Just ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024 on May 16, Xbox announced the development of the Proteus, the company’s latest foray into the accessibility market. The new controller is available for pre-order starting this week, with an expected shipping date of fall 2024.
Revolutionize gaming with Microsoft's new PROTEUS controller for gamers with disabilities
Xbox revealed the project in a blog post about the team's development on May 15. Developed in partnership with ByoWave, the Proteus features modular customizability that lets you move and replace the buttons. As someone who's always learning about inclusive accessibility in game design, the importance of customizable buttons can't be understated, especially in a controller that lets you create your ideal custom layout.
ByoWave was founded in 2020 after Brandon Blacoe’s close friend, Eibhlin O’Riordan, told him during a game jam how her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome disability “impacted her ability to play video games with one hand.” The ByoWave team developed the Proteus over the next few years, taking multiple tech demos to conventions for further tweaks and feedback.
In addition to portability, a notable feature is the modular “snap and play” function. The Proteus allows users to snap off both the button components and the controller itself, allowing the player to customize them into different configurations as needed. It allows users to build the shape of their controller for us in the way that they find best.
