Sony includes all video gamers - 17th November 2023

Sony is launching a Playstation controller designed to make gaming easier for people with disabilities. The gaming giant's been facing pressure on this issue, which has largely been ignored in the industry.

Jeremy Lecerf, known as Guizmo, is an ambassador for the French association Handigamer, which supports disabled gamers. He was invited to give the new device a test run.

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

According to a 2021 report by UK disability group SCOPE, two thirds of disabled gamers encounter barriers to playing. 40 percent have bought games that they were actually unable to use, due to poor accessibility. Alvin Daniel, Senior Programme Manager for Playstation, outlines the main difficulties that a traditional controller creates for many disabled users.

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."

Sony's Access Controller has granted Melanie Eilert, from Germany, the opportunity to play again following a 15-year pause.

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."

The intention is for the Access Controller to adapt to the user, instead of the gamer needing to adapt to it, since no two people experience disability in the same way.

Sony's market competitor, Microsoft, launched their controller five years ago. Now, major studios and manufacturers all seem to be realising the importance of making gaming accessible to all.

For Guizmo, video gaming's a world where he feels fully included.

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."