Today, January 5, Sony employees at CES 2023 officially introduced a rather non-standard controller designed specifically for the PlayStation 5 game console. The novelty is called Project Leonardo and aims to eliminate the barrier between people with disabilities and next-generation video games, so that users from all over the world it was comfortable and convenient to conquer virtual worlds on the PlayStation 5. Accordingly, this is a kind of answer to the Xbox Adaptive Controller from Microsoft, only in a more stylish and modern design. Although, of course, it is strange that the company introduced this controller only two years after the release of the PlayStation 5 console itself.
The Project Leonardo controller itself consists of two separate platforms with black sticks and a full set of buttons located along the edge of the “plates”. This design allows people with disabilities who cannot hold the gamepad with both hands and reach all the controls at once, to configure the controller in a way that is convenient for them. For example, you can use different button sizes to get more comfort and control over the character in the game, choose more comfortable sticks, or change the action buttons from flat to convex. And Sony promises that in the future the setting will be even more flexible.
For example, company representatives said that the user will be able to reconfigure any key, assign multiple functions to the same button, and save all the necessary settings in control profiles. There will be three such profiles in total, so it is enough for a gamer to configure the controller for a specific game, save the preset, and then quickly switch between profiles. And, best of all, the Project Leonardo controller can be used both separately from the original DualSense gamepad, and paired with it. This is actually very important in certain scenarios when reaching the triggers, for example, is physically difficult.
Now Sony says that Project Leonardo is still under development – to improve the controller, the company consults with various specialists and, of course, gamers with disabilities themselves. Unfortunately, the company did not provide any information about the approximate release date or cost of this kit – the manufacturer collects feedback and hopes to make Project Leonardo better, but without specifics.
Source: Trash Box
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
