Game News I tested Xbox’s adaptive joystick at gamescom, where “everyone benefits from creating accessible hardware.”
It is well known that Xbox places great importance on making gaming accessible to everyone. If this sentence could rub salt in the wound of some Xbox fans who are still in shock after the announcement [Indiana Jones]This isn’t about video games themselves, but about controllers. At gamescom, I was able to try out the Xbox Adaptive Joystick at the Xbox booth and ask questions to Kaitlyn Jones, Senior Product Manager for Accessibility at Xbox, and Chris Kujawski, Lead Designer at Xbox. And I learned some interesting things.
The Xbox Adaptive Joystick and its three-dimensional tips
The Xbox Adaptive Joystick and new stick tips will be released in early 2025. Accessories that complement the growing range of Xbox Adaptive Controllers. Similar to the Wii Nunchuk, the Xbox Adaptive Joystick was developed for players with limited mobility. During a small group session on Foraz Horizon 5, I was able to have the accessibility team demonstrate the new product.
Since I am not the target audience for Xbox with this type of product, I had the opportunity to share this presentation session with a gamer with a disability. He shared his experience before warmly thanking Xbox for such a product: a few years earlier, he and his association (dedicated to video game players with disabilities) had designed their own controller. A product very similar to the new Xbox controller! He then shared his talent in Forza Horizon 5. He not only seemed relaxed, but He made no special comments about the person responsible. He rather pointed out the lack of these adaptive controllers in physical stores.
What impressed me most personally was the accessory that came with this Xbox Adaptive Joystick: the “Thumbstick topper“. These are rubber tips that we can put in place of the joystick of our controller, whatever it may be. There are all sizes, volumes and shapes, since they are products generated thanks to a 3D printer. The plans are even available on the Xbox website and downloadable for free, I played with a much larger tip than the classic controller: enough to make his actions more precise or slow down his character’s movementsIn short, we can say that this accessory can be adapted to different types of video game experiences even for people without disabilities.
Different perspectives to think about a product
During the presentation, Kaitlyn Jones explains, not without showing her pride, that she is unveiling a box for people with reduced mobility. Because unboxing new products is a pleasure for everyone! So there is an easy opening, a controller cable without fastening… A packaging that could just as well bring joy without revealing a particular handicap. This raises a question. When you think in the place of a person with a disability, even if this is done in collaboration with them, you can offer yourself a completely new way of thinking. Can we use this approach to develop products that are suitable for everyone?
Chris Kujawski convinced me with a simple and effective example. It is the case of the Xbox Series, whose connections are located on the back in most installations. To connect a cable, you then have to turn the Xbox over in an atypical position compared to the starting position. We are then in a situation where we are we are blind. Xbox console designers then thought about differentiating the handles by touch rather than sight. Enough to be able to say that “providing material to everyone benefits everyone”. A great way to find solutions to hiccups by taking a new perspective
The Xbox Adaptive Joystick is designed to complement Xbox controllers as it connects directly to your console and can be customized by re-distributing the buttons. It will be available in early 2025 for a price of $29.99.
