On the occasion of CES in Las Vegas, Sony unveiled a gamepad dedicated to accessibility. Under its flying saucer look, this controller for the PlayStation 5 can adapt to all disabilities.
Accessibility is truly becoming a subject taken head-on by the video game industry. While its games, notably from Naughty Dog (The Last of Us, Uncharted) and Santa Monica Studio (god of war), are hailed for their accessibility, Sony paradoxically had no suitable controller for its account. The error is now fixed.
On the occasion of the CES which is being held this week in Las Vegas (United States), the Japanese company unveiled its Leonardo project, a controller inspired by the DualSense to allow players with disabilities to take advantage of the PlayStation 5.
In the Footsteps of Xbox
For a long time, games have focused on setting controls to adapt them as much as possible to different disabilities (settings for the display and size of elements, choice of font, adaptation of colors on the screen, ease of ordering, subtitles, etc.). The games multiply the settings to offer themselves to the greatest number, from God of War Ragnarok to Far Cry 6 via Forza Horizon 5 who have not skimped on the possibilities with more than fifty options.
In this, Microsoft with its Xbox Accessibility Guidelines was a driving force in the reflection. This is a bible of recommendations for video game developers to support them in the design of a game and ensure that they think about it from the design stage to be suitable for all players, able-bodied and disabilities of all kinds. To carry its fight, Microsoft has also developed the Xbox adaptive joystick, a giant controller that facilitates controls for players suffering from motor problems. Equipped with a button and a larger cross, it also allows you to add suitable accessories thanks to its connection ports on the back.
A fully customizable controller
With tens of millions of players affected around the world, accessibility becomes a central issue that Sony could no longer ignore by not offering suitable equipment. “Leonardo project for PlayStation 5” was developed with experts in disability issues, but also players concerned, associations and game developers, explains Sony. Behind this code name hides a very concrete and “highly customizable” product, promises the tenor of the industry. A desired comfortable controller with a long battery life – which is however not the strong point of the DualSense of the latest generation console –, which is easily posed to play.
This controller can be associated with various known accessories thanks to its four jack ports (touch pad, switches, analog stick, pedal, etc.) and is aimed at players with different levels of motor problems. For this, Project Leonardo will come in the form of a kit with interchangeable components, different types of buttons and sizes of sticks. The elements can be positioned as needed in order to have the game configuration most appropriate to the player’s abilities (range of motion, support force, physical ability, etc.).
It will also be possible to program the different functions supported by the controller, create different profiles and easily switch from one to the other with a simple press of a button, which already exists on the future DualSense Edge pro controller. which arrives in January. And this controller will be able to work wirelessly with a classic DualSense controller to possibly play with a partner as if it were just a single controller or to play more comfortably, but also with another Project Leonardo controller.
For the moment, no release date or price has been communicated by Sony.
