A new device will allow those with disabilities to tailor controls, allowing them to access the full suite of Xbox games
Charities have helped to create a controller which will allow those with limited mobility to play computer games.
Tech giants Microsoft worked with a range of organisations, including SpecialEffect and Muscular Dystrophy UK, to create a controller that lets people with disabilities plug in the assistive aids they already own to play games.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller enables those with limited mobility to use their own buttons, joysticks and switches to mimic a standard controller, so they can play any videogame.
The device – for the Xbox console and Windows 10 PCs – helps users 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.
The controller 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.
Vivek Gohill has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which causes muscle degeneration and weakness, and has been involved in the testing of the controller.
He uses the Xbox Adaptive Controller and several switches and buttons around his body to play games. While playing racing game Forza Horizon 3, for example, he uses a button next to his head to accelerate the on-screen car, while using a different one on his wheelchair to brake.
“I’ve lost a lot of ability, and definitely couldn’t play as much as when I was younger,” said the 27-year-old, who has given feedback to Microsoft after finding it difficult to hold traditional controllers and press the buttons.
“When I had to stop playing the games I wanted to, it was very frustrating and upsetting, because that was one of my favourite pastimes. By using the switches I already have for my computer or phone, the Xbox Adaptive Controller lets me have the freedom to play the games that I want.”
Gohill is one of 700 people who form part of Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Trailblazers, who campaign to remove the social injustices that young people with disabilities face when trying to live independently.
Lauren West, manager of the Trailblazers, hopes Microsoft’s actions will encourage more companies to make accessibility a priority.
“The Xbox Adaptive Controller will give people with disabilities the belief that they can get back into gaming, and that companies are taking accessibility seriously,” she said.
“The problem with general controllers is they are designed for one particular person. People with Muscular Dystrophy will have very fluctuating conditions and what will work for one person won’t work for someone else – someone’s head might be strong but their hands are weak, for example – so having something that can adapt to that is perfect.”
The gamers’ charity SpecialEffect said the device has huge potential. Chief executive Dr Mick Donegan said: “This has been a milestone collaboration for us. Our experience in helping people with complex physical disabilities to access videogames has enabled us to provide not only very relevant advice about features and design, but also direct feedback from a user-centred perspective.”
The controller will go on sale later this year.
