Sony had a packed CES 2023, themed with a new accessibility console in development for the PS5, codenamed Project Leonardo.
Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan revealed Project Leonardo on stage at CES 2023 during the company’s press conference there. Ryan stated that the PS5’s accessibility controller will “allow players with disabilities to play more easily, more comfortably, and for longer periods.”
The Leonardo project appears to be highly customizable. Initial renders shown during Sony’s press conference show a circular panel with large buttons surrounding a center panel. Recessed at the bottom is an oversized joystick that’s likely meant for motion and camera control by default.
Another rendering shows Leonardo broken down into its individual components, showing that similar to ‘Pro’ controllers such as the DualSense Edge or Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 and Microsoft’s own Adaptive Controller, certain units can be swapped out based on the user’s needs or preferences.
Crucially, the Project Leonardo can be used in conjunction with a DualSense wireless controller or a second Leonardo pad, which is great for those who might need some extra support while gaming, or simply want more control options for games with lots of multi-button inputs .
Project Leonardo is in development alongside the charities Special Effect, Able Gamers, and Stack Up, and while a price hasn’t been announced, Ryan ended this clip by saying more news will follow in the coming months.
lead the charge
Sony and PlayStation Studios’ commitment to accessibility is impressive. Looking at the accessibility options for games like The Last of Us Part 2 and God of War Ragnarok, it’s easy to see why these games win accessibility awards. Both feature a wide range of options to assist players across a wide range of disabilities.
The company’s efforts clearly had an indirect impact, too. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and other big Ubisoft titles are starting to get similarly strong access lists. And Street Fighter 6’s accessibility suite brings such options to a genre I personally didn’t think I’d see.
Project Leonardo appears to be Sony’s next innovation in the accessibility space, and it’s reassuring to see the company invest more in dedicated accessibility hardware. I hope the device is not too expensive. PSVR 2 and DualSense Edge have shown that Sony is willing to charge a premium for its hardware, but if it can nail the Leonardo’s price tag, that would be great news for gamers who need it most. It’s also one of the areas where Microsoft’s adaptive controller has disappointed gamers.
I’d like Project Leonardo to make Microsoft look back at their Xbox Adaptive Controller, compatible with the Xbox Series X | S, but it rarely seems to be part of the conversation when we talk about accessibility in games.
Microsoft is looking forward to a busy few years, with highly anticipated games like Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and Fable on the horizon. With its release schedule heating up again, it’s time for the company to put its accessibility efforts back on top as Sony continues to innovate.