The Adaptive Controller: A Breakthrough in Accessibility Gaming

Microsoft's Adaptive Controller is a game-changing device that promises to revolutionize gaming for individuals with disabilities. The controller, which features USB ports on both sides, allows users to connect various devices, such as joysticks and switches, to create a customized gaming experience.

One of the unique aspects of the Adaptive Controller is its ability to be used in conjunction with Xbox-compatible controllers or devices already owned by the user. For example, an Xbox-compatible Wii Nunchuck controller can be attached to the Adaptive Controller, providing users with additional directional movement options. Additionally, a joystick that can be programmed to have secondary functions can also be connected, expanding the device's capabilities.

However, despite its promising features, the Adaptive Controller has some limitations. One of the most significant issues is the remapping process, which requires users to manually program the buttons on their joysticks and switches. This can be a time-consuming process, especially for devices with multiple buttons. The controller also only supports eight buttons per USB device, which may limit its customization options.

Another challenge faced by users of the Adaptive Controller is the issue of power supply. With a high-powered device like a mouse, it's essential to ensure that the Adaptive Controller has enough juice to function properly. Therefore, users are advised to plug in the device into the wall using a five-volt two-amp adapter.

Microsoft's pricing strategy for the Adaptive Controller has also been met with criticism. The device is priced at $20, which may be too high for some consumers. However, it's worth noting that the company has clearly labeled the back of the controller, allowing users to easily plug in a five-volt two-amp adapter.

Despite its limitations and pricing, the Adaptive Controller represents a significant breakthrough in accessibility gaming. The device's ability to accommodate various devices and customization options opens up new possibilities for gamers with disabilities. While it may not be perfect, the Adaptive Controller is an essential step forward in creating inclusive gaming experiences.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Adaptive Controller is its compatibility with other devices. Unlike traditional gaming controllers, which are designed to work exclusively with specific games, the Adaptive Controller can be used with a wide range of titles. This allows users to seamlessly transition between different games and genres without having to adjust their controller setup.

The Adaptive Controller also boasts impressive build quality, with a durable design that can withstand heavy use. The device is crafted from high-quality materials, including CNC-carved walnut wood, which adds a touch of elegance to its appearance.

For those interested in exploring the world of gaming with the Adaptive Controller, there are several accessories and peripherals available. These include detachable cables, an adapter for quarter-inch plugs, a woven nylon carrying case, and a one-year warranty. Additionally, users can join the Microsoft community forum to connect with other gamers and share tips on getting the most out of their device.

In conclusion, the Adaptive Controller is a groundbreaking device that has the potential to revolutionize gaming for individuals with disabilities. While it may have some limitations and challenges, its customization options, compatibility with various devices, and build quality make it an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their gaming experience. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just starting out, the Adaptive Controller is definitely worth considering.

The world of gaming has long been dominated by traditional controllers, but with the advent of technology like the Adaptive Controller, we're seeing a new generation of gamers who are pushing the boundaries of what's possible. For those who have always struggled to find comfortable and accessible gaming solutions, the Adaptive Controller offers hope. By providing users with customizable options and compatibility with various devices, this device is helping to create a more inclusive gaming community.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it's essential that we prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. The Adaptive Controller represents a significant step forward in this regard, demonstrating that technology can be used to empower individuals with disabilities and create new opportunities for gamers of all abilities. By embracing the Adaptive Controller and other innovative devices like it, we can help ensure that gaming remains an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone.

In the world of gaming, accessories and peripherals play a crucial role in enhancing the overall gaming experience. From controllers to headsets, these devices can make or break a game. In this article, we're going to explore some of the best accessories and peripherals available for the Adaptive Controller, including custom controllers, joysticks, and other innovative devices that can take your gaming to the next level.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Adaptive Controller is its ability to accommodate various devices and customization options. This allows users to create a personalized gaming experience that suits their unique needs and preferences. From custom controllers to switches and joysticks, there's a wide range of accessories available for this device.

For those who have always struggled with traditional controllers, the Adaptive Controller offers a game-changing solution. By providing users with customizable options and compatibility with various devices, this device is helping to create a more inclusive gaming community. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just starting out, the Adaptive Controller is definitely worth considering.

