Author: Sachin

At SpecialEffect we use a range of switch interfaces. Some are designed specifically for playing video games, and some are designed for more general computer access using switch scanning.

However, they may also be used in some instances for accessing games.

In this video, we will be looking at the Microsoft Adaptive Hub, an interface created for more general computer access, that can also be used to play video games on PC and includes some additional features that could benefit players.

Introduction to Switch Use
A switch interface allows you to connect accessibility switches to your device and use them as an input method. The output could be a gamepad button or a keyboard key for PC.

Accessibility switches come in different shapes and sizes, require different amounts of force to activate them and they’re able to be positioned in the most accessible and comfortable way for a specific user.

At SpecialEffect, we use a switch interface such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller, Access controller or Hori Flex, in almost all of the controller set-ups we create on both consoles and PC. These interfaces, by default, output game controller inputs such as buttons, triggers or stick directions.

As these interfaces are designed specifically for playing video games, they allow for using multiple switches simultaneously, and allow for things like shooting while aiming or, being able to hold down a switch like accelerating in a driving game.

Many of the available PC switch interfaces are not designed for playing games but instead made to be used for singular switch outputs used for switch scanning. Therefore, they may not allow for simultaneous use of the switch inputs or register a switch being held down.

The Microsoft Adaptive Hub is a switch interface that does allow for these types of inputs that are needed for playing video games.

Throughout this video, we are going to have an in-depth look into the interface and how it can be used to connect accessibility switches for gaming on a Windows PC. We will look at some of its features such as creating and swapping between the profiles, using macros, and mouse movement options.

Section 1: Device Overview
So this is the Microsoft Adaptive Hub. It was created as part of the Microsoft’s range of Adaptive accessories to be a “central hub” between the Microsoft Adaptive Buttons, connected wirelessly or through any of the three USB C ports on the bottom of the device.

You are also able to use third-party switches through any of the five available 3.5 mm ports on the top of the device.

Using the Hub, you can map these switches to output keyboard keys, mouse buttons, cursor movement and many other available features.

The Hub is compatible with Windows 10 or 11 PCs, and you can configure it with the Microsoft Accessory Centre app from the Microsoft Store. It can also be used with other operating systems such as Mac, iOS, and Android after initially configuring the outputs through a Windows device using the app.

The Hub will output keyboard keys so it will be identified as a keyboard and mouse as the input method for games. Therefore, the Windows or in-game settings relating to the keyboard and mouse such as toggling keys or mouse pointer size will also be active when using the Microsoft Adaptive Hub.

The Hub will continue to work alongside the Xbox Adaptive Controller, also known as the XAC. This means I can use the Hub mouse controls to open a specific game and then use the switches connected to the XAC for gaming using the Xbox controller outputs.

If you want to use the HUB within a game alongside the XAC it’s often best to rebind the XAC so it outputs keyboard keys rather than the default Xbox buttons, as not all games fully support both gamepad and keyboard inputs simultaneously. For more details on how to do this, please see the details linked below.

Alternatively, you can use third-party software to change keyboard keys to output gamepad keys or vice versa. Using one controller type to play will stop any delays or issues in certain games when using two different input methods.

Buttons on the Device
Now let’s take a look at the buttons and ports on the Microsoft Adaptive Hub.

The power button is on the left of the device. There will be a white light when the device is on and connected, an orange light when charging, and no lights means that the device is off.

A pairing button is located on the bottom left of the device which can be used to pair with the Microsoft Adaptive buttons.

The device can be connected to the PC through Bluetooth or a type-C cable that’s included in the box. The USB-C port to connect the device to the PC is located on the right of the device.

You can continue to use the Hub while it’s plugged in and charging.

The device can be connected to three different Bluetooth devices and the Bluetooth button on the face of the device is used to switch between the different devices. The three LED lights will show which of the three devices it’s connected with.

