What you need to know
- Microsoft's latest Xbox Player Spotlight shows a unique look at how one gamer uses the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
- Spencer Allen created a custom setup to use the controller, modeling it after the original Xbox controller.
- The setup not only looks good, but it allows Allen to continue dominating Halo with his friends.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) (opens in new tab) has proven to be a positive force for inclusion, allowing gamers who may have physical impairments to jump into gaming on their own terms. In its latest Player Spotlight (opens in new tab), Microsoft has shone a light on a particularly neat example of how one gamer has adapted the Xbox Adaptive Controller to his unique needs.
Spencer Allen was involved in an accident in 2016 that limited his mobility from the chest down. Before the accident, Allen loved playing Halo with his friends, but he didn't even think about gaming after, he said in an interview with Microsoft. That was until he saw an ad for the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
After getting his hands on one for Christmas, Allen set to work creating a custom setup built to his needs. Allen says he tried to model the tray that holds the controller and accessories after the original Xbox controller as much as possible. "It's been a cycle of learning and doing," Allen told Microsoft.
The result, after many attempts and plenty of 3D Printing, is a tray that makes use of customized joysticks, arcade-style buttons, and switches. The design allowed Allen to jump back into Halo with his friends, and it's definitely unique.
It's interesting to see how gamers have utilized the Xbox Adaptive Controller in their own ways to get into gaming. It seems as though the process can take a little time to get right, but the ability to adapt the controller to specific needs with a catalog of switches, buttons, and other peripherals, is invaluable.
For a deeper dive into Allen's story, check out Microsoft's Player Spotlight (opens in new tab).
Black Friday buyer's guide: Xbox One headsets
The Xbox Adaptive Controller combines with buttons, switches, and joysticks to allow every gamer to participate.
Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the Editor in Chief for Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. Got a hot tip? Send it to daniel.thorp-lancaster@futurenet.com.
