Earlier this year Sony announced Project Leonardo, an accessibility controller for PS5 that is now officially being called the Access controller.
In addition to giving this controller an official name, Sony is giving players a first look at the UI for interacting with the controller. One of its main traits is the ability to fine-tune input sensitivity. Similar to the way you can fine-tune the sensitivity of the joysticks for the DualSense Edge. The Access controller for PS5 allows for numerous other adjustment options as well.
For example, you can set up the deadzones if you want your joysticks to recognize movement sooner. The UI also incorporates a series of button mapping menus and options for control profiles. So things can be tailored just right for every player and/or every game.
The PS5 Access controller has a virtual controller feature
In addition to sensitivity and deadzone adjustment, as well as the button mapping and control profiles, Access includes a virtual controller feature.
“Up to two Access controllers and one DualSense (or DualSense Edge) wireless controller can be used together as a single virtual controller, allowing players to mix and match devices or play collaboratively with others,” says Hideaki Nishino, Senior VP of Platform Experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment.
There’s also a really cool feature called Toggle Mode. Which Nishino explains works just like the caps lock key on a keyboard. Basically it lets you do things in games without having to hold the button down. A good example of this is in racing games. Toggle Mode can allow players to accelerate their vehicle without continuing to press the acceleration button.
What’s more is that it can be set up for any programmable input, Nishino says. Speaking of programmable inputs, every button can me mapped. You can even add two inputs to a single button. Sony hasn’t yet announced the official release date or pricing of the Access controller. But Sony does state that it will share more about the controller “in the months ahead.” So it doesn’t sound like it’s coming anytime soon. At least not before Fall arrives.