Innovations

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Gaming controllers can be a barrier for many players, so Microsoft has developed the Xbox Adaptive Controller, a highly customisable solution for gamers with a broad range of disabilities.

The new controller features two large programmable buttons and 19 jacks that can be connected to a range of joysticks, buttons, switches and mounts, allowing gamers to personalise their setup. Microsoft claims it’s the most flexible adaptive controller ever made by a major gaming company. Currently, it can be used to play Xbox One and Windows 10 PC games, and gamers can set up three profiles on their controllers, so they don’t need to re-program the set up for every new game.

Microsoft is considering rolling out several of the controller’s new features in its other products. For example, symbols embossed onto one edge of the controller identify each port, so users don’t have to turn the device around to find the right plug.

This project stems from the Gaming for Everyone initiative, which Microsoft launched in 2015 with the goal of engaging a broader range of Xbox players. The controller was also influenced by the work of Warfighter Engaged, a non-profit organisation that creates gaming devices for severely wounded war veterans.