Introducing the Access Controller, a controller kit to make gaming more accessible to gamers with disabilities. 

Made for PlayStation and PS5, the Access Controller is customisable – players can change the layout of the swappable buttons and stick caps in various shapes and designs. It can be operated from any 360-degree orientation given its floral shape, and even connect to third-party accessibility accessories using expansion ports.

Sony has even made the packaging accessible so people with limited mobility can open the box themselves, even with one hand.

The design team worked with gamers with disabilities in the design development phase to create the Access Controller. They eliminated the need to hold the controller to use it, made the buttons larger, organised in a single plane like a keyboard, and easier to press, amongst other features.

Sony’s competitor in the gaming market, Microsoft, released their Xbox Adaptive Controller five years ago in 2018. Input from disabled groups helped shape the design, functionality and packaging of the controller, which comes with multiple ports that are compatible with a range of accessibility peripherals.

The packaging was also designed with people with disabilities in mind – designers following a “no teeth” principle that didn’t require users to open the package with their teeth. A TV commercial broadcast during Super Bowl 2019, brought the controller to the attention of millions of people. 

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