“Designed to Remove Barriers to Gaming” – PlayStation Introduces Project Leonardo to Help Gamers With Disabilities and Level the Fields With Xbox

In modern culture, gaming is a widespread interactive media that has evolved into something more than just a mere means of passing time. Today, anyone can be a gamer. With new innovations in technology, physical disabilities are no longer an impossible barrier in gaming, as almost every game has in-built accessibility settings. But when it comes to special hardware, industry giant PlayStation used to be behind its main competitor, Xbox.

However, with the recently announced accessibility controller kit, Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5, Sony is ready to break the ‘barriers’ in gaming. The official blog post said that the controllers are, “Designed to remove barriers to gaming and help players with disabilities play more easily, more comfortably and for longer periods on PS5.”

PlayStation is set to change the game with Project Leonardo

According to the announcement, the UFO-shaped controllers are “highly customizable”, and can be adapted to the special needs of every individual. Each key can be remapped according to the player’s choice, and a single key can be assigned for multiple commands. “The controller’s buttons can be programmed to any supported function and multiple buttons can be mapped to the same function. Conversely, players can map two functions (like “R2” + “L2”) onto the same button.”

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Sony designer So Morimoto, said in the blog post, “Our team tested over a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for approaches that would help address key challenges to effective controller use.” Morimoto added, “We finally settled on a ‘split controller’ design that allows near free-form left/right thumbstick reposition ability, can be used without needing to be held, and features very flexible button and stick cap swapping. The controller can also flexibly accept combinations of accessibility accessories to create a unique aesthetic.”

This particular piece of technology was created with the collaboration of Able gamers, SpecialEffect, and Stack Up. Through in-depth conversations with the experts associated with these organizations, the team of Sony PlayStation was able to create a “highly configurable controller that works in tandem with many third-party accessibility accessories.”

So far, the information about the release date and price tag hasn’t been revealed. According to the blog, the hardware is still in development.

Newly revealed updates about PS VR2

PlayStation has shared brand new information about the PS VR2. According to the new reveal:-

• 30+ games on track for launch window
• Gran Turismo 7 free PS VR2 upgrade at launch
• Beat Saber in development

They also confirmed that December 2022 has been the most successful month for PlayStation sales. Currently, the Sony gaming console has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. 

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