The profile button on the right side is used to change between four different profiles. Profiles are used to swap between different outputs. Each profile can be customised using the Microsoft Accessories Centre app. There’s also a profile LED display to show which profile is currently active. Profile 1, 2 and Profile 3. If there are no lights, this indicates that the device is on Profile 0.

Section 2- Device Connection
You can use the Hub with your Windows PC either using a USB cable or via Bluetooth.

There are no default outputs assigned to the switch ports out of the box, as you’ll have to assign what happens when you use them through the Microsoft Accessory Centre app before you use it.

You can download the app from the Microsoft Store and plug the device into your PC using the type-C cable provided in the box and it should appear as one of the devices you can configure within the app.

You’ll need to connect with the cable to complete a firmware update. A firmware update is needed to access more accessibility features that were not readily available when the Microsoft Adaptive Hub was first released.

This Microsoft Adaptive Hub shown in this video is on firmware 3.09. You can check if the device is up to date by using the app and scrolling down to the device information. You should see a green tick that shows your device is up to date.

Future firmware updates may change the appearance of the menus or add new functions.

To connect the Hub through Bluetooth, press the power button to turn the device on. If this is the first time using the device a notification should appear on your PC.

You can also manually start the pairing mode by holding down the Bluetooth button for three seconds until the white LED starts flashing.

It should now appear on the Bluetooth connect page as one of the available devices.

After the initial connection, the Hub will automatically switch between wired and Bluetooth mode depending on whether it’s plugged into the PC or not.

Bluetooth allows you to position switches without needing to worry about cables. This can be useful if your PC is very far away or if you want to minimise wires, such as when using it as a head switch.


Section 3- Microsoft Accessory Centre App

Now let’s take a look at how to use the app.

You can download this app from the Microsoft Store. You can then use it to assign different outputs for the switches.

The app shows a list of the five available ports on the Hub. When you click on the drop-down arrow you can see a range of different outputs you can assign to the switch ports.

Later in this video, I’ll cover some of these commands which are useful for making access easier for playing video games.

The profiles shown here can be used to assign outputs to a specific profile that you can swap between using the profile button on the device or by assigning one of the switches to swap profiles.

Within the Microsoft Accessory Centre app, you can also configure the device to have different outputs depending on which device is connected via Bluetooth. This can be useful if you want to use the Hub as a switch interface with your phone or tablet as well as your PC.

Lastly, using ‘app profiles’ allows you to assign specific profiles to load, when you are using a certain application or game on your PC. This can be useful for games because you can assign what each switch does depending on what games you’re playing. For example, to access menu shortcuts specific to each game.

This option is available when customising button outputs within the “all connected devices” screen.
However, it’s important to note that currently, the app profiles are only available when the device is on Profile 0. Only Profile 0 can be used to customise the outputs within a specific app and therefore the three other profile functions are disabled.

App profiles are the same on all PCs that are used with your Adaptive Hub. This means that the apps will have the same profile when you use your Adaptive Hub with other PCs, but you will need to have the Microsoft Accessory Centre app installed.

As an example, you can see that these switches are set to output Windows shortcuts such as opening up my game library or taking a screenshot.

When it detects that Vampire Survivors is open, the Hub automatically swaps the switch outputs to become the W, A, S, D keys that are needed for movement within this game.

Useful Switch Outputs
Now we’ll take a deeper look at some useful switch outputs you can select from the app and how they can be used for PC gaming.

Key Combination Output
The “key combination” is a simple output that can be used for individual keyboard keys.

You can also combine any of the keys with modifier keys such as Control, Alt or Shift which might be useful for some games to do a certain action. For example, we can create different switches for a “walking forwards” button and a different button for “climbing up” in Assassin’s Creed Origins. One switch is outputting just the W key, and the other is set to output Alt and the W key at the same time needed for climbing up.

The Hub allows for simultaneous switches to be used at the same time. For example, if you wanted to use the two-directional arrows together to move diagonally in games such as Vampire Survivors.

