PlayStation Reveals New PS Stick for Players with Disabilities

Video game giant Sony PlayStation introduced a new stick designed specifically for players with disabilities. Even though it is late compared to other gaming device manufacturers who have made similar sticks in recent years, disabled players are enthusiastic about welcoming the Access stick.

Sony launched a new controller, aka PlayStation stick, which is specially designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to play games. The stick consists of a control lever (joystick) and large buttons arranged in a circle.

Sony has come under a lot of pressure to address long-standing problems, while its competitors have launched similar products in recent years.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if people without disabilities also use it,” said Jeremy Lecerf, one of them gamer who was impressed with the new PS stick.

Sitting in a wheelchair, the French man, a video game expert and disability, was invited by Sony to London to test a new device that breaks away from the traditional PS stick.

Jeremy, a myopathy sufferer, is an ambassador for the HandiGamer association in France, which supports gamers with disabilities.
The new stick is “thoughtfully designed,” Jeremy said, because Sony is trying to make it accessible to people with a variety of disabilities. He is happy that more and more video game industry players are paying attention to accessibility for disabled players. Two-thirds of players with disabilities experience obstacles in playing video games.

As many as 40 percent bought games they couldn’t play due to lack of accessibility, according to a 2021 report published by British disability equality charity Scope.

Sony Playstation 5 video game console at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo, January 31, 2023. (Philip FONG / AFP)

It seems that now the problem of accessibility is being faced by studios, publishers and producers video game large, which is hampered by ethical and financial issues.

“For me, simply, video game gave me life. A life approaching normality. Why is that? Because game online, in particular, allows me to have a social life. That’s why I often say that video game is a very inclusive tool,” explains Jeremy Lecerf, aka “Guizmo”, gamer from France (39 years old).

Taking accessibility issues into consideration is “a trend that is occurring across multiple industries, not just PlayStation,” said Alvin Daniel, Senior Manager of Technical Programs at PlayStation. “We don’t want players who adapt to the stick, but instead the stick adapts to the player. “Each person’s disability is different,” he added.

Accessories

The new PS stick can be placed on a table or mounted on a pole that can be oriented in various directions. The shape of each button can be changed to make it easier to press or reach. The function of the buttons can also be determined according to the player’s wishes.

Melanie Eilert is a performer video game from Germany. He is also a suffering accessibility consultant spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a muscle disease characterized by muscle weakness.

“I can only play with my right hand, so the buttons I can press are limited. (How does this stick change your gaming experience?) So, with external buttons that can be attached, the number of buttons I can use increases,” he explains.

The Razer Wolverine V2 Pro licensed for Sony Playstation video games is displayed at the Razer Inc. booth. during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 6, 2023. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

Melanie brought her own colorful stick buttons that she bought independently. Now many third-party manufacturers sell such accessories. The buttons have been adapted to the disabilities suffered by the players, sometimes they can be activated using mouth movements or a sigh, for example.

However, Melanie said it was too early to compare the new PlayStation stick with a similar stick launched five years ago by rival company Microsoft for the Xbox, which also allowed players to connect external devices. But this development is important to him.

“When I was little I played (video game), then I couldn’t play for 15 years. So, yeah… I waited a very long time to be able to play again,” he added.

At Sony, the stick development project started in 2018.

“When we started in 2018, in some cases, we saw that players had to make extra efforts to be able to play using standard sticks even though it made them uncomfortable. It really limits their playing time, because it is very difficult and uncomfortable. “We hope that with the PS Access stick they can play longer and more comfortably – something they couldn’t do before,” commented Alvin Daniel.

A number of designs were tested on three continents with the help of a number of associations and experts before the latest stick design was created.

The PS Access stick will go on sale on December 6 with a recommended retail price in Europe of 89.99 euros and $89.99 in the US (around Rp. 1.4 million), similar to the price of a standard PS stick. [rd/ka]