At CES 2023, Sony revealed that it is working on a new affordable controller, codenamed Project Leonardo, that can be easily customized to the needs of different players.
“Accessibility is an important topic for us at PlayStation, and we want to continue to raise the bar so that every gamer can enjoy the game. These include the extensive features of PlayStation Studios games such as Santa Monica Studio’s God of War Ragnarok or Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part I, and the extensive set of user interface features on the PS4 and PS5 consoles. We strive to remove barriers for every player,” the PlayStation blog says.
Sony said it consulted with AbleGamers and SpecialEffect, groups dedicated to improving the accessibility of video games so that more people with disabilities can play them, when creating Project Leonardo.
Project Leonardo looks like a round gamepad with triggers of different shapes and sizes, as well as a joystick, which can be adjusted to personal needs. The device also has 4 additional connectors (3.5 mm) for connecting third-party accessories.
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The PlayStation blog notes that Project Leonardo for PS5 is “a canvas on which gamers can create their own gaming experience.” The controller will also allow players to customize functions for different buttons and save three different configurations as profiles for ease of use.
Leonardo can be used as a stand-alone controller, paired or combined with the optional wireless DualSense.
While Sony’s early games offered a pretty solid set of accessibility options — both The Last of Us and God of War Ragnarök won Game Awards for accessibility — the company has been lagging behind in terms of accessible hardware.
Microsoft released the accessible Xbox Adaptive Controller in 2018, and in 2021 launched a program where developers can submit their games to the company for accessibility evaluation and testing by players with disabilities.
Microsoft announced adaptive accessories for people with disabilities
The Project Leonardo controller is currently under development, with no release date or cost information yet.
Source: The Verge