Sticky Key Setting
Enabling the “sticky key” setting for the port will mean that a single switch press will change the output to become a toggle key. Pressing the switch again will toggle it off. This can be important for games when needing to hold down a switch continuously for a long duration such as holding ‘Gas’ in a racing game or walking forwards with the “W” key.

Here I have the same switches set up for Assassin’s Creed but this time, I have Sticky keys turned on. Now I only need to tap the switch once instead of holding it down to make the character walk forwards.

Short Press and Long Press
This setting allows you to assign how you would like to activate the action you have set to the switch. You can either activate it by a “short press” or a “long press”.

You can assign how long you want this long press to be within the advanced settings menu.
This means you can assign two different outputs for a single switch.

As an example, I have a short press assigned to the “R” key for “Reload” but holding down the same switch outputs the “C” key for “Crouch” within Fallout 4.

It’s important to note that only a short-press key can be set to a sticky key and assigning a port to become a sticky key will mean you’re unable to trigger a long-press function.
Alternatively, you could use third-party software such as Alt Controller to assign any keys to behave as sticky keys and still access the “long-press” functions of the key.

Using Profiles
As mentioned before, profiles are used to change between four preset outputs you can assign through the app.

You can assign the “swap profile” command to one of the switches to quickly switch between the available profile builds. This can be useful if you aren’t able to physically press the profile button on the face of the device.

Using the “switch profile” command to swap between up to four different profiles means you can quickly swap the output of the other switches.

Here is an example made to play racing games. One switch is used to swap between profiles so that the other four switches have different outputs.

You can see that within profile 0, all the ports have been given mouse direction outputs. Port 5 has been given the command to jump to “profile 1”. Now within Profile 1, I can assign different keys that are useful within a game. Here I set up the W, A, S, D keys needed for driving a car in Forza Motorsport.

Now let’s take a look at how this can be used within the game.

I use the switches to navigate through the menus and select the race or fine-tune the car.

I can press this black switch which has been assigned to swap to Profile 1. Now the switches output the keys needed to control the car.

Stacking Switch Outputs
You can use this swap profile command within the “long press” option to stack up to four outputs onto one switch.

Some players may only be able to access a limited number of switches. This means that they may have to pick and choose the basic buttons that they need to play the game and often leave out some buttons such as reloading or healing.

You can utilise the swap profile feature of The Microsoft Adaptive Hub to stack different outputs onto a single switch.

You can do this by assigning a key output to a short press as normal but then assigning the “Switch Profile” command to be activated when you do a long press. This is how you can stack up to four different outputs onto one switch which you can cycle through by holding the switch down for the set amount of time you’re comfortable with.

Here is a demonstration showing one switch being used for four different actions within Assassin’s Creed Origins.

Here is the switch that is currently being used to crouch.

Now after I hold the switch down and press it again, you can see that the output is a different key which equips the torch. I hold down again and now when I press the switch, it calls the mount.

The last profile is used to call Senu, the eagle, to scan the environment. And holding the switch again will return me back to the first profile which is outputting the crouch key again.

Here is a walkthrough of this being set up.
Here I have assigned the switch connected to Port 1 to output the C key that acts as the “crouch” key when I use a “short press”. Now I assigned the “long press” option to swap to Profile 1. Now within Profile 1, I set the same port to output the number “1” key which will be used for equipping the torch.

I set the “long press” option again to swap to the next profile. And now within Profile 2, I assign the switch to output the “Q” key which will call my mount.

I repeat the process within Profile 3 which outputs the “V” key which is used to call Senu.

And I’ll make sure to loop this profile to return back to Profile 0.

Stacking switch outputs is best used for actions that aren’t needed quickly.

This is useful for players who can only manage a set number of switches but want to be able to access more keys for a game.

You will need to remember the order of the outputs or keep an eye on the profile lights to see which profile you are currently on, and keep track of what your outputs will be.

