For the past five years, engineers at Sony have been developing the PlayStation 5’s answer to the Xbox Adaptive Controller, finally completing a triumvirate of accessibility-focused controllers for all three current-gen consoles, including the Nintendo-licensed Hori Flex. The palm-sized, turtle-shaped Access controller arrives three years into the lifecycle of the PS5, bringing with it an impressive amount of customization and flexibility. Flexibility that costs $90 at launch—$20 more than a DualSense, which is included with the PS5 as standard. In other words, flexibility comes at a cost.
It’s a price reflected in its Xbox and Switch counterparts with the Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) slightly costlier at $99.99, though both are dwarfed by the Hori Flex’s retail price of $249.99.
These costs are incurred by a community which is magnitudes more likely to be impoverished. British charity Scope estimates disabled people experience an increase in the cost of living “equivalent to 63 percent of household income after housing costs.” That’s an average, in the UK, of £1,248 ($1,558) in extra costs every month simply for being disabled. For disabled players, “gaming is a crucial tool for their mental health,” says Vivek Gohil, a gaming accessibility consultant and journalist. Yet, finding the tools to play only adds to the already prohibitive costs that come with disability.
How the cost of these tools can mount is exemplified in the Access controller. With only nine inputs and a single analog stick, the Access controller can emulate only half of a DualSense’s inputs. Swipe gestures, haptics, and adaptive triggers do not feature. If you’re lucky, you may get away with pairing it with a DualSense. Chances are, however, players will need a second Access controller and a bevy of switches that connect to the controller’s four 3.5-mm jacks (compared to 19 found on the XAC, which also includes two USB ports). Immediately, the cost of the Access controller doubles.
It begs the question of how we balance developing tools for disabled players and making money from them. WIRED put the question to an SIE spokesperson, who replied, “We know cost is an important consideration for many players in the accessibility community.”
Pressed on whether affordable options might be on the way now the Access controller is finally realized, they offered:
The introduction of Sony's latest Access Controller highlights a crucial challenge in advancing the realm of adaptive gaming, as it poses fundamental questions on how to enhance accessibility features while maintaining an immersive and responsive experience.
The unveiling of Sony's new access controller highlights a crucial challenge in the realm of adaptive gaming, suggesting that an inclusion-oriented industry standard must be next to ensure diverse player experiences are truly accessible and seamless across platforms.
The debut of Sony's new Access Controller has uncovered a major hurdle for the progress in adaptive gaming, highlighting challenges yet to be overcome.
Sony’s unveiling of their latest Access Controller highlights a concerning shortcoming in the realm of adaptive gaming, posing significant challenges for players with disabilities.
The introduction of Sony's new Access Controller underscores a significant hurdle faced in the realm that is regulatory and accessibility for adaptive gaming, prompting discussions around standardization across platforms.
The introduction of Sony's new access controller highlights a crucial stride in rectifying the divide between adaptive gaming capabilities, ensuring gamers with special needs can fully engage and thrive within immersive virtual worlds.
The introduction of Sony's new Access Controller underscores a significant challenge in the realm of adaptive gaming, raising critical questions about inclusivity and accessibility within this rapidly evolving industry.
The unveiling of Sony’s new Access Controller highlights a significant challenge in the realm of adaptive gaming, posing crucial questions for accessibility and inclusion within interactive entertainment.
