Microsoft’s accessible controller for the Xbox has received a lot of praise from its counterparts, and now Sony is finally catching up in this regard. Taking advantage of CES 2023, they announced a PS5 accessibility control kit called Project Leonardo. It has a round shape as a whole, and there are buttons and rockers of different sizes and types inside. Players can combine and layout according to their own needs, and can customize the corresponding operations of the buttons through dedicated software (up to three sets of configuration files can be saved on the PS5).
According to Sony, Project Leonardo can do “out of the box.” You can use this controller alone, or you can pair it with DualSense (you can combine up to two Project Leonardo and a DualSense into a control solution). On the Project Leonardo you’ll find four 3.5mm AUX ports to accommodate various existing accessible accessories and switches. The controller itself can be placed flat on a table or mounted on a tripod, and players don’t need to hold it in their hands during use.
“Our team tested a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for ways to help overcome the key challenges of how to use the controller effectively. In the end, we settled on a ‘split controller’ solution that allowed players to move relatively freely. It is unknown to change the left and right thumb sticks without holding it, and it also has a very flexible button and stick cap replacement function.” Sony designer Morimoto wrote on the official blog.
However, the official release information of Project Leonardo has not yet been disclosed. For reference, the price of the Xbox barrier-free controller is US$100. At the CES event, PlayStation head Jim Ryan also officially announced that there is no shortage of supply for the PS5, and confirmed that the cumulative global sales of the console so far have exceeded 30 million units.