During the CES 2023 Of Las Vegas, Sony presented Project Leonardothe new accessibility controller from PS5. Let’s find out all the details together.
The controller for accessibility: here is Project Leonardo for PS5
L’accessibility is an important issue for the PlayStation team, who want to continue raising the bar and allow all gamers to experience the joy of gaming. Whether it’s the robust accessibility options in PlayStation Studios games, such as God of War Ragnarök of Santa Monica Studio or The Last of Us Part I of Naughty Dog, or of thewide range of features of the user interface of the PS4 and PS5 consoles, one of their goals is reduce barriers to gambling for each player.
During CES 2023 Sony announced its next project that will make the game more accessible: Project Leonardo per PS5. Developed with input from accessibility experts, community members and game developers, Project Leonardo is the codename for a new highly customizable controller that works out of the box and will help many players with disabilities to play easier, more comfortably and for longer periods.
Thanks to conversations with accessibility experts and incredible organizations like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect e Stack UpSony has designed a highly configurable controller that works in tandem with many third-party accessibility accessories and integrates with the PS5 console to offer new ways to play. The controller was designed to address common challenges faced by many gamers with limited motor control.
Main features
- Hardware customizations.
- Project Leonardo for PS5 is a canvas that allows gamers to create your own gaming experience. Includes a sturdy kit interchangeable componentsincluding a variety of analog stick caps and buttons in different shapes and sizes.
- Players can use these components for create a variety of control layouts. Furthermore, the distance of the analog stick from the game pad can be adjusted according to the player’s preference. These components allow players to find a setup that suits their strength, range of motion, and their particular physical needs.
- Software customizations.
- On the PS5 console, players have a number of options for customize their experience playing with Project Leonardo:
- Button mapping.
- Controller buttons can be programmed for any supported function and multiple buttons can be mapped to the same function. Conversely, players can map two functions (such as “R2” + “L2”) to the same button.
- Control profiles.
- Players can to memorize button settings programmed as control profiles and easily switch between them by pressing the profile button.
- It is possible to memorize up to three control profiles and access it at any time from the PS5 console.
Project Leonardo can be used as independent controller o matched to other Project Leonardo or DualSense wireless controllers. Up to two Project Leonardo controllers and one DualSense wireless controller can be used together as one single virtual controllerallowing players to mix and match devices to suit their particular gaming needs or for cooperative play.
The device is also expandable through quattro 3.5 mm AUX port to support a variety of external switches and third-party accessibility accessories. This allows users to integrate special switches, buttons or analog sticks with the Project Leonardo controller. External accessories can be connected o log out dynamically and each of them can be configured to act like any other button.
Project Leonardo PS5: a unique controller
Il symmetrical design of Project Leonardo allows players to reposition analog sticks close together or distantas they prefer. The controller is plate e it should not be hand held, so players can place it on any flat surface. It can be easily fixed to the AMPS supports oh tripod and it can be oriented 360 degrees for more comfortable use. Players can also code the “north” orientation of the analog sticks to match the preferred orientation of the controller.
Il designer di Sony Interactive Entertainment, So Morimotoexplains how his team approached the industrial design of Project Leonardo:
Project Leonardo is part of the PS5 product family and is based on the same design concept. We were inspired by the idea that all players can enjoy the world of PlayStation together. Our team tested more than a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for approaches that would help solve the main challenges in using the controller effectively. In the end, we settled on a “split controller” design that allows the left/right thumbstick to be repositioned almost freely, to be used without the need to hold it in the hand, and to swap buttons and sticks very flexibly.
Since players can customize Project Leonardo to suit their needs, there is no “right” form factor. We want to give them the ability to create their own configurations. I’m excited that the design will be completed through collaboration with gamers, rather than presenting them with a single form factor.
Project Leonardo It is currently under development while Sony continue to gather valuable feedback from the community.