly and replace both thumbsticks with next generation ones. In this case, the cost would jump even higher, to a price most people would not want to pay for a pad that is not even wireless. There are so many perfectly good controllers out there for much less money. Our favorite pad, the Xbox Elite Series 2, costs the same as Eswap's base model and is simply so much better. Unfortunately, what was going to be glorious has been betrayed by its own components.