Sony discusses five-year journey to launching PlayStation Access controller

I recently got to test out PlayStation Access at a hands-on event in London, Sony’s new customisable accessibility controller. I was one of a handful of people attending, some with disabilities and some without. With the device before us all, we prodded and poked, we customised, we compared our setups. And we were able to play a number of games ranging in complexity.

Sony recognises that disabilities are different for everyone and the Access isn’t a universal solution. What works for one player may not work for another with the same disability. But that’s why the Access is so reconfigurable, and Sony has carefully considered so many options. Even the packaging is accessible: evenly weighted and opened with one hand.

So how do you design an accessibility controller with so many variables? Sony looked at three major areas that informed the design: how people will hold the controller, how they will be able to accurately press buttons, and how they will be able to use the sticks effectively. It can be held, used on a surface, or screwed into a tripod with no set orientation, its large magnetic buttons are reconfigurable, and the stick has a flexible position with swappable caps.

The Access is surprisingly small and compact. There are multiple button types – round, flat, curved – and four expansion ports for third-party options. There’s a toggle mode to hold down buttons, a bit like a caps lock. Indeed, the whole controller was somewhat inspired by mechanical keyboards, both for tactileness and customisation. I can also confirm the Access is compatible with PSVR2, at least whenever a DualSense can be used (it doesn’t include gyro motion controls). I asked about PC compatibility but Sony isn’t ready to discuss this yet.