Sony spent five years co-designing the Access controller with AbleGamers, Stack-Up and SpecialEffect and disabled gamers themselves, producing a modular, table- or wheelchair-tray-restable PS5 controller that launched worldwide in December 2023.
$90
Launch price (6 December 2023)
Details
Maturity
Established
Promoter
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Period
2018–present
Keywords
gaming, hardware design, disability inclusion
Context
Sony Interactive Entertainment began working with disabled gamers and accessibility organisations — AbleGamers, Stack-Up and SpecialEffect — in 2018 to design a PlayStation controller for players with limited motor control, publicly unveiled as 'Project Leonardo' at CES in January 2023.
Activities
The Access controller rests flat on a table, wheelchair tray or tripod, uses larger low-force buttons in a single plane with interchangeable caps, and lets two units be paired as one; it launched worldwide on 6 December 2023 at $90.
Conclusions
What is documented is a genuine multi-year, named-partner co-design process and worldwide commercial launch; what is not yet documented is any post-launch outcome data — adoption figures, satisfaction measurement, or independent usability testing.
Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M) — Multi-year corporate hardware R&D by a major console manufacturer (Sony); specific development budget not published.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Co-design began 2018; publicly unveiled as 'Project Leonardo' January 2023; launched worldwide 6 December 2023.
Staffing & skills
Sony Interactive Entertainment design team, AbleGamers, Stack-Up and SpecialEffect as named accessibility partners, disabled gamers as co-design participants
Conditions for success
multi-year, named-partner co-design process rather than late-stage consultation
modular design (rests flat, interchangeable button caps, pairs two units as one)
Common failure modes
no post-launch adoption, satisfaction or independent usability data published
Commonly funded by
Own resources / municipal budget
Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.
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Data sources
Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.