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Sony has announced a big leap forward in gaming at CES this week with the introduction of the Project Leonardo controller. This is an accessibility controller kit for the PS5 that aims to make gaming on the console more accessible for people with a wide range of disabilities. Who might otherwise find it much more challenging, or even impossible to enjoy games on the PS5 at all.
The Project Leonardo controller is a highly customizable controller that allows users to fit the setup to their specific needs and playstyle. It features interchangeable buttons and joystick caps that can be rearranged and ordered in a number of different ways. Sony says it works right out of the box, and opens up possibilities for people to play “more easily, more comfortably, and for longer periods.”
While the controller is still in development, Sony seems to be well on its way. The company spent time working with organizations like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and StackUp, as well as numerous accessibility consultants through conversations to help shape the current form of this product. Sony designed the controller to address specific issues that players with disabilities might have. Whether that’s difficulty pressing small clusters of buttons or just holding the controller for a long time.
To that end, the controller lays flat, and players can basically re-order the buttons to fit their needs. Players can even adjust the distance of the analog stick to be closer or further away. Customization goes a lot deeper than that though.
The Project Leonardo controller offers a wide array of control layouts
It isn’t just rearranging the buttons or adjusting the distance of the joystick from the gamepad. The controller also comes with a collection of buttons in different shapes and sizes. So players who may need bigger buttons to play more comfortably can attach those before rearranging them into whatever order suits them best.
What’s more, is that it’s possible to connect up to two of the controllers together. You can even add a regular DualSense to that so the whole setup can be used as a single virtual controller. On top of that, there’s software customization. In the PS5 settings, players have loads of button mapping options. Including mapping two functions to a single button on Project Leonardo for ease of use.
Taking things a step further, the controller also includes profiles. It can be a pain to set up your customizations only to have to do it again later on. So Project Leonardo allows for profile storage after everything is initially set up. Players can then swap between profiles with the press of a button. That way if they need a specific profile for a specific game, they don’t have to start from scratch reconfiguring everything.
It works with third-party accessibility devices and accessories
The name of the game is accessibility. With that, Sony is trying to make gaming as accessible as possible here. To help even further with this, Project Leonardo is compatible with third-party accessibility devices and accessories. These can be plugged into the controller’s 3.5mm aux ports on the side. Allowing for specialty equipment to be adapted for use with the configured setup. Right now Sony hasn’t announced pricing or availability information. But it does say that it will continue to gather feedback.
Sony follows by stating “we’d like to thank all the wonderful organizations and accessibility experts who are supporting us in this effort. We are also grateful to everyone in the community who has advocated for greater gaming accessibility. You are the reason we do our work and your passion inspires us every day. It’s truly a privilege for us to create products that better serve your needs. We look forward to sharing more in the future, including additional product features and launch timing.”