GameAccess by SpecialEffect

Evil Controllers’ One-Handed Controllers | Video

2nd November, 202320th November, 2023

Evil Controllers is a company based in the US that make custom and modded gaming controllers. One of the types of modded controllers that they make are one-handed controllers. These controllers aim to enable a person to use the majority of the controller with just one hand.

We use these controllers in our work here at SpecialEffect. We often use these controllers alongside additional buttons or joysticks, controlled with another part of the body. In this video, we will look at the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions of these controllers and the adaptations that are available.

Right-Hand Option

First, we will look at the right-hand version of these controllers. The L1, L2 and L3 buttons have been moved over to the right-hand side of the controller. The L1 and L2 buttons have been relocated, using digital buttons, over to the right arm of the controller. These are designed to be pressed with the individual’s middle, ring or little finger. The L3 button is also a digital button and has also been relocated over to the right side and is situated just below the right thumbstick. This is designed to be pressed with the individual’s right thumb.

At SpecialEffect we nearly always use the thumbstick extension option. This is where the left thumbstick has been placed in its own individual housing. This is so the stick can potentially be positioned and used with another part of the body. We often use this by someone’s finger or arm, or potentially by their foot or their chin. You could also think about swapping the stick functions over by either remapping in-console or in the game settings.

Left-Hand Option

We will now look at the left-handed versions of these controllers. The R1, R2 and R3 buttons have been relocated over to the left side of the controller. The R1 and R2 buttons have been relocated over to the left arm of the controller using digital buttons. These are designed to be pressed by either the middle, ring or little finger. The R3 button has also been relocated over to the left side of the controller using a digital button. This is situated just below the left thumbstick and is designed to be pressed using the left thumb.

Again, at SpecialEffect we almost always have the thumbstick extension option. This is where the right thumbstick has been placed in its own external housing. This is so the thumbstick can potentially be positioned and used with another part of the body. We often use this by someone’s finger, by their arm, or potentially by their foot or their chin. Again, you could remap this on your console or by using the in-game settings to swap the stick functions over.

With all versions of these controllers, the face buttons remain situated on the right side of the controller.

For the left-hand version of these controllers, we often recommend remapping the face buttons with the D-pad. So, for example, the Cross button on Playstation or A button on Xbox, we would remap over to Down on the D-pad. Or potentially the Circle button on PlayStation or the B button on Xbox, we would remap with Right on the D-pad. This is so that the individual does not have to keep reaching over to the other side of the controller to access these buttons.

This remapping can be done at a system level on PS4, PS5 and on Xbox. There is a link in the description to this video that explains how to do this.

The modifications made to these controllers are pretty much identical across all three platforms. However, one difference that’s worth mentioning is the digital buttons used on the PS5 version of these controllers are slightly different to the ones used on the PS4 and Xbox versions. The buttons used on the PS5 version are smaller than the PS4 and Xbox and some people may potentially find them harder to press.

Mounting the Controller

We find that some people find mounting these controllers, on either a laptray or on a desk can make them easier to use. You can use either a wedge or a piece of foam to hold them at a comfortable angle.

Accessing the Optional Thumbstick Extension

Some people might find that they can access the thumbstick extension with their weaker hand, especially if they are using their stronger hand to access the majority of the controller. Fixing the thumbstick onto a tray using Velcro will make it more secure and might make it easier to use.

If this is difficult, then it is possible to use another part of the body such as by the foot, or some people find using their chin can be effective.

If selected, you can purchase the thumbstick extension with a handle base. This is so the thumbstick can be mounted underneath the controller and used by the individual pushing it against their leg.

Optional Controller Features

Evil Controllers offer many additional options to help you customise the controller to your needs, such as hairpin or tactile triggers, regular or tactile buttons, additional thumbstick tension, game mods and a range of thumbstick options such as cable length and the type of base for the thumbstick.

Outro:

Thank you for watching this video. If you would like any more information on alternative controllers for accessing games, please contact SpecialEffect.

Evil Controllers is a company based in the US that makes custom and modded gaming controllers. One of the types of controllers that we use at SpecialEffect is their one-handed controller, which we use when someone would like to use more of the controller inputs with just one hand.

This video will look at the features and options available in their range of one-handed Xbox Series, DualShock 4 and DualSense controllers.

The information in this video is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing (October 2023).

