PlayStation 5 Access controller gets December release date

Published July 13, 2023 10:20 AM, by TJ Denzer

Sony has been preparing a more accessible set of hardware for the PlayStation 5 for quite some time with the Access controller, and now we know when we’ll be able to get our hands on it. The PS5 Access controller finally has a release date. What’s more, pre-orders are opening for the hardware next week through the PlayStation online store.

PlayStation announced the details of the Access controller’s launch date and pre-orders in PlayStation Blog post on July 13, 2023. According to the announcement, The PS5 Access controller will officially launch on December 6, 2023. Ahead of the release, pre-orders for the device will open up on July 21, 2023. It will be accessible through the product page on the PlayStation Store website, where you can also sign up for updates when pre-orders and other news go up. The Access controller will retail at a price of $89.99 USD.

First introduced as Project Leonardo at the beginning of 2023, the PS5 Access controller has been Sony’s effort to cater to accessibility in its hardware. While very different in its style and interaction, it can be compared to Xbox’s Adaptive Controller, which launched in 2018 and was voted Best Hardware of the year in our Shacknews Awards. It remains to be seen if the PS5 Access controller can capture that same level of quality, but Sony promises it will packed with features, including the following:

• Analog stick caps (standard, dome and ball stick cap)
• Button caps in different shapes and sizes, including:
  • Pillow button caps
  • Flat button caps
  • Wide flat button cap (which covers two button sockets)
  • Overhang button caps (which benefit players with smaller hands as they are positioned closer to the center)
  • Curve button caps (which can be pushed if placed along the top or pulled if placed along the bottom of the controller)
• Swappable button cap tags for players to easily mark which inputs they map to each button

With the PS5 Access controller set to launch in December 2023, stay tuned for more updates leading up to the release and be ready when pre-orders drop next week.