A couple of days ago, Microsoft officially announced the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which is designed to help individuals with disabilities play video games. Since its announcement, the Xbox Adaptive Controller seems to have gotten a great deal of praise, as it will allow people who struggle to play video games better enjoy the medium. However, it seems as though the official PlayStation Middle East Twitter account has actually criticized the controller's design in a tweet that appears to have been deleted.
In a screenshot captured by Twitter user amiR151, PlayStation Middle East responds to a picture of the unannounced Xbox Adaptive Controller, in a tweet that apparently translates to, "Add a little salt and pepper and place the food on the new controller for 10 minutes." We were unable to verify with complete certainty if that is in fact what the tweet said, however.
The tweet in question was posted before Microsoft officially announced the controller, and it's unclear if the person running the PlayStation Middle East Twitter account realized what the controller was designed to do. Even so, the tweet has upset some fans who feel as though the joke was in poor taste.
The tweet has been deleted in the days since Microsoft officially announced the Xbox Adaptive Controller. As previously stated, it's possible that the PlayStation Middle East Twitter account was unaware that the Xbox Adaptive Controller was designed to make gaming more accessible for individuals with disabilities before the joke was made. It's also possible that the PlayStation Middle East Twitter wasn't even convinced that the controller was genuine, as the tweet was made before its official announcement.
Of course, this wouldn't be the first time Microsoft and Sony have made fun of each other. In fact, one of the most talked about moments from E3 2013 was when Sony called out Microsoft for its always-online Xbox One, which was also set to launch with extreme restrictions against used games. Microsoft responded with a similar video a couple of years later that made fun of the PS4's lack of backward compatibility.
While making fun of the competition is commonplace in the games industry, it's easy to see how criticizing something like the Xbox Adaptive Controller could be a bad idea. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if the PlayStation Middle East Twitter account posts an apology, or if Sony designs an accessibility-minded controller of its own.
Source: amiR151