Video Timestamps:

0:00 | Intro

0:33 | Right-Hand Option

1:33 | Left-Hand Option

3:42 | Mounting the Controller

4:33 | Optional Controller Features

4:52 | Outro

Evil Controller’s One-Handed Controller Creator: https://www.evilcontrollers.com/accessible-controller-creator

Video by Tom Williams

FIFA 23 | One and Two Button Modes

22nd December, 20222nd February, 2023

Show Transcript

FIFA is a popular game with the people we help here at SpecialEffect and it has features and settings that can be used to make the game more accessible.

We will be looking at the One and Two Button control modes available in FIFA 23.

All footage in this video has been captured on an Xbox Series X console. The options discussed in this video are also available on PlayStation and PC versions of FIFA, when playing with a controller.

FIFA 22 has four preset control options – Classic, Alternate, Two Button and One Button. To change these, you need to go into Customise, select Settings, and select Customise Controls. You then, by default, use the RT/LT buttons to scroll through this menu and then left stick to select the controller mode you want. If you then press Back (which is B on Xbox, or Circle on PlayStation) the game will automatically save this mode selection.

Two Button Mode

Two Button Mode enables you to play offline and online matches with just a left joystick and the A and the B button (or Cross and Circle on PlayStation).

Your pass button, which is A on Xbox (or Cross on PlayStation) will do a ground pass or a through pass depending on the direction of your pass and the situation with the player you are passing to. If you hold the pass button longer, you will do a lobbed pass or cross. Again, this is dependent on the direction of your pass and the situation with the player you are passing to.

To shoot, you press the B button on Xbox or Circle button on PlayStation.

When you do not have the ball your pass button will become your standing tackle, and your Shoot button will become sliding tackle.

When you are out of possession you will need to press LB on Xbox or L1 on PlayStation to change player. By default, Auto Switch is set to ‘Air Balls and Loose Balls’. Auto Switching can be made full Auto which means that the game will switch player for you, removing the need for LB or L1 button. To turn on Auto Switching, go to Settings, select Customise Controls, scroll down to Auto Switching and scroll right to select Auto.

In Two Button Mode, Auto Sprinting is always turned on. This means that the game will sprint for you when there is space to do so and the situation may benefit from it. However, if you have access to the sprint button (which is RT on Xbox and R2 on PlayStation) you can still use this to sprint manually.

One Button Mode

One Button Mode enables you to fully play FIFA with just the left stick and one button which is A on Xbox or Cross on PlayStation.

In a standard game, the left stick acts as player movement. When you are in possession, the A button on Xbox (or Cross button on PlayStation) is used for all types of kick, including all types of passing and shooting. The type of kick played will depend on the situation you are in, the direction you are aiming and how long you hold the button for. Sometimes you may be expecting to shoot but a pass will be played instead, but with practice you will learn in which situations a certain type of kick will likely be played.

When out of possession the button will act as both sliding and light tackle, depending on the circumstance. When out of possession the game will auto switch control to your player nearest the ball.

When your player has the space to run, sprint will be activated whether you are in or out of possession.

One and Two Button Modes will work for offline and online play. They will also work in matches in all of the different game modes in FIFA (such as Volta and Career) but you might find you need some additional buttons in some menus (such as in FIFA Ultimate Team) and certain game modes, such as Skill games when playing in Career modes.

Menu Accessibility

To finish the video, we will look at a couple of the settings in the Accessibility menu that may help to reduce the number of control inputs required for menu navigation if using Two or One Button control inputs.

In FIFA 23, you can access the Accessibility menu directly from the home screen by selecting the accessibility icon.

Some of the menus in FIFA 23 require the right stick for navigating or scrolling. Turning the ‘Remap Right Stick Functionality’ setting ‘On’ switches the functionality of the right stick to the left stick in many of the menus.

Turning the ‘Remap Left and Right Bumper buttons and ‘Left and Right Trigger Functionality’ ‘On’, switches the functionality of the Bumpers and Triggers in many of the menus to the left stick. This allows you to navigate through many settings options with the left stick without the need for the Bumpers or Triggers.

Thank you for watching this video. If you have any questions about the motor accessibility of video games, please contact SpecialEffect.

FIFA is a popular game with the people we work with at SpecialEffect and includes features and settings that can be used to make the game more accessible.

