.jpg)
Microsoft has developed an adaptive controller designed for Xbox gamers with limited mobility.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller allows those with limited mobility to use their own buttons, joysticks, and switches to mimic a standard controller so they can play any video games. This allows them to choose which assistive aid will make the character jump, run or shoot, for example, without relying on pressing specific buttons on the controller that came with the Xbox.
Gamers with disabilities and Charities have said the device will help them continue to enjoy something they love as well as connect with other people and be more independent.
Image: Microsoft
The device has delighted charities and gamers with disabilities, who say it will help them continue to enjoy something they love as well as connect with other people and be more independent. The tech giant has collaborated with charities including The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, SpecialEffect, and The AbleGamers Charity to research its user base.
A prominent feature of the adaptive controller is that it can be customized for the needs of different disabled users. “With the Xbox Adaptive Controller, gamers can plug in the things they already have to customize the experience for themselves. Our message is: create your own controller,” Hector Minto, Accessibility Evangelist at Microsoft.
There are around a billion people across the world with a disability, including 13.9 million people in the UK. Research reveals that one-in-three gamers have been forced to stop playing video games due to their disability.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller, which can be connected to any Xbox One or Windows 10 PC via Bluetooth, features 19 3.5mm input jacks and two USB ports. Gamers can plug their third-party devices into these, with specific support for PDP’s One-Handed Joystick, Logitech’s Extreme 3D Pro Joystick and Quadstick’s Game Controller.
4 IMAGES
Two, large round black easy-to-press programmable buttons and a D-pad means it can also be used as a standalone controller. It can even be placed on the floor to allow gamers to use the two main buttons with their feet, and also has screws on the bottom so it can be mounted on wheelchairs and tables. Similarly, the packaging design for the product was reconsidered based on dexterity challenges. The internal lithium-ion battery can be recharged, eliminating the need to change small batteries.
Vivek Gohill who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy said, “I’ve lost a lot of ability, and definitely couldn’t play as much as when I was younger. (...) When I had to stop playing the games I wanted to, it was very frustrating and upsetting... By using the switches I already have on my computer or phone, the Xbox Adaptive Controller lets me have the freedom to play the games that I want.”
Above - Microsoft's Hector Minto, watches Vivek Gohill play Forza Horizon 3 using the Xbox Adaptive Controller
“Microsoft’s new Xbox Adaptive Controller will make a real difference to disabled people, particularly those with a muscle-wasting condition whose movements will become increasingly limited over time,” said Nic Bungay, Director at Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller will be available on the Microsoft Store later this year, priced at £74.99
0 Comments