macOS can soon use accessible Sony Access Controller
People with disabilities have long been able to use a special Sony controller for the PlayStation. Apple is now making the Access Mac-compatible as well.
Sony Access Controller: Wide configuration options.
(Image: Sony)
It is little known, but Sony has had a special controller on offer for two and a half years, designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to use its PS5 game console. The device, which costs just under 90 euros at Sony itself but is available significantly cheaper in stores, is marketed as a “highly customizable controller kit.” What's new is that the system can now also be used with the Mac: Apple has announced that it will start implementing this in the coming months, presumably as part of macOS 27, which will be released in the fall.
Sticks, buttons, labels, and many profiles
The Access Controller combines various sticks with numerous different buttons that can be positioned in a circle. This allows the device to be used in any 360-degree angle and is intended for people who have difficulty gripping, among others. The package includes eight different domed button caps, four flat and four deep button caps, two protruding button caps, a total of three different-sized sticks, and 23 labels that can be attached to the buttons. AMPS mounts are supported.
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On the PS5, up to 30 different control profiles are possible to adapt the Access Controller to different games. Three profiles are stored directly on the control unit, so you can also use the controller on other consoles without performing a new set-up. On the PlayStation, you are guided through a settings dialog where you can define the arrangement of the Access Controller, among other things. The sticks are also configurable, for example, regarding orientation, sensitivity, and dead zone. The possibilities thus correspond to those of professional PS5 controllers.
iPhone and iPad should also be supported.
How exactly the Access Controller will work under macOS is still unclear. However, it is apparently intended primarily for gaming here too. According to Apple, there are “full configuration options” for buttons and sticks. It should even be possible to combine two controllers. Whether the system can also be used for regular computer operation remains to be seen.
Useful: In addition to the Mac, iOS (probably 27) and iPadOS (also 27) will also be supported in the future. Apple did not provide details on the exact date, but given the early announcement, this is likely to happen right at the launch of the new operating systems. Apple has long supported regular controllers from Sony as well as from Microsoft (Xbox).
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