Microsoft officially unveils Xbox Adaptive Controller
Worked with charities to design accessible gaming pad.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller, which leaked online last week, has now been made official by Microsoft.
Designed in collaboration with gaming charities, Microsoft's new bit of kit is meant to be a sleek, affordable gaming solution for people with limited mobility.
Describing the project as being "years in the making", Xbox boss Phil Spencer has written of how the project came from making something which could cater for the needs of individual gamers:
"Our goal was to make the device as adaptable as possible, so gamers can create a setup that works for them in a way that is plug-and-play, extensible, and affordable," he wrote. "In addition to working with common adaptive switches that gamers with limited mobility may already own, it has two large buttons built in. These buttons can also be reprogrammed to act as any of the standard controller's button inputs via the Xbox Accessories app."
In the US, the controller will cost $99.99. A UK launch is expected, but there's no date or pricing here yet.
The brilliant UK charity SpecialEffect, which helps people with disabilities enjoy video games, was one of the charities involved in the controller's design.
"This has been a milestone collaboration for us," SpecialEffect founder Dr Mick Donegan said. "Our experience in helping people with complex physical disabilities to access video games has enabled us to provide not only very relevant advice about features and design, but also direct feedback from a user-centred perspective. Microsoft have a product here that has the potential to help many people globally to enjoy the magic of video games."
Here's another look at how everything fits together:
