Recap: Microsoft's emphasis on making gaming as accessible as possible has become clear as of late. In May, the company announced their Xbox Adaptive Controller, a device that lets disabled gamers hook up various accessibility-focused devices for easy, plug-and-play gaming. Now, Microsoft has announced that the $99 controller will ship out on August 3, though pre-orders are open now.
Disabled gamers haven't had it easy when it comes to playing mainstream, AAA titles.
There are plenty of joysticks and other gadgets out there geared towards making the process more straightforward, but very few of them are perfect solutions to the problem - many are unintuitive and require quite a bit of practice to use.
In May, Microsoft decided to take matters into their own hands by announcing their Xbox Adaptive Controller, a device aimed at making gaming more accessible than ever.
The device resembles a DJ's turntable due to its two large circular pads, but it also contains an oversized D-pad, additional menu buttons, and USB ports for connecting extra assistive devices, such as foot pedals, blowing tubes, additional buttons, or even custom-made gear.
If the Adaptive Controller sounds like your cup of tea, you won't have to wait too much longer to get your hands on it. Microsoft today announced that the device will ship out on August 3, with pre-orders open right now.
As far as pricing goes, the Adaptive Controller will run you about $99.99 if you purchase it through Microsoft's official online store. The devices will reportedly be available for pre-order from additional retailers sometime in September, though it's unclear whether or not those retailers will strictly be online.