The Importance and Necessity of Sony's PS5 Accessibility Controller

Sony has announced a customizable controller kit for players with mobility issues, called Project Leonardo, at CES. The kit is designed to make it easier and more comfortable for players with disabilities to play games for longer periods of time by addressing common challenges such as difficulty holding a standard controller for long periods, accurately pressing small buttons or triggers, or positioning fingers optimally on a controller. This announcement is a significant and long overdue step towards greater accessibility in the gaming industry.

Players will be able to swap components in and out, including the stick caps and a range of different buttons. The aim, according to the blog post, is to help players “find a configuration that works for their strength, range of motion and particular physical needs.

Users have the ability to customize the button mapping to their preference. It is possible to assign multiple buttons to a single input, and there is also the option to activate any two inputs with a single button press. These control configurations can be saved as profiles, of which a user can have up to three and switch between them in their PS5's settings.

Project Leonardo will be compatible with various third-party accessible gaming accessories, such as switches, buttons, and analog sticks. These can be connected through four 3.5mm ports that are built-in and configured to the user's preference.

A standout feature of Project Leonardo is the ability to connect up to two Project Leonardo controllers and a DualSense controller together. This allows players to "mix and match" devices to suit their specific gameplay needs or play cooperatively with others. This can be helpful for individuals with mobility issues to ask for assistance from a friend, or for kids who may need help with a particularly difficult part of a game while still maintaining some control.

Project Leonardo has a flat design and can be placed on a table, wheelchair tray, or lap, similar to a fight stick. It can also be mounted on tripods or AMPS mounts. The analog sticks can be positioned as closely together as desired, and the controller can be oriented in a way that is most comfortable for the user by setting the "north" orientation on the analog sticks.

Sony is working with accessibility experts and organizations such as AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and Stack Up to develop Project Leonardo, and is seeking feedback from the community as it continues to work on the device.

Sony has not yet released the controller and will announce the final name, additional details, and launch timing at a later date. It is important for the company to keep the price relatively low, as an expensive controller may not be accessible for all.

It has been a long time coming for Sony to develop an official accessibility-focused controller for the PS5. While the company has made significant progress in accessibility options in games like The Last of Us Part II, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and God of War Ragnarok, the DualSense controller still posed challenges for some players.

SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan told Wired that Sony has been working on Project Leonardo for years with the goal of creating something "truly unique" that caters to a wide range of players with different physical needs.

The announcement of Project Leonardo comes nearly five years after Microsoft unveiled the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which allows players to connect external accessories such as buttons and analog sticks. Xbox and Windows also have an accessibility feature called Copilot, which enables two controllers to function as a single one, allowing two people to control the same character.

While it may have taken Sony a few extra years to develop similar hardware and features, it is encouraging that the company has finally reached this point."

Accessibility Is Important For Everyone

Gaming is for everyone, and improving accessibility is crucial to ensuring that anyone who wants to play games has the opportunity to do so. The efforts of accessibility experts will ultimately benefit everyone.

While able-bodied individuals may not currently consider these issues, teens who want to continue playing games in their later years may someday be grateful for accessibility advancements. Those who are currently able-bodied may not know when they may experience vision or mobility loss or any other issues that make it more difficult to play games as easily as they do now.

This is why it is important that Sony is creating an official accessibility controller kit. Project Leonardo and similar initiatives may not be necessary for you now, but they may be crucial in the future when you want to play your favorite games.