In the world of gaming, comfort and accessibility are essential considerations for gamers of all abilities. The Adaptive Controller represents a significant breakthrough in this regard, providing users with a range of customization options and compatibility with various devices. By embracing this device and other innovative solutions, we can help ensure that gaming remains an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it's essential that we prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. The Adaptive Controller represents a significant step forward in this regard, demonstrating that technology can be used to empower individuals with disabilities and create new opportunities for gamers of all abilities. By embracing this device and other innovative solutions, we can help ensure that gaming remains an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone.

The future of gaming is bright, and the Adaptive Controller is leading the way. With its customizable options, compatibility with various devices, and build quality, this device has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just starting out, the Adaptive Controller is definitely worth considering.

In conclusion, the Adaptive Controller represents a significant breakthrough in accessibility gaming. Its customization options, compatibility with various devices, and build quality make it an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their gaming experience. By embracing this device and other innovative solutions, we can help ensure that gaming remains an inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen it comes to human bodies there's no such thing as normal so how do you design something like a game controller that's meant to offer the highest performance possible to as many people as possible do you just kind of take the average well actually yeah that happens pretty often but if you do that you're naturally going to end up with a design that a lot of people really like i'm particularly fond of this one but that others simply cannot use it all thankfully microsoft has given us another option the xbox adaptive controller is not specifically designed for anyone so that it can be used by everyone the thermaltake a500 aluminum mid tower case features a minimalistic design brushed aluminum panels for a clean uninterrupted look hinged tempered glass windows on both sides and compatibility for radiators of up to 420 millimeters at the front get it today at the link in the video description okay so here i am i've got my adaptive controller and i'm connected to my xbox one it's got wireless capabilities but it also comes with a 9 foot usb cable that can plug into this usb type-c port that is also used for charging so the big d-pad here is for navigation and then i also have the menu view and xbox buttons up here as usual but then like other than that there's not really a lot going on here i mean i've got these two big black buttons here that are labeled a and b which actually have like pretty nice tactile feedback and click reasonably consistently no matter where you press them but like so what am i expected to play with just two buttons and a d-pad tetris blades of steel this is like a nest layout okay here we go okay cool so this is sort of usable i've got my accelerator i've got my break i've got oh shoot but there's some issues like press y to rewind i don't have that i can't press hand brake or like look behind me or or really much of anything so then odds are you'll want a few more buttons than this luckily microsoft has given us a few options the easiest of which is called copilot this actually lets you use your adaptive controller and a conventional xbox controller together as one player so for example if you have more mobility on one side than the other then you can use a mixed grip or you can even have a friend operate one controller while you operate the other one okay so uh here we go then the joystick so i'll steer yeah and then the gas i'm gonna do gas and braking so then you'd be able to rewind if i was like yo i want to i want to see that again oh that's pretty cool running hot we're going no no i got this i got this i got you fam like that's a truck yeah whatever screw these guys oh so that's actually pretty cool but the real power of the adaptive controller comes here each of these three and a half millimeter ports back here corresponds to a button that you would find on a conventional xbox controller and there are actually two extra ones that are confusingly labeled as x1 and x2 so you end up with the x the x1 the x2 and the x box uh let me tell you no one needs that many x's but i don't know then again this was designed by the same people what brung you xbox xbox 360 and xbox one anyway here's how it works if i want to be able to press y i just plug in another switch like for example this one the adaptive controller works seamlessly with most input devices that have this three and a half millimeter connection type and that's really important because there is such a wide range of ability within the gaming community and the perfect setup for you might not be the perfect setup for the next person so where's my why there it is cool so let's take a look then through a handful of the different switch types that you could use to build your unique setup so this one right here is kind of your basic buddy button in gator green so we've also got though this pillow button this one's cool so it's actually cushioned to make it comfortable to press with your head or with your cheek you can actually hear it actuate there we've also got this guy right here this is called a wobble switch and you can activate it a couple of different ways so you can swipe in any of four directions or press it down and this one right here is an ultra light switch is actually designed to be worn and