Giving Craig a helping hand with his gaming | SpecialEffect
We are so pleased to see how Thumb Soldiers Ltd are helping Craig enjoy a new level of gaming. See Craigs story and how the SpecialEffect team created a controller setup that’s freed him from the challenge of one-handed play.
Craig’s enjoying a new level of gaming independence after our specialist assessment team worked with him to create a controller setup that’s freed him from the challenge of one-handed play.
Craig’s cerebral palsy restricts his movements, especially on his right side, so he was using his Xbox controller with his left hand, one finger at a time. He was eager to discover if there was a way that he could enjoy some two-joystick simulator games that he’d been longing to play, so he got in touch with our team.
Our specialist therapists looked first at potential ways for him to use two joysticks effectively. He could already use the left stick on his Xbox One controller, so the team suggested adding a small chin-controlled joystick to give the right stick movement he needed for the games he wanted to play. The pacing of these games allowed him to press the buttons and move the joysticks in his own time.
For racing games like Forza Motorsport 7, the team suggested positioning two head-operated switches on Craig’s wheelchair headrest that he could use for acceleration and braking. They then added a Thumb Soldier extension to the left joystick on his Xbox controller which not only improved his grip but replicated the familiar shape of his wheelchair joystick. For Forza Horizon 4 and 5, the team recommended that he used the single-stick option to play, where up and down joystick movements act as acceleration and braking.
To stabilise the setup further the team used Velcro to firmly secure his controller to a tablet stand, and they also added an extra small switch on the left side of his controller that could replicate any of the harder-to reach buttons.
All of these carefully-considered changes have together opened up so many new gaming doors for Craig, and we’re so happy that he’s expanding his gaming horizons to the very best of his abilities. As with everyone we support, we’ll be there for him if he needs our help in the future.
