As an open-minded gamer and owner of all of the current-generation consoles, I’ve felt consistently underwhelmed at Microsoft’s contributions to the games industry in recent years. With very few new exclusive titles to speak of, my Xbox One acts as little more than a glorified media player, while my backlog of Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 4 games continues to grow mercilessly by the day. For the longest time, it seemed to me as though Microsoft had lost interest in innovating within the gaming space, especially when compared to its competitors.
That was until the company unveiled the Xbox Adaptive Controller, a device that allows the user to connect external switches, buttons, mounts, and joysticks to help make gameplay more accessible to those with limited mobility. The next best decision Microsoft made was forming an alliance, of sorts, with Nintendo. Not only has Xbox head Phil Spencer openly stated his willingness to support the Switch, but the Adaptive Controller was also made compatible with Nintendo’s console. You’re about to see an example of the outcome of these two Microsoft-based milestones, and it’s the most heartwarming story I’ve had the pleasure of sharing in a long time.
Rory Steel, head of Digital Jersey Academy in the UK, recently bought his daughter Ava a Nintendo Switch for Christmas. While she loved her new system, she struggled to play certain games due to her condition. Ava has HSP, which limits her finger dexterity and makes playing Breath of the Wild difficult for her with a standard controller.
“We bought a Nintendo Switch for my daughter for Christmas, and she’s got fine motor neurone issues,” Steel told Channel 103. “So it’s great because she only needs to move the controller up and down — but when she started watching me play Zelda: Breath of the Wild, she wanted to have a go but the controls were too complicated.”
That’s when Steel got to work on his own controller, using the Xbox Adaptive Controller and parts purchased from eBay.
With the first prototype completed, it was time to let Ava give it a test run. Going by the adorable grin on her face, it’s safe to say that her dad knocked it out of the park.
Since sharing his finished creation online, Steel has already been approached by huge tech companies. “I hacked this crude-looking low-tech device together, and the internet seems to really like it. We’ve now had offers from Logitech and Microsoft to create a more improved version 2.”
He also plans to take the project even further so that others like Ava can benefit from his creation. “While I’m going to take them up on their offers to create some higher-class tech, the project was always supposed to be something that anyone across the world could use. What I still want to do is a low-tech version, so people at home can have a go – but there’s pressure on me now with these companies behind me to try it make it look a bit better – and who knows where that will lead.”
The only thing better than getting a new Zelda game is watching as more and more people are able to smash barriers to join the Zelda fandom and experience one of the greatest game franchises ever. We’re incredibly happy for Ava and we’re rooting for her as she begins her grand adventure in Hyrule!
And that’s right, as the headline suggests, I’m declaring Rory Steel as the “Father of the Year” in 2020, weeks into January. Would “Dad of the Decade” really be such a stretch?