you can see here it requires very little force to actuate so if you had it on the back of your finger or something and you pushed against something you would activate it quite easily then there's the little candy corn proximity sensor which can be activated without even actually touching it just by getting very very close finally this guy right here is a foot pedal that's actually typically marketed towards transcribers but see i mentioned this before it does work with our adaptive controller because it uses exactly the same connector okay so i've got all my different options here i guess i'm gonna start playing some mortal kombat xl okay so if i don't have any accessories at all uh all i pretty much have is punch other more different punch forward back jump and crouch which is clearly well i don't know i'm doing right but it's not going to get me too far now i'm just sticking with the uppercut boom okay so this is enough to beat an easy computer player especially with you know remapping these two buttons to the you know two things you want to do the most often but i can't even block so it's obviously not ideal now let's kick it up a notch starting with a foot pedal so i want this on what why okay i've got this plugged in but like now where do i even put it uh okay let's go with here man this is crazy like i'm all of a sudden realizing just how many buttons there are on an xbox controller like even if i only give myself four buttons here the adaptive controller is a hundred bucks the foot pedal is 25 and the buddy button is another 65 so we're at just shy of 200 and we still haven't even a mounted all of this stuff or b attached enough buttons to issue even half of the total number of commands fortunately though we don't have to add one button at a time so the adaptive controller also has usb ports on both the left and the right hand side so i could attach something like this which is basically like a an xbox compatible wii nunchuck controller or get this you can also use a device that you already have lying around like this joystick which could provide both directional movement and check this out a whole whack ton of buttons alright so we've kind of got all the ingredients now but this is where things get a little bit more complicated than what i would consider to be ideal so take the one hand joystick for instance here we go it's got some shoulder buttons and when you click the joystick you can actually switch layers so that the shoulders have secondary functions not bad for 20 bucks but how do you remap it well instead of the joystick appearing as its own object in the accessories app you actually have to program it through the adaptive controller so doing this requires knowing that when you plug the joystick in the adaptive controller assigns certain buttons to it so these are x1 and x2 so changing these buttons then affects the usb device but also any switches that you plug into the x1 and x2 ports over here due to that same limitation that we discussed earlier then stay with me here guys if you plug the joystick into the other side it actually doesn't get mapped to x1 and x2 it gets mapped to view and menu now so it didn't take us too long to figure this out through a combination of checking the manual and trial and error since there's only a couple of buttons on this thing but then hold on a minute what about my other random joystick which has a bunch of buttons oof all right so the first thing to note is that the adaptive controller only supports eight buttons per usb device so step one is to identify which of the more than eight buttons are even being used then i guess what you'll have to do is just hop into a game that you're really familiar with grab a pen and paper and then start to map out what the eight buttons do when your joystick is plugged into the left and then repeat the whole process again when it's plugged into the right also if you don't like which eight buttons the adaptive controller decided to utilize like for example what if i only wanted to use these buttons down here instead of these ones up here well as far as i can tell you just don't get a choice one other word of caution too if you're using a high powered device like ah one of these mouth mice you're going to need to make sure that you plug your adaptive controller into the wall so it has enough juice both for itself and any connected accessories now microsoft wants twenty dollars for this adapter in their store but they also helpfully clearly labeled the back so you could just use any five volt two amp adapter so in conclusion then there is definitely some room to improve the user friendliness of the adaptive controller but honestly the main reason that we made this video wasn't to do an in-depth review of it necessarily but rather to bring a little bit more attention to how for all their flaws amazing it was that microsoft spent both the engineering time and the money to make this thing in spite of the hundred dollar price being higher than a standard controller i can pretty much guarantee you that microsoft is never going to break even on this thing let alone turn a profit so the only conclusion other than that okay the cynical among you might assume they did it just for the good pr but i'm not sure if i buy that i think i think it's fair to say that if nothing else someone or someone's over there worked really hard on this thing so that they could open up new possibilities for many many xbox and pc gamers because the whole thing also works with windows who haven't always had many good options no it's not perfect and yes a fully kitted out setup can end up with the same kind of ludicrous price tag that many other pieces of accessibility equipment suffer from but this is still a giant leap in the right direction and it's something that we hope to see more of what can you change with headphones