The reveal of Microsoft’s Adaptive Controller in May furthered conversation around video games and accessibility. The controller inspired DIY modders to invent their own peripherals aimed at gamers with different mobility needs. This 3D printed, one-handed PS4 controller is one of those projects.
Constructed by a YouTuber who goes by Doppel, the prototype in the video below attempts to take everything you’d find on the default PS4 Dualshock 4 and put it on a single-grip chunk of plastic.
It kind of looks like a PlayStation Move controller if the opaque white orb at the top were replaced with a bunch of face buttons. It even has a mini rectangular button representing the input for the Dualshock 4’s touchpad, although without the swiping functionality.
All of the trigger buttons are on the underside. The right analogue stick sits at the top of the controller, while the left one is on the bottom end. In the video, Doppel presses it against his left leg to control it, which isn’t ideal.
He put the controller to the test in a couple of matches of Trackmania Turbo, a game well-suited to the prototype since most of the time you’re just going forward.
Doppel still has a fairly hard time with some of the sharper turns and aerial acrobatics, but on the whole it isn’t hard to see how someone who practised with this one-handed creation could get much better with it. It can’t be any harder than playing an action platformer with your feet.
Even if Doppel’s prototype isn’t a panacea for gaming accessibility on PS4, it’s interesting to see how people are taking up the challenge of how to make gaming more inclusive. After the warm reception to the Xbox Adaptive Controller at E3, it’s a topic more and more people are talking about.
The head of Nintendo of North America, Reggie Fils-Aimé, recently told Waypoint in an interview that he thought it was important for companies to come up with more solutions to meet the needs of different people.
“I would argue this really isn’t a platform specific issue,” he said. “It’s an industry issue of how do we make sure that our content and the ability to play our content is as inclusive as possible.”
As interest around projects such as these grows, hopefully we’ll see companies like Nintendo, Sony and Valve introduce their own versions of the Adaptive Controller so that games across every platform are opened up to a larger audience.
Comments
6 responses to “Modder Tries To Make PS4 Controller More Accessible With One-Handed Variant”
I’m honestly unsure why Sony and until very recently Microsoft haven’t been trying to provide controllers like this anyway?
They have in the past, however the limited market saw only a small release of these. Here’s an older site with a breakdown of a bunch of these for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/art.php?id=89
Some of these are made by other companies too. The good thing about the new Microsoft one is that it’s adaptable to a variety of physical disabilities whereas some of these are really specific to one type. You still need one functional hand to run these.
Hmm, my mind goes to exactly one place when someone mentions a one handed controller.
Eating and gaming, the ultimate experience?
Indeed. Now you don’t have to interrupt your thesis writing to fit in some quick gaming.