In this video, we will be looking at the One and Two Button control modes available in FIFA 23 [PEGI 3]. These control modes can reduce the gameplay controls within a match to either one stick and two buttons or one stick and one button.

We will go through these control modes and then a couple of settings that can reduce the controls needed in the menus. All footage in this video has been captured on an Xbox Series X console.

The options discussed in this video are available on Xbox, PlayStation and PC versions of FIFA 23, when playing with a controller.

Timestamps:

0:00 | Intro

1:12 | Two Button Mode

3:05 | One Button Mode

4:45 | Menu Accessibility

5:45 | Outro

Developer Resource:

For more video examples of how developers have improved the motor accessibility of their games, please visit https://specialeffectdevkit.info/

Gran Turismo 7 | Motor Accessibility – Beginner Assist Preset & Control Options.

26th May, 20224th August, 2022

Show Transcript

Gran Turismo 7 is a sim racing game available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. This video will look at the motor accessibility of the game and will look at options and settings that might help to make gameplay easier.

All of the footage in this video has been captured on a PlayStation 4 console.

When the game is first started the player has to select certain control configurations and assist presets before they can start playing. These options are Steering Controls, Pedal Controls and Assist Preset Selection. Steering Controls allows you to select how you steer the car.

The options are Left Stick, Directional Pad and Motion Sensor Function. Pedal Controls allow you to select how your car accelerates and brakes.

The options are L2 for brake and R2 for accelerate, the Cross button for accelerate and Square button for brake or the Right Joystick. Pushing UP or FORWARD on the Right Joystick will cause the car to accelerate and pulling BACK will cause the car to brake.

Assist Preset Selection allows you to choose what level of assistance the game gives you when driving. There are 3 presets available each tailored to a different skill level. These are Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. The Beginner Preset automatically adjusts the following assist settings.

Auto-Drive is set to Brake & Steering. This means that the game will provide some assistance for braking and steering.

For braking, the car will automatically start braking at suitable points to help the player control their speed. This option is not a full assist, and the player will still need to monitor their speed and may need to physically brake at times.

For steering, the AI will prevent the car from oversteering and can help with smooth transitions through corners. This is not a full steering assist, and the player will still need to physically steer the car. Driving Line Assistance is set to ALL. This activates corner indicators and full driving line which makes it easier to navigate around the track. Braking Indicator is set to ON. This means that text and your HUD will flash telling you when you should brake.

Braking Area is set to ON. This means that an indicator for the best place to brake will be displayed above the track.

Replace Car After Leaving Track is turned ON. This means that your car will be automatically replaced on the track if you drive off.

All of these options can be changed at any time by going into the Settings and selecting the Assist Settings at the beginning of a race.

In the Assists menu you can customise these assists and you will find a few additional settings that will have also changed, depending on the preset chosen. These can be used to help make the game more accessible. Some of these will be activated when the Beginner Preset is selected.

Selecting Automatic Transmission means that you will not have to change gears so the game can be played with fewer buttons. With the Beginner Assist Preset, this is automatically changed to Automatic.

Traction Control sets the extent that the engine power will prevent the wheels from spinning. The higher the value, the less the wheels will spin, making the car easier to control. However, exit speeds from corners will be adversely affected.

With the Beginner Assist Preset, this is automatically changed to 5. ABS alters the effectiveness of the Anti-Lock Braking System, which prevents tyres from locking under braking. Setting this to Default means that the braking force will be controlled. With the Beginner Assist Preset, this is set to Default.

With Stability Management turned ON this will help prevent your car from spinning out. With the Beginner Assist Preset, this is automatically changed to OFF.

Counter Steering Assistance automatically rights the car when it has oversteered. With this set to Strong, even a minimal amount of oversteer will activate the system, making the car easier to control. With the Beginner Assist Preset, this is automatically changed to Strong.

Before you start the game you will also need to select which difficulty you would like to race at. The options are Easy, Normal and Hard. The default that the game suggests is to race on Normal, but Easy is recommended for beginner racers. The Easy option means that the AI-controlled rivals in world circuits are slower. Difficulty level selected does not affect prize money. To change the race difficulty, go to the Gran Turismo symbol in the World Map and select Options. You can then select Race Difficulty.

