Technology, Gaming

Xbox Adaptive Controller

Izzy Ashton

Deputy Editor, BITE Creativebrief

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When was the last time you had a proper, competitive tantrum? It happens to the best of us but nowhere does it happen more than in front of a video game. From beating Luigi to racing cars, ridding the world of zombies and winning wars, video games provide you with the freedom of escape and of course, the space to exercise your competitive spirit.

But what if you struggle to use a traditional games controller? Now Microsoft  has designed an Adaptive Controller for the Xbox which is the first ever console controller designed for disabled gamers or those with limited mobility.

Up until now, disabled gamers have had to rely on charities or specialist help to adapt regular controllers to their specific needs. But with Xbox’s new controller, users can tailor and personalise it to suit their exact needs, whether that’s a modified button, mouth piece or joystick.

The Adaptive Controller acts like a central hub, with large programmable buttons and 19 different ports that allow gamers to connect the various tools they need. The controller can be redesigned every single day.

The plug-ins on the controller mimic changes that many disabled people will have already come across for things like TV controls or wheelchair driving. It has been designed so that people can simply take the switches they use in their adapted day-to-day life and plug them straight in to the hub, augmenting their gaming experience.

The controller was built as part of the Gaming for Everyone initiative which launched in 2015. Microsoft’s Inclusive Tech Lab worked with disabled gamers and the accessibility community to ensure that all feedback was taken into consideration to design the Adaptive Controller.

Xbox has provided a solution for disabled gamers that gives them the freedom and choice they have often been denied until now. The Adaptive Controller is coming out later this year and will cost £75.

Visit Xbox’s website to find out more.