“Disabled gamers just want to enjoy gaming without additional hurdles or more costs.”
Welcome to another of our pieces looking forward to 2022.
Today: the crucial question of hardware accessibility.
I’m a conscientious objector in the console wars, so don’t expect me to drop any bombs.
My points are echoed by many disabled gamers who need a specific controller to enjoy gaming.
The question here is that, without accessible controllers, are game developers wasting their effort designing accessibility options?
Accessibility prefs need to be accessible.
Controller backwards compatibility should be a fundamental aspect of new consoles and controllers.
The main reasons why are the shape, weight, button placement and grip changes.
Minor changes create major barriers.
I understand the impact of increasing immersion and the accessibility benefits for deaf or blind gamers.
Xbox doesn’t have a gatekeeper locking you out because you’re not on an arbitrary guest list.
I understand from a business perspective why PlayStation is more focused on selling a new console and controller.
These developers have worked hard to design accessibility configs specifically so that disabled gamers can enjoy their games.
It wasn’t always like this.
Initially, my setup smoothly transitioned to the PS5, and I happily finishedRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
In practice, this authentication check means that every 10 seconds the Titan 2 will stop working.
Currently, the only solution is to play using the PlayStation Remote Play app.
However, this isn’t the ideal solution.
Thankfully, the people at ConsoleTuner who created the Titan 2 are working on a fix.
It will be some sort of add-on released sometime in 2022, but it requires an additional purchase.
Disabled gamers just want to enjoy gaming without additional hurdles or more costs.
