New controller for disabled gamers

A new Playstation controller targeting people with disabilities has recently been launched by Sony, in response to looming pressure over this long-neglected area within the industry.

The device, which supports disabled gamers by rendering the gaming experience more manageable, was trialled by Jeremy Lecerf, alias 'Guizmo'. He acts as an ambassador for Handigamer, a French start-up which champions less able gamers.

Jeremy Lecerf/Guizmo: "And here, the fact that everything is flat and configurable makes it much easier to access and play the game."

A study by SCOPE, a UK-based disability charity, established that two thirds of disabled gamers have had to contend with obstacles to participating. 40 percent admit to having purchased games they later found to be inappropriate, owing to accessibility problems.

A disabled user is obliged to overcome countless hurdles when manipulating a standard controller, states Playstation's Senior Programme Manager, Alvin Daniel.

Alvin Daniel: "And it would greatly limit the amount of time they could spend playing because it was so difficult and uncomfortable, basically. And we hope that with the Access controller, it opens up a window now to being able to play longer and more comfortably, which they simply couldn't do before."

Thanks to the new Access Controller kit, German gamer Melanie Eilert has rekindled her passion after a 15-year break.

Melanie Eilert: "I can only play with my right hand. So the number of inputs I can do is limited.

Interviewer: And so how does this change your whole gaming experience?

Melanie Eilert: “So, with the external buttons I can attach, the number of buttons I can use increases."

While the company's main rival Microsoft set the ball rolling 5 years ago by introducing its own version, nowadays all major manufacturers and studios appear to be acknowledging the urgency of accessibility gaming.

The Access Controller is a versatile apparatus intended to be totally inclusive. To this end, it's customizable, since every disability is markedly distinct.

For Guizmo, gaming's a forum where any disparities melt away, providing him the opportunity to forge new friendships.

Jeremy Lecerf/Guizmo: "For me, video games have enabled me to have a life, quite simply. A life that was closer to normality. Why is that? Because online gaming in particular has allowed me to have a social life, and that's why I tend to say that video games are an extremely inclusive tool." View Less