The company’s Xbox Adaptive Controller managed to become a staple product despite the odds against it, and since then, the model has garnered considerable praise from users and advocates alike for its informed and customizable design.
Sony has released a new PS5 accessibility controller
It’s not a surprise that Sony would get in on the action with its own competing products, although it’s a bit surprising that it took so many years to happen. Accessibility features at the software level have been Sony’s focus for quite some time now.
In any case, Sony has decided to take some steps to shut down Project Leonardo, the name it’s using for its accessibility gaming controller efforts. The announcement was made as part of Sony’s CES 2023 appearance, and while the controller isn’t available yet, we did get to see the device and a bunch of key details about it.
Just as expected, Sony says it will collaborate with experts and gamers alike when it comes to designing Project Leonardo, although it also notes that the final design could be quite different from what we see right now.
Leonardo is Sony’s adaptive controller
While Project Leonardo is the codename for the controller, the actual controller, which is being developed for the PlayStation 5 console, will ship under a completely different name, although we don’t know what Sony will call it. At this point, all we know is that Sony is moving forward with a highly customizable design in mind, noting as part of the announcement that users will be able to use the controller out of the box and with third-party accessories.
So far, based on the images shared by Sony, the controller is circular in nature. The controller also carries over some of the expected design elements: the small buttons clustered together on regular controllers have been changed to larger buttons spread around a ring formation. Now, the joysticks now exist as two completely separate components to keep them further apart, and the joysticks have the option of a larger knob design that may be a lot easier for some gamers to grasp.
Features, price, and release date
As stated by Sony, the Project Leonardo controller is expected to ship as a kit that includes various components needed for users to customize the setup. When it comes to the software side of the controller, the Leonardo and PS5 combo will enable users to remap buttons and save controller profiles.
The controller is expected to be usable with dual senses for a variety of gameplay and needs, and has a 3.5mm audio jack for using a headset.
At this point, pricing and availability are not yet known, as Sony has stated that the project is still ongoing and the controller is still being developed.
