Most gaming controllers are built for people without disabilities.
However,in the U.S., 26% of people have some sort of disability.
This means that many gamers can’t use standard controllers to play video games comfortably—or at all.
Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek
Thankfully, there are some other options for them.
What Is the Xbox Adaptive Controller?
TheXbox Adaptive Controlleris a wide and flat equipment with proportions similar toa computer keyboard.
Xbox
At the top, there are 19 3.5mm ports.
There are also two USB 2.0 ports: one on the left side and another on the right.
Now you’ve got a sense of what gaming is like when you have a disability.
Xbox
Capabilities and Functions
Larger buttons are always easier to press than small ones.
That’s why the “A” and “B” buttons are huge.
However, besides the D-pad, you’ll notice that there aren’t any other true controller buttons.
Xbox
That’s because the designers of the Xbox Adaptive Controller don’t want to limit the possibilities.
These are what you’d pair with the other buttons.
In this manner, you’re able to create plenty of layouts for your preferred gaming style.
This includes buttons of all sizes, joysticks, foot pedals, and more.
you could even connect a computer mouse to this controller if you wanted.
Sadly, a lot of these peripherals can be quite expensive.
Thankfully, there are no brand restrictions.
Any gear that’s meant to work with a console or PC for gaming should work.
There are some concerns surrounding it from multiple angles.
Speaking of which, this unit is not cheap.
It costs $99.99 USD—more than twice the price of most standard wireless controllers.
Let’s chalk this one up to commercialism-based greed.
Next up are the battery and charging issues.
Strangely, the Xbox Adaptive Controller does not come with a power adapter.
However, they do contain toxic substances and can catch fire if they get damaged.
The risk of such problems is relatively low in many scenarios, but airlines are very serious about them.
If we’re talking about accessibility, Microsoft should consider people’s financial accessibility as well.
Bringing down the price would make the controller accessible to more people.
Next, make it compatible with the Xbox Series X/S.
We would prefer if the company included a USB-C wall charger or something along those lines.
Playing video games requires using three senses: vision, hearing, and touch.
Unfortunately, there is a severe lack of gaming accessibility in these regards.
The creation of disability-friendly controllers has only happened somewhat recently in mainstream gaming.
Most video games and controllers are built for people without disabilities.
Thankfully, things are changing for the better.
More and more accessibility options are becoming available—and not just new types of controllers.
Now, five years later, Sony has begun to design its own bang out of disability-friendly controller.
The increased awareness of disabilities is overall a good thing.
It sets a positive trend focused on inclusivity for all.
