As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft's Gaming Accessibility Team has today unveiled the Proteus Controller.
Xbox has been "collaborating closely" with its partners at ByoWave to develop this new controller, which is described as a modular adaptive kit that gives disabled gamers "the tools to build their own way to play".
"The unique modular video game controller kit features innovative ‘snap and play’ parts that easily connect together and comes with everything that gamers need to play their favorite Xbox and PC games right out of the box."
According to the ByoWave website, this controller allows players to build over "100 million traditional and custom configuration and LED lighting variations".
Pre-orders for this controller are now available from Byowave. The controller is currently available for $255 USD, which is 15% off its regular price of $299 USD, and units are expected to ship in Fall 2024.
"What's included: Power Cube x 2, Charge Spacer x 1, Analog Cube 1 x Left 1 x Right, Half Cube x 1, Edge Spacer x 2, Xbox Peripheral x 1, Dpad Peripheral x 1, Trigger Peripheral 1 x Left 1 x Right, One Button Peripheral x 2, Mini Analog Stick x 1, Socker Cover x 9, Plug Cover x 1, Plug Mount Cover x 1"
Microsoft has also announced new updates for its Adaptive Controller - expanding support for more accessories connected via USB port, with each port now supporting up to 12 buttons, a second stick and hat switch.
You can learn more about Xbox's accessibility efforts in its latest blog post.
Comments 11
Good for those that need it. Nice to see things Iike this exist. Now MS when are you going to talk and show that new controller code named Sebile? I want that day one. Already trading in all my older ones for 2 new ones. It was leaked for May 2024 and here we are.
I hope that this works well for those who need it so they can enjoy more gaming!
This is giving me strange Cubix: Robots for Everyone flashbacks
That looks pretty cool. A really neat idea being so modifiable.
As always it's a real shame about the price. I get that it looks like a complicated bit of kit, and won't get the economies of scale of the regular controllers that are made in the millions, but it's not like people with disabilities have $300 burning a hole in their pockets :/
That looks proper cool but yeh the price is ridiculous to be honest. How’s it accessible when you need to be rich to buy one?
Price is ridiculous as others have said what's the point in an accessible controller if the price isn't affordable for most of the target market.
@HonestHick I think the code named controller is the one that was just announced.
@PhileasFragg I understand the price may seem prohibitive at first but if you knew how much it can cost, in both time and money, to set up a custom solution this isn't crazily priced by comparison. The existing adaptive controller is great, and this complements it well, but it often requires a lot of additional custom buttons and sometimes custom mounts for each of those buttons.
I have a small amount of experience with this as I was helping out at a home a family member was in and found a common ground in gaming with some of the younger residents. This led to me helping a few of them out with their setups (which often require an able-bodied person to assist with). Each was unique and each was prohibitively costly, we usually ended up doing a good-enough-but-not-great job to get it to work.
Like the adaptive controller this is just a piece of the puzzle, it won't suit all disabilities and impairments but it will suit some. Great job Microsoft.
@sonicbooming the one i want was code named Sebile. I haven’t seen or heard anything on it since the FTC leak.
This is amazing to see! I really and truly hope all that need this controller it works amazing and is everything needed for them to game.
I would've liked if they could've had the ability to split out the buttons as well as having them all on the same modules. My son has Cerebral Palsy and his main issue when using a controller (apart from actually holding the thing) is that he's constantly 'fat-fingering' buttons and pressing the wrong thing - hitting the pause/menu button rather than the 'X' is a particularly common one. Having them spaced out a bit more, or separate buttons altogether would help that greatly
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