“It’s a no-brainer.”
What’s the state of accessibility in games at the moment?
When it comes to console platform holders, two of the three main players have made serious contributions.
And since 2018, Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller has allowed players to customise inputs with remarkable granularity.
Maybe it’s less a question of the advancements but who might be making them.
Taking Sony as an example, the current PlayStation controller cannot be adapted out of the box.
But this area is exactly where a handful of companies likeThumb Soldiersare making a difference.
After all, it’s stressful and disheartening to face accessibility issues preventing you from enjoying a beloved hobby.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Chapman tells me when we chat.
“If you might [do something about it], why wouldn’t you?
I wanted to help those that may struggle to enjoy the things I enjoy.”
I ask Chapman if Thumb Soldiers initially set out to enter the gaming accessibility industry.
The answer is: not exactly.
“The very first design was the steering wheel [attachment],” he explains.
“It was not necessarily intended as an assistive product.”
“We simply have an inclusive product range…to suit a user’s requirements best.”
That Racer kit is a case in point.
you might feel like the world is against you.
I ask Chapman whether experts like this have been of use.
“We contacted Special Effect early in the development of the products,” he says.
It was so important to get that feedback from those guys."
It sounds like it went well.
Innovation can come from someone at home playing a video game who happens to have a small idea.
