A new accessibility controller for the PlayStation 5 designed for gamers with disabilities has been unveiled.
The highly customizable device, currently called Project Leonardo, has a completely different form factor from the console’s standard DualSense remote.
Leonardo has a circular design consisting of many large buttons and a joystick, all of which can be rearranged according to the player’s needs.
It can also be combined with another Leonardo or DualSense to have friends or family provide further assistance to the main player.
There are also several ports to plug in other accessories to add more input options.
Sony said it worked on the new controller with experts from AbleGamers and SpecialEffect, organizations that help people with disabilities enjoy video games; and Stack Up, a US charity that uses games to help veterans recover from combat deployments.
It was announced at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, the world’s largest consumer technology event.
“We want to empower players”
Designer So Morimoto said Sony tested more than a dozen designs before settling on the final shape, which was designed to be used hands-free.
The controller can be placed flat, or it can be fixed on a support such as a tripod.
“Because gamers can customize Project Leonardo to suit their needs, there is no one ‘right’ form factor,” said Mr Morimoto.
“We want to give them the ability to create their own configuration.”
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The controller can be completely reconfigured.Figure: Sony
Game’s watershed moment
Leonardo follows in the footsteps of similar controllers from Microsoft, which broke new ground in 2018 with its Xbox Adaptive Controller, designed to meet the limited accessibility needs of gamers.
Sony itself is integrating a host of accessibility options into some of its biggest games of 2022, including God of War: Ragnarok and The Last of Us.
Sky News interviews a legally blind gamer Who can play God of War games independently for the first time Thanks to Ragnarok for a bunch of setups, this feels like a watershed moment for the entire industry.
Ben, who goes by the screen name SightlessKombat and works for the Royal National Institute for the Blind, said of the Leonardo project: “While I don’t have any personal need for it myself, it’s nice to see people trying to make more people Those involved continue to play.
“I hope this is useful to those who need it.”
The latest God of War has a high contrast mode in its accessibility options.Figure: Sony
No pricing or release date for the Leonardo was revealed, which comes as Sony announces that the global shortage of the PS5 is over.
The consoles have been hard to find since they launched in November 2020 due to global supply chain issues, but PlayStation boss Jim Ryan says they will be readily available “from now on”.