The default controller layout will vary depending on what steering controls and pedal controls are selected. If you do not want to use the preset controller layout, you can remap the buttons to your own choosing. To do this you can go into Options, by selecting the Gran Turismo logo in the World Map. Or select the Controller Settings menu before you start a race. You can only use the preset options for steering, but you can remap the pedal options and the other gameplay buttons. The only other buttons you cannot remap are the Share and Options button.

In this example L2 is being mapped to Accelerate and L1 is being mapped to Brake.

In the Controller Settings menu, you can also change the controller sensitivity. You can only access this in the Settings just before you start a race, not from the World Map. Controller Steering Sensitivity adjusts the steering speed and response speed of the front tyres. A lower value produces a slower response time, which allows for smoother steering. A higher value makes the car more sensitive. For steering wheel users, this menu also has some force feedback options.

Thank you for watching this video, if you have any questions about accessible gaming, please contact SpecialEffect.

Gran Turismo 7 is a sim racing game available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. This video will look at the motor accessibility of the game, and options and settings that might help to make gameplay easier.

All of the footage in this video has been captured on a PlayStation4 console.

Video Timestamps (clicking on links will take you to view them in YouTube):

0:00 Intro

0:41 Basic Controls & Assist Presets

2:13 Beginner Assist Preset

5:27 Race Difficulty

6:08 Control Layouts

7:39 Outro

Music: Flight of the Inner Bird by Out of Flux and Ezra by Notize (both Artist.io).

Developer Resource:

For more video examples of how developers have improved the motor accessibility of their games, please visit https://specialeffectdevkit.info/

Sackboy: A Big Adventure | Motor Accessibility Video

19th April, 202228th July, 2022

Show Transcript

Sackboy: A Big Adventure [PEGI 7] is a 3D platforming game available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. The game requires you to control Sackboy through a variety of different platforming levels and bonus content.

This post will look at the controls needed to play Sackboy, and the in-game options related to the motor accessibility of the game. All of the footage in this video has been captured on a PlayStation 4 console.

First, we will look at the default controls needed to play Sackboy: A Big Adventure. The left joystick will move Sackboy around. Tapping the Cross button will make Sackboy Jump. Tapping the Cross button again while in the air will activate Flutter. Tapping the Circle button will activate Roll. Tapping the Square button will activate Slap. Tapping Triangle while Sackboy is in the air will activate Nosedive. Pressing and holding the R2 button will make Sackboy Grab. The R2 button will also activate the Clawstring. This item is available later in the game. Some levels have hidden weapons and items. The R1 button will use the item. The L1 button will Discard the item. Pressing and holding the L2 button will enter Acting mode. You can then use the right joystick to move Sackboy’s arms. All directions on the D-pad can be used for different emotes and facial expressions.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure has local and online multiplayer. When playing cooperatively, if the players get separated, R3 can be pressed to activate Flare. This calls the Assistance Copter which will reunite all of the players.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure allows you to remap all the gameplay buttons. This can be useful for players who cannot access all of the controller or find certain buttons difficult to press. To remap the controls, go into the Settings menu and select Customise Controls. You then press Cross on the button you want to change and Cross again on the button you want to remap to. You cannot remap buttons onto joystick directions. You also cannot remap the functions of the Options, Share or Touchpad.

The Controller Settings menu has a few features that some players might find helpful. It is possible to change the vibration strength of the controller. By default, the vibration is set to maximum, but it can be turned down or completely off.

The function of the left and right joysticks can be swapped. By default the Left Stick is the primary stick which controls character movement. By selecting to swap the joysticks, the right joystick will now control character movement. This option only swaps the sticks for gameplay. The Left Stick or D-pad is still required for menus.

It is possible to invert the X and Y axis for the Left Stick or the Right Stick if you have selected the Swap Left and Right Stick option. This option only works in gameplay, the axes are default in the game menus.

The Inner Deadzone options enable you to adjust the size of the Inner Deadzone which is the area in the centre of the stick where the stick will not register anything. Making the Inner Deadzone smaller means that the stick will register the movement sooner with less movement required. People with small movements might benefit from a smaller Inner Deadzone. People with tremors or involuntary movement might benefit from a larger Inner Deadzone as a joystick will be less likely to register accidental movement. The Outer Deadzone option alters the size of the Outer Deadzone which is the area at the very edges of the joystick where nothing is registered. A larger Outer Deadzone means the player will not have to move the stick as far for the character to be at full movement.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure requires accurate timing of button presses, sometimes in close succession. You also need to be able to access the buttons at the same time as the stick.

