The UMAGIC, designed by AbleGamers Brazil and recently debuted atGamescom LATAM, looks a little bit like a mix of everything that came before it and a little bit like nothing that’s ever been seen before. This lightweight, portable pad features an array of buttons, levers, and connectors that can mimic a Nintendo Switch’s JoyCon, aPlayStation 5 controller, and the accessibility-focused Xbox Adaptive controller. With further testing, it may even work with smartphone games. AbleGamers Brazil designed the UMAGIC using three distinct principles: it must be modular, portable, and universal.
AbleGamers president Christian Bernauer explained these pillars one by one during a conversation with Game Rant at theGamescom LATAMevent. He discussed how AbleGamers' experience at previous showcases helped inspire this controller, which allows disabled gamers to experience everything game events like Gamescom have to offer.
Modular: Every Disability Is Unique
The standard array of buttons on an Xbox or PlayStation 5 controller does not work for every gamer. With UMAGIC, Bernauer and his team wanted UMAGIC to be accessible to as wide a range of players with disabilities as possible.
“Okay, so the modular thing is because every disability is unique. We have to be as flexible as we can, so we have different sizes of buttons and kinds of buttons.
We have the clicker, the small button, and we have this big one. We can pretty much put a doorbell here, and it would work if it had this sort of connection. This is the way it’s modular because we can set it up every way we want.”
Universal: It Needs To Work With Almost Everything
At a previous show, AbleGamers team members witnessed some gamers with disabilities having a disappointing experience because previously existing accessible controllers, like the Xbox Adaptive, did not work with the set-up andgames likeFortnite.Seeing this, and also wanting to eliminate the need for each system to have its own separate accessible controller, AbleGamers designed the UMAGIC to work with as many different consoles as possible.
Currently, the UMAGIC is compatible with theNintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. “We haven’t had time to test it [before the debut],” Bernauer added, “but it probably will work with iOS and Android.” With UMAGIC, players at events such as Gamescom LATAM will be able to experience the many different games available for sampling rather than being limited to just a few.
At its core, the UMAGIC is essentially a deconstructed Switch, PS5, and Xbox Adaptive controller reconstructed on a base platform. Because the latter works with Android and iOS, there’s logically nothing stopping the UMAGIC from working on it either. However, because the PS5 controller is not compatible with PS4 consoles, the UMAGIC will not work on that platform.
Portable: Lightweight And Not Clunky
The UMAGIC is not heavy and features a cushioned base and adjustable height and tilt settings. It is designed so that players can easily take it with them everywhere, and have it on hand whenever they need it. Bernauer explained that they particularly considered the comfort ofwheelchair-usingplayers.
“A person who is in a wheelchair could just put it on their lap and go around the exhibition floor; the idea was for them to be mobile, to go everywhere they want, so they can enjoy the show.”
AbleGamers' new controller will fill a valuable niche in the gaming accessibility market, innovating on existing controllers such as theXbox Adaptive controller. The controller debuted to a positive reception at Gamescom LATAM and will be more widely available in the near future so that it can be used by gamers all around the world. From cozy sims to high-speed racing games, gamers with disabilities will be able to experience more games than ever before thanks to the UMAGIC and its three core design pillars.
