During the Sony CES 2023 keynote, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan took to the stage to introduce Project Leonardo, a new accessibility controller/kit designed for PlayStation 5.
It’s the next step in PlayStation’s push for video game accessibility, one that’s long been pioneered at a software level by its first-party studios, but now is coming to fruition in dedicated hardware – something its rival Xbox has had for some time now.
Project Leonardo is being developed with contribution from experts in the field of accessibility, developers and community members. It’s designed to work “out of the box” to help gamers of all ability play more easily, more comfortably and for longer. Take a look at a promo video below:
The Project Leonardo kit will allow users to customise both the hardware with swappable buttons, analogue stick caps and more to create their own tactile experience suited to their needs and range. On the software side, it’ll be supported by the PS5 to allow custom button mapping and easily-swappable profiles.
It’s also designed to work with other hardware, like multiple Project Leonardo kits, DualSense controllers and a range of third-party components and devices.
“Project Leonardo is part of the PS5 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 very flexible button and stick cap swapping.
“Because players can customize Project Leonardo according to their needs, there is no one ‘right’ form factor. We want to empower them to create their own 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.”
– So Morimoto, Sony Interactive Entertainment
You can read more about Project Leonardo on the PlayStation Blog.
