New PlayStation 5 Controller Aims To Drastically Improve Gaming Experience For Players With Disabilities

Sony Group Corp. SONY has made clear the company's direction to make gaming more accessible by releasing Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5.

What Happened: At the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, Sony announced that it's working on developing a PS5 controller through a new project called Leonardo. It will be a highly customizable controller kit to help "players with disabilities" play games comfortably for extended periods.

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Sony's Project Leonardo controller can be used individually or paired with DualSense controllers — up to two Leonardo and DualSense controllers can be used by the PS5 as one gamepad. This makes it possible for participants to play collaboratively with others.

Project Leonardo's hardware includes 3.5mm AUX ports to support different accessibility add-ons. The controller lies flat or secured to AMPS mounts or a tripod — it doesn't require to be held.

Why It's Important: Project Leonardo is still under development and the company didn't share any release date. But it revealed that the controller would help gamers with limited motor control who have trouble gripping a controller for long periods of time, accurately pressing small triggers or buttons and positioning thumbs or fingers optimally.

Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5 appears to have been influenced by Microsoft Corporation MSFT.  

In 2018, the tech giant released Xbox Adaptive Controller and has gained significant momentum as a leader in accessibility tech, particularly in the gaming industry, reported Engadget. 

Photo: Courtesy of Sony

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