A gaming controller for people with special needs

Sony has teamed up with accessibility experts to release a PlayStation 5 controller for gamers with disabilities. The Access Controller is a “highly customizable set” of different buttons, triggers, and sticks that allows gamers to create their own settings to suit their needs.

A similar solution, Microsoft's Adaptive Controller, which can be used on Xbox consoles and PCs, has been on the market since 2018.

This is the first such device that Sony has designed specifically for the PS5. "Our idea was that you can unbox it and start using it as a PlayStation controller right away," Alvin Daniel, senior technical program manager at Sony Interactive Entertainment, told the BBC.

“If it suits you and is comfortable to use, you don't have to buy third-party accessories and buttons and connect everything with cables.”

But designing products for accessibility is a vast task, as each person's impairment is unique and gaming technology is constantly evolving. Sony plans to address this issue through customization, so that each person can tailor the solution to their individual requirements. Daniel said the company teamed up with US-based accessibility experts AbleGamers to find the right way to solve this challenge.

“When they designed their own custom solutions for different players, they inevitably tried to solve three problems – sticks, pressing buttons, or holding the controller.”

“If you have problems in these three areas, this controller will help you regardless of your underlying condition.”