The Game Assists menu has some options to help make some gameplay controls easier. The Roll option allows you to select whether Roll is selected in game play by tapping Circle button or holding the Circle button. Some players find holding buttons down difficult so setting this to Tap might be easier.

The Grab option allows you to select whether Grab is activated by holding R2 or whether R2 is toggled. Having the Toggle option selected means you do not have to constantly hold R2 while grabbing an object. Instead, the Grab is activated by tapping R2 and then released by tapping R2 again.

By default to Flutter you need to press Cross to Jump then Cross again in the air to Flutter. By selecting Hold to Flutter, Flutter will be activated if Cross is held down. This could be useful for players who find tapping buttons quickly difficult.

Selecting Infinite Lives means that Sackboy will constantly regenerate. With this option selected you will never have to restart the level and you will regenerate at the last checkpoint selected. Sackboy will still get injured by enemies and can still fall down gaps. Infinite Lives cannot be turned on if you are in a level. You need to be in the World Map to turn on this option.

Some game levels require platforms to be moved manually. The Tilt Platform menu allows you to choose whether this is performed by tilting the whole controller or by using the right joystick.

Thank you for watching this video. If you have any questions about motor accessibility and video games, please contact SpecialEffect.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure [PEGI 7] is a 3D adventure platforming game available on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. The game requires you to control Sackboy through a variety of different platforming levels and bonus content.

In this video we look at the controls needed to play and the in-game options related to the motor accessibility of the game.

Video Timestamps (clicking on links will take you to view them in YouTube):

0:00 Intro, 0:45 Controls, 2:26 Customise Controls, 3:02 Controller Settings, 5:06 Game Assists and 6:46 Outro.

An additional written post going through these options can be found here: Sackboy: A Big Adventure | Motor Accessibility – GameAccess

Music: Bark Technology – YesNoMaybe (artist.io)

Developer Resource:

For more video examples of how developers have improved the motor accessibility of their games, please visit https://specialeffectdevkit.info/

Sackboy: A Big Adventure | Motor Accessibility

13th January, 20223rd August, 2022

Sackboy: A Big Adventure [PEGI 7] is a 3D adventure platforming game available on the PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles.

This post will look at the controls needed to play Sackboy: A Big Adventure and the in-game options related to the motor accessibility of the game. You can use the links below to jump down to a particular section:

Controls – We look at the default inputs required and which actions they control.

Customise Controls – A look at how some controls can be remapped.

Controller Settings – We go through the settings that can customise how the controller is used, such as deadzone, inversion and vibration options.

Game Assists – We look through the assists the game offers, such as some auto-hold options, an infinite lives option and inputs options to control platform tilts.

*Update April 2022* – a standalone video showing these settings can now be found at the bottom of this post. Scroll down or click here.

Controls:

Left Stick – Move Character

L1 – Discard Item

L2 – Acting

R2 – Grab/Use Clawstring

R1 – Use Item

Cross – Jump/(In Air) Flutter

Circle – Roll

Square – Slap

Triangle – Nosedive

Right Stick – Move Arms (within acting)

R3 – Flare

D-pad (all directions) – Emote and Facial Expressions

Customise Controls:

Sackboy: A Big Adventure allows you to remap all the gameplay buttons, but you cannot remap buttons onto stick directions, the options, share, or touchpad or vice versa.

To remap the controls, go into the Settings menu and select Customise Controls. You then press Cross on the button you want to change, and Cross again on the button you want to remap to.

Screenshot showing that the functions of cross and D-Pad down have been swapped. — Customise Controls menu.

Controller Settings:

The Controller Settings menu has a few features that some players might find helpful.

Vibration: The vibration strength of the controller can be adjusted. By default, the vibration is set to maximum.

Swap Left and Right Sticks: This swaps the function of the Left and Right sticks on the controller. By default, the Left Stick is the primary stick which controls character movement. This option only swaps the stick for gameplay. The Left Stick or D-pad is still required for menus.

Invert X and Y Axis: This option inverts stick axis for the Left Stick or the Right Stick if you have selected the Swap Left and Right Stick option. This option only works in gameplay, the axes are default in the game menus.