other than the sound quality how about the materials using a piece of cnc carved walnut wood the massdrop mei 99 noir closed headphones are definitely going to make you stand out they utilize a 40 millimeter driver with a warm rich bassy sound and included with the headphones are detachable cables a one eighth to quarter inch plug adapter a woven nylon carrying case and a one year warranty so check it out at the link below and join the drop today so thanks for watching guys if you disliked this video you can hit that button but if you liked it hit like get subscribed or maybe consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured at the link in the video description also down there is our merch store which has cool shirts like this one and our community forum which you should totally joinwhen it comes to human bodies there's no such thing as normal so how do you design something like a game controller that's meant to offer the highest performance possible to as many people as possible do you just kind of take the average well actually yeah that happens pretty often but if you do that you're naturally going to end up with a design that a lot of people really like i'm particularly fond of this one but that others simply cannot use it all thankfully microsoft has given us another option the xbox adaptive controller is not specifically designed for anyone so that it can be used by everyone the thermaltake a500 aluminum mid tower case features a minimalistic design brushed aluminum panels for a clean uninterrupted look hinged tempered glass windows on both sides and compatibility for radiators of up to 420 millimeters at the front get it today at the link in the video description okay so here i am i've got my adaptive controller and i'm connected to my xbox one it's got wireless capabilities but it also comes with a 9 foot usb cable that can plug into this usb type-c port that is also used for charging so the big d-pad here is for navigation and then i also have the menu view and xbox buttons up here as usual but then like other than that there's not really a lot going on here i mean i've got these two big black buttons here that are labeled a and b which actually have like pretty nice tactile feedback and click reasonably consistently no matter where you press them but like so what am i expected to play with just two buttons and a d-pad tetris blades of steel this is like a nest layout okay here we go okay cool so this is sort of usable i've got my accelerator i've got my break i've got oh shoot but there's some issues like press y to rewind i don't have that i can't press hand brake or like look behind me or or really much of anything so then odds are you'll want a few more buttons than this luckily microsoft has given us a few options the easiest of which is called copilot this actually lets you use your adaptive controller and a conventional xbox controller together as one player so for example if you have more mobility on one side than the other then you can use a mixed grip or you can even have a friend operate one controller while you operate the other one okay so uh here we go then the joystick so i'll steer yeah and then the gas i'm gonna do gas and braking so then you'd be able to rewind if i was like yo i want to i want to see that again oh that's pretty cool running hot we're going no no i got this i got this i got you fam like that's a truck yeah whatever screw these guys oh so that's actually pretty cool but the real power of the adaptive controller comes here each of these three and a half millimeter ports back here corresponds to a button that you would find on a conventional xbox controller and there are actually two extra ones that are confusingly labeled as x1 and x2 so you end up with the x the x1 the x2 and the x box uh let me tell you no one needs that many x's but i don't know then again this was designed by the same people what brung you xbox xbox 360 and xbox one anyway here's how it works if i want to be able to press y i just plug in another switch like for example this one the adaptive controller works seamlessly with most input devices that have this three and a half millimeter connection type and that's really important because there is such a wide range of ability within the gaming community and the perfect setup for you might not be the perfect setup for the next person so where's my why there it is cool so let's take a look then through a handful of the different switch types that you could use to build your unique setup so this one right here is kind of your basic buddy button in gator green so we've also got though this pillow button this one's cool so it's actually cushioned to make it comfortable to press with your head or with your cheek you can actually hear it actuate there we've also got this guy right here this is called a wobble switch and you can activate it a couple of different ways so you can swipe in any of four directions or press it down and this one right here is an ultra light switch is actually designed to be worn and you can see here it requires very little force to actuate so if you had it on the back of your finger or something and you pushed against something you would activate it quite easily then there's the little candy corn proximity sensor which can be activated without even actually touching it just by getting very very close finally this guy right here is a foot pedal that's actually typically marketed towards transcribers but see i mentioned this before it does work with our adaptive controller because it uses exactly the same connector okay so i've got all my different options here i guess i'm gonna start playing some mortal kombat xl okay so if i don't have any accessories at all uh all i pretty much have is punch other more different punch forward back jump and crouch which is clearly well i don't know