IGI Logo

Sony has unveiled a customisable accessibility controller kit for PlayStation 5 (PS5) at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023.

'Project Leonardo' is designed to remove "barriers to gaming" and help players with disabilities play more easily, comfortably and for longer periods on PS5, the tech giant said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

It is developed with key contributions from accessibility experts, community members and game developers.

"With accessibility experts and incredible organisations like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect and Stack Up, we've designed a highly configurable controller that works in tandem with many third-party accessibility accessories and integrates with the PS5 console to open up new ways of gaming.

"It is built to address common challenges faced by many players with limited motor control, including difficulty holding a controller for long periods, accurately pressing small clusters of buttons or triggers, or positioning thumbs and fingers optimally on a standard controller," Sony added

The controller kit is a canvas for gamers to create their own play experience, which includes a "robust kit of swappable components", and it can be oriented 360 degrees for comfortable use.

Moreover, it can be used as a standalone controller or users can pair it with additional Project Leonardo or DualSense wireless controllers.

"Our team tested over a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for approaches that would help address key challenges to effective controller use," said So Morimoto, designer, Sony Interactive Entertainment.

"We finally settled on a asplit controller' design that allows near free-form left/right thumbstick repositionability, can be used without needing to be held, and features very flexible button and stick cap swapping," Morimoto added.