Xbox One Braille Controller Revealed In New Microsoft Patent
As evidenced by the company’s assortment of varied services and its notable relationship with Nintendo, Xbox currently has a clear focus toward getting games to as many people as possible. This is especially true following the introduction of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which enables disabled gamers greater accessibility in a medium where they’re often overlooked. By way of a new patent, it appears the there’s plans for a follow-up Xbox One peripheral, this time in the form of a Braille controller.
According to LetsGoDigital, the new Microsoft patent shows off what appears to be a standard Xbox One controller, but with a number of augments in place to suit visually-impaired and blind gamers. For starters, the rear of the device decked out with a unique haptic touchpad, allowing for both input and output of Braille characters alongside more general vibration feedback. The peripheral additionally comes with a set of six special paddles similar to the Xbox Elite Controller for even greater functionality and control.
Additionally, the device is conceptualized to have support for speech-recognition as well as text readout, allowing the device to translate in-game messages or even full-on chat conversations into Braille characters. According the patent, the Microsoft Braille controller is planned to be an add-on device designed to attach to the back of a Xbox One gamepad, its functions able to be configured via the Xbox One or from a PC or mobile device.
There’s currently no word regarding the current plans for this patent, especially as it was only recently published on May 2nd. However if all works out, a reveal could easily take place relatively soon, with the Adaptive Controller being announced almost exactly one year ago and Xbox’s “biggest E3 presence ever” set to happen this coming June.
What do you think? Are you loving Xbox’s strives toward accessibility, or are you just wondering how exactly all this might work? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
