Sony has unveiled its project for a more accessible controller for the PS5, its own answer to the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The tech giant seems to have borrowed the idea of an accessibility-focused controller from Microsoft and integrated it into a new input method for the PS5.
The movement for gaming accessibility has gained a lot of traction in recent years, spearheaded by organizations like The AbleGamers Charity and SpecialEffect which work to help disabled gamers enjoy their favorite hobby. A major step in this movement happened in 2018 when Microsoft released the Xbox Adaptive Controller which allows for the implementation of different control options and third-party input accessories for gamers who have difficulty using conventionally designed controllers. This was a huge move by Microsoft that spotlighted the efforts of these advocates and encouraged other console manufacturers to make their own forays into first-party controllers built around accessibility.
In the over four years since the Xbox Adaptive Controller's release, many have been waiting to see how Sony, Microsoft's biggest competitor in the console market, would make further efforts toward accessible controllers. Gamers finally got an answer to this during Sony's press conference at CES 2023, in which Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan announced Project Leonardo for PS5, a customizable controller kit made in consultation with accessibility experts and organizations including The AbleGamers Charity, SpecialEffect, and Stack Up.
In a post on the PlayStation blog, it is explained that Project Leonardo will include options for button mapping, multiple controller profiles, and compatibility with third-party accessories, all while still working "out of the box." It will be able to be used on its own or with another Project Leonardo controller and DualSense controller that "can be used together as a single virtual controller." Third-party accessories will be connectable through four 3.5mm AUX ports along the bottom of the device, similar in design to the ports on the Xbox Adaptive Controller. One particularly noticeable aspect of Project Leonardo is how highly configurable it is, as players can do things such as adjust the distance of the analog stick from the rest of the gamepad. It is clear that following its efforts to implement accessibility in God of War Ragnarok and The Last of Us Part 1, Sony remains committed to continuing to make its software and hardware accessible to as many players as possible.
Project Leonardo represents the first major development in hardware accessibility made by Sony or Nintendo in the wake of the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Although former Nintendo head Reggie Fils-Aime claimed that there were once plans for Nintendo to make its own version of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, this has yet to happen. Through this announcement, Sony is reaffirming the importance of accessibility in the gaming industry, and organizations and advocates deserve credit for their work in putting these issues on the map.
Source: PlayStation Blog