Inner Deadzone: This alters the size of the inner deadzone, which is the area in the centre of the stick where the stick will not register anything. Making the inner deadzone smaller means that the stick will register the movement sooner with less movement required. People with small movements might benefit from a smaller inner deadzone. People with tremors or involuntary movement might benefit from a larger inner deadzone as the joystick will be less likely to register accidental movement.

Outer Deadzone: This alters the size of the outer deadzone, which is the area at the very edges of the joystick where nothing is registered. A larger outer deadzone means that the player will not have to move the stick as far for the character to be at full movement.

Game Assists:

Sackboy: A Big Adventure requires accurate timing of button presses, sometimes in close succession. You also need to be able to access the buttons at the same time as the stick. The Game Assists menu has some options to help make some game play controls easier.

Roll: This option allows you to select whether ROLL is selected by tapping the Circle button or holding the Circle button.

Grab: This option allows you to select whether GRAB is activated by holding R2 or whether R2 is toggled. Having the TOGGLE option selected means you do not have to constantly hold R2 while grabbing an object. The GRAB is activated by tapping R2 and then released by tapping R2 again.

Hold to Flutter: By default, to flutter you need to press Cross to jump, then Cross again to flutter. By selecting Hold to Flutter, flutter will be activated if Cross is held down.

Infinite Lives: Selecting infinite lives means that Sackboy will constantly regenerate. With this option selected you will never have to restart the level and you will regenerate at the last checkpoint selected. Sackboy will still get injured by enemies and can still fall down gaps. Infinite lives cannot be turned on if you are in a level. You need to be in the world map to turn on this option.

Tilt Platforms: Some game levels require platforms to be moved manually. This menu allows you to choose whether this is performed by tilting the whole controller (TILT) or by using the right joystick.

We hope that this post has been useful. If you have any questions about motor accessibility in video games, please visit the ‘Contact Us’ page.

Video:

Show Transcript

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 3D platforming game available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. The game requires you to control Sackboy through a variety of different platforming levels and bonus content.

This post will look at the controls needed to play Sackboy, and the in-game options related to the motor accessibility of the game. All of the footage in this video has been captured on a PlayStation 4 console.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure has local and online multiplayer. When playing cooperatively, if the players get separated, R3 can be pressed to activate Flare. This calls the Assistance Copter which will reunite all of the players.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure allows you to remap all the gameplay buttons. This can be useful for players who cannot access all of the controller or find certain buttons difficult to press. To remap the controls, go into the Settings menu and select Customise Controls. You then press Cross on the button you want to change and Cross again on the button you want to remap to. You cannot remap buttons onto joystick directions. You also cannot remap the functions of the Options, Share or Touchpad.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure requires accurate timing of button presses, sometimes in close succession. You also need to be able to access the buttons at the same time as the stick.

Some game levels require platforms to be moved manually. The Tilt Platform menu allows you to choose whether this is performed by tilting the whole controller or by using the right joystick.

Thank you for watching this video. If you have any questions about motor accessibility and video games, please contact SpecialEffect.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro, 0:45 Controls, 2:26 Customise Controls, 3:02 Controller Settings and 5:06 Game Assists.

An additional written post going through these options can be found here: Sackboy: A Big Adventure | Motor Accessibility – GameAccess

Music: Bark Technology – YesNoMaybe (artist.io)

Developer Resource:

For more video examples of how developers have improved the motor accessibility of their games, please visit https://specialeffectdevkit.info/

FIFA 22 | Motor Accessibility

18th November, 20213rd August, 2022

FIFA is a game that’s popular with the people we help here at SpecialEffect, and has features and settings that can be used to make the it more accessible.

In this post we will be looking at options that may help with the motor accessibility of FIFA 22 [PEGI 3] on the PlayStation, but the control options are the same for the Xbox and PC when playing with a controller. They may not appear in the Nintendo Switch version of the game, however. When the PlayStation buttons are mentioned, the equivalent Xbox controls will be put in brackets afterwards, if there is a difference. Testing and screenshots were done on the PS4 version of the game.

The information in this post is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing (November 2021).

Accessibility Menu

In the Accessibility menu you will find several options to help with input access to menus including remap buttons and stick functionality.

In FIFA 22 you can access it directly from the home screen by selecting the Accessibility icon.

