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Project Leonardo is PS5's first accessibility controller kit

The controller features customizable button positioning and sizing, analogue stick orientation, and expansion through third-party external switches and accessories.

Sam Chandler

January 4, 2023 6:30 PM

Sony

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Sony revealed its first ever accessibility controller at CES 2023. Currently known under the working title of Project Leonardo, the controller kit is fully customizable and designed specifically for the PlayStation 5.

During the Sony CES 2023 press conference, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan took to the stage to unveil the company’s first accessibility controller. Designed for players with disability, the aim of the controller is to allow players to “play more easily, more comfortably, and for longer periods.”

The team has been working in collaboration with disability experts at AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and Stack Up to design this highly customizable controller. The controller features a circular design with slots around the circumference where buttons of various sizes and shapes can be connected. These components are swappable, including the little symbols and icons used to differentiate inputs.

The PlayStation Blog notes that the PlayStation 5 features software customization that further enhances Project Leonardo. The console allows for button mapping and controller profiles. Furthermore, the accessibility controller can be used standalone, with an additional Project Leonardo controller, and with a DualSense wireless controller.

It’s not just proprietary hardware that can be used with the controller either. Project Leonardo can be expanded through the use of four 3.5mm AUX ports allowing support for external switches and other accessibility accessories.

It’s fantastic to see Sony embracing new ways to allow more gamers to better experience this hobby we all love. As the name suggests, Project Leonardo is still in development with Sony continuing to gather feedback from the community. We’ll be sure to let you know when a name and official release date is revealed. For more from this year's event, check out our CES 2023 page.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler