Sony has previewed Project Leonardo, its new accessibility controller for the PS5 – browse the video below.
Per an official PlayStation blog post, the upcoming product was “designed to remove barriers to gaming and help players with disabilities play easier, more comfortably as well as for longer periods” on the console.
“Accessibility is a vital topic to us at PlayStation, and we want to continue raising the bar to allow every gamer to experience the joy of play,” it added.
“Whether it's the robust accessibility options in PlayStation Studios games like Santa Monica Studio‘s God Of War Ragnar”ok or Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us Part I, or the range of features within our PS4 and PS5 console UI, we're enthusiastic about reducing barriers to experience for every gamer.”
The Leonardo includes button-mapping and control profiles, the second of which will allow users to “easily switch between them”.
Featuring four 3.5mm AUX ports for extra accessories, the merchandise could be can be used a standalone device or paired with additional Project Leonardo or DualSense wireless controllers.
As for the Leonardo’s “flexible, adaptable design” (begin to see the preview images above), Sony said gamers can “reposition the analog sticks as near together or as far apart because they like”.
“The controller lies flat and does not need to be held, so players can lay it on the tabletop or a wheelchair tray,” the post added. “It can be easily secured to AMPS mounts or tripods, and could be oriented 360 degrees for the most comfortable use.
“Players can also program the ‘north’ orientation around the analog sticks to match their preferred controller orientation.”
Sony is yet to verify a launch date or price for that Project Leonardo – you can find more information and photos here.
It comes after Microsoft announced a new range of accessibility-focused accessories last May. Within the summer, Nintendo also confirmed that it was working on a cross-platform accessibility controller.
