This week Microsoft revealed the new Xbox Adaptive Controller, which is designed with the needs of gamers with motor disabilities in mind.
It is large, stable, with a flat frame, and can sit on a lap, a table, or the floor (because some gamers play with their feet!), or be mounted with built in mounting screws. It isn’t an all-in-one for everyone, but has 19 jacks that can connect with assistive equipment buttons and switches… that players must buy separately… which allows it to be modified for any particular player’s needs.
It also allows three profiles to be set up, and to easily switch between them, within a game.
I’m not sure it has any help for my tremor (which has caused me to inadvertently kill good guys many times over- I really don’t care if I manage to kill extra baddies!)… but, the large, easy to use buttons that don’t require precise, small movements on my part, or to not have to hold the controller in shaky hands, just might! It will go on my wish list for future experimentation.
It was designed by looking at what gamers need to do, and how people with disabilities can and do accomplish those tasks, collaborating with partners including AbleGamers, Craig Hospital, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and others. AbleGamers has been helping people join the gaming community no matter what their particular set of challenges might be. The Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller will help get more people connected. It has some design features that allow it to be more easily used without requiring assistance from others (important to me) to set it up. There is nothing like getting caught up in a game… and being able to join gaming friends and family in the action! In my case, my chronic pain fades into the background.
Motherboard did a thorough review.
Gaming is fun! Good job, Microsoft!
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
