The aim is to break down the barriers to gaming with Project Leonardo so that gamers with disabilities can play games.

Sony unveiled the controller at CES and showed it to the public on the PlayStation Blog. Sony has added more accessibility features in its games (e.g., God of War: Ragnarok, The Last of Us Part I) and in the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 control surfaces, but at CES, they went further, and here’s a quote from the post: “We announced the next step in our journey to make gaming more accessible: Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5. Developed with key contributions from accessibility experts, community members, and game developers, Project Leonardo is our codename for a new highly customizable controller kit that works “out of the box” to help many players with disabilities play games more efficiently, more comfortably, and for more extended periods.

Through conversations with accessibility experts and incredible organizations like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect and Stack Up, we’ve designed a highly configurable controller that works with many third-party accessibility accessories and integrates with the PlayStation 5 console to open up new ways of gaming. It is built to address common challenges many players face with limited motor control, including difficulty holding a controller for long periods, accurately pressing small clusters of buttons or triggers, or positioning thumbs and fingers optimally on a standard controller,” the blog says.

Project Leonardo lets players design their unique gaming experience. It has a robust kit of interchangeable parts, so analog sticks and buttons can be in different shapes or sizes. The distance of the stick from the controller will be adjustable. The button assignment will be changeable, and you will be able to assign several buttons to the same function. You can also implement, for example, a button to activate the buttons corresponding to both R2 and L2. There will also be profiles (up to a maximum of three). You can use it on its own or pair it with another Project Leonardo or a DualSense controller. The other “Leo” or traditional controller can be operated by a friend or family member for assistance. The Project Leonardo is expandable via four 3.5mm aux ports to support a variety of external switches and third-party accessibility accessories. These external accessories can be dynamically connected or disconnected, and each can be configured to behave like any other button.

Project Leonardo’s split, symmetrical design allows players to place the analog sticks as close or far apart as they like. The controller lies flat and doesn’t need to be held, so players can lay it on the tabletop or a wheelchair tray. It can be easily attached to an AMPS mount or stand and can be adjusted 360 degrees for the most comfortable use. Players can also program the “north” orientation of the analog arms to match their desired controller orientation.

“Project Leonardo is part of the PlayStation 5 product family and is based on the same design concept. We were inspired by the idea of all players enjoying the world of PlayStation together. Our team tested over a dozen designs with accessibility experts, looking for approaches that would help address key challenges to effective controller use. We finally settled on a ‘split controller’ design that allows near free-form left/right thumbstick repositionability, can be used without needing to be held, and features a very flexible button and stick cap swapping. Because players can customize Project Leonardo according to their needs, there is no right form factor. We want to empower them to create their configurations. The controller can also flexibly accept combinations of accessibility accessories to create a unique aesthetic. I am excited that the design will be completed through collaboration with players rather than presenting them with a single form factor,” wrote So Morimoto, designer at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The controller’s name is still not final (Project is in the name, suspected to be a code name), and its release date and price are also unknown.

Source: Gematsu