For able-bodied gamers, pushing the buttons on your controller has become second nature (minus the occasional hand cramp). But, for the over 46 million gamers in the United States living with disabilities, controller designs aren’t very always user-friendly. Current controller and keyboard/mouse gaming requires two hands and several dexterous fingers to operate efficiently. This is why Microsoft has partnered with Logitech to create an Adaptive Gaming Kit.

 

The Adaptive Gaming Kit was developed in partnership with many accessibility groups including The AbleGamers Charity, the Abilities Research Center at Mount Sinai, and SpecialEffect. It is a collection of 12 buttons and triggers that work compatibly with Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller. The system involves individual buttons which plug into the Adaptive Controller’s 3.5 mm jacks and the triggers plug in via USB. Each of the buttons can be mapped to different controller functions in order to make Xbox and PC gaming more accessible.

The Logitech button designs and the kit itself have also managed to make accessible gaming much more affordable. Previously, one individual button like this would have cost roughly $50 from Microsoft. The Logitech Adaptive Gaming Kit, on the other hand, includes three small buttons, three large buttons, four light touch buttons, and two variable triggers for only $99.

Tomorrow's World Today Logitec Adaptive Gaming Kit

In addition to the buttons, the kit also includes two game mats (one foldable, one rigid) which can be used to arrange the buttons in whatever layout works best for each individual gamer. Then, once a gamer has found the set-up that works best, they can velcro each button down to the mat. The kit also includes stickers so you can label each button based on the controller button to which it is mapped. This allows people with different disabilities to completely customize their gaming setup in the most efficient way for their own mobility.