PlayStation has announced that Project Leonardo, the company’s in-development accessibility kit, is officially titled the Access controller.
A detailed post on the PlayStation Blog revealed the kit’s official title while also providing a slew of new information, images of the unit itself and a first look at the UI that is used in conjunction with the controller. As stated during the product’s reveal at CES 2023, the Access controller will ship with an array of swappable buttons and stick caps to help users tailor the experience to their comfort and needs.
The Access controller will include the following components:
- Analog stick caps (standard, dome and ball stick cap)
- Button caps in different shapes and sizes, including:
- Pillow button caps
- Flat button caps
- Wide flat button cap (which covers two button sockets)
- Overhang button caps (which benefit players with smaller hands as they are positioned closer to the centre)
- Curve button caps (which can be pushed if placed along the top or pulled if placed along the bottom of the controller)
- Swappable button cap tags for players to easily mark which inputs they map to each button
The analog stick can also be oriented in any desired direction, with 360-degree movement around the unit, with the distance from the unit also able to be adjusted. The Access controller can freely sit on any flat surface, or it can be mounted to a tripod, desk or the like. The controller also features four 3.5mm ports to allow for specialty switches and other peripherals to be used.
Additionally, the blog post gives us our first look at the UI that’ll be used to fully customise the Access controller experience. Looking very similar to the UI for the DualSense Edge controller, players will be able to enter this menu to map buttons, create custom profiles that can be switched between, pair new controllers and further fine-tune the controller’s various features. From the screenshots provided, the menu looks to be intuitive and simple.
Rounding out the blog post, PlayStation has published a new video highlighting the company’s commitment to accessibility in gaming. This includes the introduction of the Access controller, as well as UI changes and options within the games themselves.
You can watch the PlayStation Accessibility video here:
What are your thoughts on the Access controller? What accessibility options would you like to see in gaming? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
