PlayStation has unveiled Project Leonardo, a “highly customizable accessible controller.”
The company revealed this during its CES 2023 showcase yesterday, saying that the kit “is designed to remove barriers to gaming and make it easier for players with disabilities to play, more comfortably and for a longer time on PS5.” It seems to be PlayStation’s answer to Xbox Adaptive Controller also aim to reach out to gamers. The company says it worked with accessibility experts at organizations like AbleGamers, Special Effect and Stack Up, as well as community members and game developers to design a controller. like this works “out of the box”.
“It was built to address the common challenges many players face with limited motor control, including difficulty holding the controller for long periods of time, precise pressing of small buttons or a trigger. active, or optimally place thumbs and fingers on the standard controller,” one PlayStation blog post read.
Here is a summary of Project Leonardo’s key features:
- Hardware customization: “It includes a powerful set of swappable components, including a variety of buttons and analog sticks of different shapes and sizes. Players can use these parts to create a variety of layouts. controls, and the distance of the analog stick from the game pad can be adjusted to suit the player’s preferences.These components allow the player to find a configuration that matches the power, range, and power. micro-motion and their specific physical needs.”
- Button mapping: “Controller buttons can be programmed to any of the supported functions, and multiple buttons can be mapped to the same function. In contrast, a player can map two functions (like R2 + L2) to the same node.”
- Control profile: “Players can save their programmed button settings as control profiles and easily switch between them by tapping the configuration button. Players can store and access up to three profiles. control from their PS5 console at any time.”
Project Leonardo can be used as a standalone controller or paired with additional Project Leonardo or DualSense controllers. According to PlayStation, up to two Project Leonardo controllers and one DualSense can be used together to create a virtual controller.
The controller is further expandable with four 3.5mm AUX ports “to support a variety of external switches and third-party accessibility accessories.” Furthermore, the controller’s decoupled, symmetrical design allows players to reposition the analog sticks as close together or as far away as they like. And because the controller lays flat and doesn’t require the player to hold it, it can be placed on a table, wheelchair tray, desk, or just about anything else. PlayStation says it can easily be fixed to an AMPS mount or tripod and can also be oriented 360 degrees.
“Project Leonard is part of the PS5 lineup and is based on the same design concept,” Sony Interactive Entertainment designer So Morimoto wrote in the blog post. “We were inspired by the idea of all players enjoying the PlayStation world together. Our team tested more than a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for ways to solve problems. addresses the key challenges to efficient controller use.In the end, we’ve settled on a ‘decoupled controller’ design that allows for near-left/right thumb repositioning freely, can be used without holding, and features a very flexible button and rod cap swappability.
“Because players can customize Project Leonardo to their needs, there is no ‘right’ form factor. We wanted to empower them to create their own configuration. Controllers can also be flexible. Actively accepts combinations of accessible accessories to create a unique aesthetic.I’m glad the designs will be completed through collaboration with players rather than presenting them with a single form factor. Best.”
Project Leonardo has no release date or price yet.
