Controller with unique accessibility: Sony announces Project Leonardo

At CES, Sony presented a PS5 controller that is primarily aimed at gamers with disabilities. The gamepad is extremely customizable, helping people with physical disabilities to gamble more easily and comfortably.

Perfect adaptability for an individual orientation

Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, explained that the controller, codenamed Project Leonardo, has a “robust set” of buttons. To further optimize the gamepad, Sony collects feedback from the community. A release date has not yet been set.

With more than four 3.5mm AUX ports, gamers can expand the controller with more buttons and even use third-party accessories. In addition, the controller can be wonderfully placed on a smooth surface – such as on a tabletop or a wheelchair tray and can even be attached to suitable tripods. The stick orientation is adjustable and the gamepad can be rotated 360 degrees. In a blog post, Sony goes into more detail about the accessible controller.

“Through discussions with accessibility experts and incredible organizations like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect and Stack Up, we’ve created a highly configurable controller that works with many third-party accessibility accessories and integrates with the PS5 console to open up new gaming possibilities.” writes Sony.

The customizable switches allow users to “integrate” special switches, buttons, or analog sticks into the Project Leonardo controller. The external accessories can be dynamically connected or disconnected, and each button can be configured to behave like any other button. ”

This is reminiscent of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, introduced by Microsoft in 2018, which allowed various third-party control methods. Project Leonardo can be used as a single controller or in combination with another accessible controller or the wireless controller.