Sony is building a better PlayStation 5 console with Project Leonardo, a group that promises to make games easier to play for people with limited motor control.
In raw images, Project Leonardo is a collection of circular gamepads lined with directional buttons and input methods, all customizable. Sony says the system will work out of the box with the PS5, allowing players to create their own perfect gamepad by mapping buttons, swapping hardware parts, and creating distinct profiles.
Project Leonardo can be used alone or paired with DualSense controllers – up to two Leonardos and one DualSense can be read as a single gamepad by PS5. This gives players flexibility and also allows others to help control the games.
The device includes four 3.5mm AUX ports to accommodate a variety of existing accessibility accessories and switches. The console itself lies flat on a table or can be tripod mounted; It does not need to be held. Sony partnered with a few organizations, including AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and Stack Up, during the design of Project Leonardo.
With Project Leonardo, Sony is taking clear cues from Microsoft, which has pioneered accessibility technology, especially in the gaming space. Microsoft released the Xbox Adaptive Controller in 2018 and it had many of the same selling points as Sony’s new endeavor, but in a longer, more spacious package. Microsoft has a new lab focused on building inclusive devices and a five-year plan to improve the technology landscape for people with disabilities
disability.
One of the biggest attractions of the Xbox Adaptive Controller is its price, which it’s also designed to be affordable: $100. There is no information on the cost of the Leonardo project; There is also no editing window.
On the PlayStation Blog, Sony designer So Morimoto described Leondardo’s project as follows: “Our team tested over a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for approaches that would help address key challenges of effective console use. We’ve finally come up with a” controller Split” design that allows for semi-free left/right thumb stick repositioning, can be used without the need to hold it, and features a button swap feature and highly flexible stick covers.
There was more positive news about the PS5 from Sony’s CES press conference today – PlayStation boss Jim Ryan announced an official end to the PS5 shortage, saying, “Everyone who wants a PS5 should have an easier time finding one at retailers globally starting From this point forward.”