Screenshot of the accessibility icon on the Fifa 22 home screen. — Accessibility menu location in home menu

You can also access it from the home menu by going across to the Customise tab > Settings > Accessibility. It can also be accessed during a match by pressing the Options button and selecting Settings.

Screenshot of the accessibility menu. — The Accessibility menu

Remap Right Stick Functionality:

Some of the menus in FIFA 22 require the right joystick for scrolling. Turning this setting on switches the functionality of the Right Stick to the Left Stick. As standard, there are only a few side menus in FIFA 22 that need the right joystick.

While turning on this setting means that you will never need to use the right joystick, the Left Stick for most of the main menus has been deactivated and you now need to use D-pad directions. This is different to previous other recent versions of FIFA.

This only applies to the menus and will not change the controls required for gameplay.

Remap L1/R1 Buttons and L2/R2 Button Functionality:

Turning this setting on switches the functionality of the L1/R1 (LB/RB) and L2/R2 (LT/RT) buttons in many of the menus to the Left Stick. This allows you to navigate through all the setting options with the Left Stick. Again, this only applies to the menus and will not change the controls required for gameplay.

Controller Settings

Customisable Controls:

FIFA 22 allows you to remap the buttons used in-game. This means that if you find a button hard to reach or press you could remap it to a button that you find easier. An example would be if you find it difficult to press Triangle (Y) for Through Ball and wanted to use this more often than Lob and could more easily press Square (X), you could swap these two controls.

You do this by going into Customise > Settings > Customise Controls >Press R2 (RT) (or using Left Stick if the menu accessibility setting mentioned above is being used) to show the controller layout.

You would then press the X (A) button on the control you want to change.

Screenshot showing the Triangle button has been selected and is waiting to be remapped. — The Triangle button has been selected and is waiting to be remapped.

You then press Cross (A) again on the control you want to change it to.

Triangle and square have now been swapped.

Bear in mind that when swapping buttons, the original function of that button will be swapped. If you are swapping a button to a one you cannot activate on the controller, you will need to play the game without that button.

FIFA 22 has four preset control options – Classic, Alternate, Two Button and One Button. To change these, you need to go into Customise > Settings > Customise Controls. You then, by default, use the R2/L2 (RT/LT) to scroll through this menu until the controller mode you want is selected. If you then press back (Circle, or B for Xbox) the game will automatically save this mode selection.

Two Button Mode:

Two Button Mode enables you to play offline and online matches with just a Left Joystick and Cross (A) and Circle (B).

Your Pass button, which is X (A), will do a Ground Pass or a Through Pass depending on the direction of your pass and the situation with the player you are passing to. If you hold the pass button you will do a Lob or Cross. When you do not have the ball your pass button will become your Standing Tackle, and your Shoot button – Circle (B) – will become Sliding Tackle.

When you are out of possession you will need to press L1 (LB) to change player. By default, Auto Switch is set to Air Balls and Loose Balls. Auto Switching can be made full Auto which means that the game will switch player for you, removing the need for L1 (LB). Turning this option on is explained later in this post under ‘Auto Switching’.

In Two Button Mode, Auto Sprinting is always turned on. This means that the game will sprint for you when there is space to do so and the situation may benefit from it. However, if you have access to the Sprint button (R2 or RT) you can still use this to sprint manually.

One Button Mode:

One Button Mode enables you to fully play FIFA with just one joystick (Left Joystick) and one button which is Cross (A).

In a standard game, the Left Joystick acts as player movement. When you are in possession, the Cross (A) button is used for all types of kick, including passing and shooting. The type of kick played will depend on the situation you are in, the direction you are aiming and how long you hold the button for. Sometimes you may be expecting to shoot but a pass will be played instead, but with practice you learn in which situations a certain type of kick will likely be played.

When out of posession the button will act as both sliding and light tackle depending on the circumstance. When out of possession the game will auto switch control to your player nearest the ball.

When your player has the space to run, sprint will be activated whether you are in or out of possession.

In both One and Two Button mode you still need to press the Options button (Pause button) to start the game.

One and Two Button Modes will work for offline and online play. They will also work in matches in all of the different game modes in FIFA (Volta, Career etc) but you might find you need some additional buttons in menus and certain game modes, such as Skills games.