i'm doing right but it's not going to get me too far now i'm just sticking with the uppercut boom okay so this is enough to beat an easy computer player especially with you know remapping these two buttons to the you know two things you want to do the most often but i can't even block so it's obviously not ideal now let's kick it up a notch starting with a foot pedal so i want this on what why okay i've got this plugged in but like now where do i even put it uh okay let's go with here man this is crazy like i'm all of a sudden realizing just how many buttons there are on an xbox controller like even if i only give myself four buttons here the adaptive controller is a hundred bucks the foot pedal is 25 and the buddy button is another 65 so we're at just shy of 200 and we still haven't even a mounted all of this stuff or b attached enough buttons to issue even half of the total number of commands fortunately though we don't have to add one button at a time so the adaptive controller also has usb ports on both the left and the right hand side so i could attach something like this which is basically like a an xbox compatible wii nunchuck controller or get this you can also use a device that you already have lying around like this joystick which could provide both directional movement and check this out a whole whack ton of buttons alright so we've kind of got all the ingredients now but this is where things get a little bit more complicated than what i would consider to be ideal so take the one hand joystick for instance here we go it's got some shoulder buttons and when you click the joystick you can actually switch layers so that the shoulders have secondary functions not bad for 20 bucks but how do you remap it well instead of the joystick appearing as its own object in the accessories app you actually have to program it through the adaptive controller so doing this requires knowing that when you plug the joystick in the adaptive controller assigns certain buttons to it so these are x1 and x2 so changing these buttons then affects the usb device but also any switches that you plug into the x1 and x2 ports over here due to that same limitation that we discussed earlier then stay with me here guys if you plug the joystick into the other side it actually doesn't get mapped to x1 and x2 it gets mapped to view and menu now so it didn't take us too long to figure this out through a combination of checking the manual and trial and error since there's only a couple of buttons on this thing but then hold on a minute what about my other random joystick which has a bunch of buttons oof all right so the first thing to note is that the adaptive controller only supports eight buttons per usb device so step one is to identify which of the more than eight buttons are even being used then i guess what you'll have to do is just hop into a game that you're really familiar with grab a pen and paper and then start to map out what the eight buttons do when your joystick is plugged into the left and then repeat the whole process again when it's plugged into the right also if you don't like which eight buttons the adaptive controller decided to utilize like for example what if i only wanted to use these buttons down here instead of these ones up here well as far as i can tell you just don't get a choice one other word of caution too if you're using a high powered device like ah one of these mouth mice you're going to need to make sure that you plug your adaptive controller into the wall so it has enough juice both for itself and any connected accessories now microsoft wants twenty dollars for this adapter in their store but they also helpfully clearly labeled the back so you could just use any five volt two amp adapter so in conclusion then there is definitely some room to improve the user friendliness of the adaptive controller but honestly the main reason that we made this video wasn't to do an in-depth review of it necessarily but rather to bring a little bit more attention to how for all their flaws amazing it was that microsoft spent both the engineering time and the money to make this thing in spite of the hundred dollar price being higher than a standard controller i can pretty much guarantee you that microsoft is never going to break even on this thing let alone turn a profit so the only conclusion other than that okay the cynical among you might assume they did it just for the good pr but i'm not sure if i buy that i think i think it's fair to say that if nothing else someone or someone's over there worked really hard on this thing so that they could open up new possibilities for many many xbox and pc gamers because the whole thing also works with windows who haven't always had many good options no it's not perfect and yes a fully kitted out setup can end up with the same kind of ludicrous price tag that many other pieces of accessibility equipment suffer from but this is still a giant leap in the right direction and it's something that we hope to see more of what can you change with headphones other than the sound quality how about the materials using a piece of cnc carved walnut wood the massdrop mei 99 noir closed headphones are definitely going to make you stand out they utilize a 40 millimeter driver with a warm rich bassy sound and included with the headphones are detachable cables a one eighth to quarter inch plug adapter a woven nylon carrying case and a one year warranty so check it out at the link below and join the drop today so thanks for watching guys if you disliked this video you can hit that button but if you liked it hit like get subscribed or maybe consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured at the link in the video description also down there is our merch store which has cool shirts like this one and our community forum which you should totally join\n"