Project Leonardo is the name that Sony has given to its new family of controllers for players with disabilities. During the company’s presentation at CES 2023, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, took the opportunity to present a new special control for the PS5. A) Yes, the company hopes that all players can play more comfortably and easilyregardless of whether they have some kind of different ability.
Project Leonardo offers quite high customization possibilities. It comes with several buttons, and can be used independently or in sync with the traditional DualSense controller from the PS5.
Although we have already been able to see a glimpse of Project Leonardo, the new PS5 controller is not yet finished. Sony continues to work on its development, and during this process will take the opportunity to collect community feedback regarding the design and functionality of the device. This way, they can ensure that they have a product that meets as many needs as possible for all gamers.
Additionally, Project Leonardo can expand its capabilities through a series of auxiliary ports. As Sony comments in its official publicationcommand “is expandable via 3.5mm auxiliary portsto support a wide variety of external switches and third-party accessibility accessories.” So, we know that it will not only be compatible with official PS5 products, but also with offerings from other companies.
Sony bets on accessibility on PS5 with its new Project Leonardo controller
Project Leonardo’s great transformation options make it an alternative to consider for players with disabilities. The company ensures that its auxiliary ports “allow users to integrate special switches, buttons or sticks analog“. Consequently, each of the accessories can be configured to act like any other button.
You can even sync two Project Leonardo to work together or, as already mentioned, connect it with the DualSense. The alternatives are almost limitless and a lot will depend on the needs of the player.
The design of Project Leonardo allows you to position yourself on flat surfaces. Sony comments that “players can put it on a table or wheelchair tray” for ease of use.
“Through conversations with accessibility experts and amazing organizations 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 play”.
PlayStation
It is not the first time that we see a controller designed for players with disabilities. In 2018, Microsoft released its Xbox Adaptive Controller, hardware that allows users to control Xbox games through third-party controllersoffering a wider selection of accommodation for everyone.