It’s important to note, that some in-game actions require an input to be held continuously or for a set duration to activate it, so you will need to be mindful not to cause any conflicts when choosing which keys to assign for a short press and a long press.

Mouse Control
Now we’ll take a look at some switch commands that aren’t key-press-related.

The Microsoft Adaptive Hub can be used to navigate the cursor around the screen.

There are quite a few configurations you can set up with the Hub so that it can be used for mouse movement.

Again, this is configured using the app on PC.

Switch Mouse
Using the ‘Switch mouse’ output for a port, you can assign a switch to move the mouse in a set direction.

You can further customise this by setting how many pixels the mouse moves.

You can also set if you want to press and hold the switch for continual movement in the chosen direction.

Here is an example of four switches being used to move the mouse in four different directions and an additional switch being used as the left click.

Cursor Rotation
The ‘cursor rotation’ output will move the cursor in a set direction and then automatically move to the next direction either in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. This is depending on the rotation direction you have set. You can see how the mouse is moving up when I hold the switch. But now that I let go and hold it again, the cursor is moving to the right. When I let go and hold it again, it moves the cursor downwards. And finally, when I hold it again, it moves the cursor to the left. You can use this to move the mouse around the screen using just one switch.

Enabling the sticky key setting can be useful if you want to start the mouse movement and then press it again to stop the mouse cursor when it reaches where you want it to stop. This is helpful for users who are unable to press and hold a switch down.

Here is another example of how the cursor rotation mouse can be used in a first-person perspective game. This switch is being used to toggle on and off the “W” key to walk forwards.

This red switch is being used as the rotation cursor. Using them together allows me to walk around and explore the first-person perspective world using just two switches.

Additional Commands

Macro Commands
You can also assign the switch to output a macro for a series of button actions and mouse movements using the ‘macro commands’ feature.

Macros can be used to record a sequence of inputs from a keyboard or mouse. This can be useful for some repeated actions within a game.

As an example, I have set the mouse to move and click the inventory within Minecraft to empty a whole row into a chest. This can be useful for people finding it difficult to transfer items one at a time.
A macro can also be used to output text. For example, if you wanted to output a command for a specific game. Here I have a switch that is outputting the command to toggle God Mode within Fallout 4. With this mode on, players take no damage and have unlimited ammo and stamina. The macro command given outputs all the keys needed in the right order to type out the command.

Windows Shortcut Outputs
The ‘Windows shortcut output’ option has many different outputs that can be utilised for easier access to your games. This includes opening a specific app, webpage, or file that can be assigned to a switch press. This can be useful for your gaming by making your PC navigation more accessible.

Here is an example of how some of these can be used.

This green switch has been assigned to open Stardew Valley. This red switch to open the Stardew Valley Wiki. A green switch that allows me to capture the screen. A yellow switch to swap between open apps allows me to switch between the game and other open applications. And finally, this black switch to close whichever app is currently in focus which makes it easier to close applications on the PC.

Mobile and tablet devices
You can also connect the Hub to be used with mobile phones and tablets. For more details on how to do this, please see the post linked below.
The outputs you set on PC will be carried over to the devices. As discussed before, you can also set specific switch outputs for each Bluetooth connection.
There is currently no Microsoft Accessory app for mobile so you would need to plug it into a PC if you wanted to change the outputs for the ports, profiles or specific Bluetooth connections.

Alternative Options
Alternative switch interfaces for outputting keyboard keys on PC, include the Eneso Encore Plus or the Xbox Adaptive Controller. You would need to switch from game controller outputs to keyboard outputs using the Xbox Accessories app. However, these devices will not include many of the features we have shown in this video.

Outro
We hope that this video has been useful in looking at the features of the Microsoft Adaptive Hub that can be used to make playing video games more accessible. For more information on using switches to access games, please use the ‘Switch Interface’ and ‘Switches’ categories in SpecialEffect’s GameAccess website.