Auto Switching:

Auto Switching is a controller setting that enables you to dictate how much the game helps you to switch player when you are not in possession of the ball. If you have your controller set to Classic, then Auto Switching will default to Air Balls and Loose Balls. This means that the game will switch player during Lobs, Crosses and Loose Balls. In all other situations you will need to press the L1 (LB) button to change player.

If you want to play in Classic Mode but find switching your player difficult you can set the game to switch player for you. You can find this option under Settings > Customise Controls > Auto Switching and scroll right to select Auto.

Screenshot showing Auto Switching changed to fully Auto in Controller Settings. — Auto Switching changed to fully Auto in Controller Settings.

Timed Finishing:

Timed Finishing has the potential to increase a shot’s accuracy and power and can enable you to score from positions that may not be possible with standard shooting. To trigger a timed finish, you need to be able to press the Shoot button twice, with good timing. The precision and timing of the second button tap determines the result; a perfectly timed tap will increase the shot’s accuracy, while a poorly timed tap makes the shot more likely to miss. Some players may prefer to turn this to Off, to reduce the accuracy of the timing required.

Legacy Defending (offline only):

Tactical and Legacy are two different types of defending available in FIFA 22. Tactical Defending gives you the ability to time your tackles and maintain your position. However, timing and player position are a lot more important in this mode.

Legacy Defending (available in offline modes only) gives you the familiar defending controls of past FIFA titles. The position of players is less important, and it is the easier of the two defending options, but it is also easier for the game to predict your movements. If you are a beginner, it might be worth starting with Legacy Defending and then moving on to Tactical.

Screenshot showing Legacy Defending selected in Controller Settings — Legacy Defending selected in Controller Settings

Assisted Passing Options

You can change how much assistance your various passes can have. The pass options that can be altered are Ground, Through Ball, Shot Assistance, Cross and Lob. Having Assisted turned On means that pass direction and power will be assisted to help play passes to the receiver’s path and will avoid opponent players. Having Shot Assistance set to Assisted means that shot direction will be assisted to always aim towards the goal.

Screenshot showing Passing options all set to fully Assisted in Controller settings. — Passing options all set to Fully Assisted in Controller settings.

Game Settings:

There are some gameplay settings that can be changed to make the game more accessible. These options are available for offline play and when you are playing against the computer. To access game settings, from the home screen you need to go into Customise > Settings > Game Settings.

Difficulty Level (offline only):

If you are new to playing FIFA or have a new controller layout you can change the difficulty of the game to lower or raise your AI opponents’ abilities.

Screen shot showing Difficulty Level changed to Beginner in the Game Settings menu. — Difficulty Level changed to Beginner in the Game Settings menu.

Game Speed (offline only):

This option allows you to slow down or speed up the gameplay to suit your needs.

Screenshot showing Game speed set to Slow in Game Settings menu. — Game Speed set to Slow in Game Settings menu.

Gameplay Customisation Sliders (offline only):

If you move through the Game Settings menu by pressing R2 (RT) you will come to the User Gameplay Customisation menu and CPU Gameplay Customisation. These menus use sliders which enable you to speed up and slow down how quickly your team and the computer do things such as sprint, take shots or how powerful they are etc. They will only take effect in offline game modes.

By changing these sliders, you can give yourself an increase in your team’s abilities or a decrease in your AI opponents’ abilities to balance the competition level or gain an advantage.

Screenshot showing the User Gameplay Customisation menu in Game Settings. — The User Gameplay Customisation menu in Game Settings.

In the User Gameplay Customisation menu there is also an option for Power Bar. This modifies how quickly/slowly the power bar fills up when you pass or shoot. If an individual seems to be putting too much power into their shots, so they are flying over the goal, it might be helpful to turn this down.

Practice Arena

If you are not used to your controls or are new to FIFA, a good place to start is in the Practice Arena. This game mode allows you to run freely around the pitch and practice dribbling, shooting and free kick skills. There is no time pressure, and you can take as many shots at goal as you like. You can access the Practice Arena from Play>Quick Play Modes>Practice Arena.

We hope that this post has been useful. If you have any questions related to the motor accessibility of FIFA 22, please get in touch via the ‘Contact Us’ page.

Developer Resource:

For more video examples of how developers have improved the motor accessibility of their games, please visit https://specialeffectdevkit.info/