Adam loves racing games. Thanks to his new adaptive gaming set-up from Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change (new window) program, he can now play them with his brother and his friends.

Adam, who is eight years old, has Cerebral Palsy. He uses a wheelchair and is non-verbal, and while he’s always liked gaming, he couldn’t play independently as he couldn’t hold the controller by himself and press the buttons.

Through Makers Making Change, he received a One-Handed Controller Modification for PS5 (new window), which works to hold his controller in place, an Oak Joystick (new window) with a medium ball topper, Interact Switches (new window), and a prototype gaming mat. Makers Making Change Accessible Gaming Lead Tyler Fentie installed the adaptive gaming set-up for his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch at his home. (More details on his adaptive gaming set-up below).

“He loves having his own set-up, like he loves having the joystick and then being able to push the buttons on his own,” shares Anne, Adam’s mother. “He just always asks to play now.”

Now, Adam loves being able to game with others.

“It is something that him and his brother can play together. So, they can race against each other, and Adam actually always seems to win now. And then he also can invite his friends over, and they’re able to play games together as well,” Anne explains. “Before, there wasn’t really anything that he can play with somebody else, like it’s [him] watching or it’s somebody helping him. But with this, he’s independent, he’s able to play by himself.”

Adam also previously received a Switch Adapted Nerf Gun (new window) through Makers Making Change. Using his adapted toy, he was able to join in on the fun with his friends at a birthday party at a local Nerf gun facility.

“He felt very included, and all the kids were like in awe of how cool his Nerf gun was. So that was really awesome,” Anne says. “[These devices] allow him to socialize with his friends. And they think it’s the coolest thing — these eight-year-old boys, they think Adam’s technology is the coolest thing. So, when they see him playing the Nerf gun or even his set-up here with the Switch, they think it’s really cool and then they want to try.”

Anne says she looks forward to continuing to explore the Makers Making Change assistive device library for more devices for Adam.

“I just think it’s really cool what you guys are doing.”

A Closer Look: Adam’s Adaptive Gaming Set-Up

Adam’s main goal was playing the Nintendo Switch with his friends and by himself, and in particular, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. His limited fine motor control — particularly in his left hand — made standard Joy-Con and Pro Controller set-ups challenging to use.

To improve access to the controls, we connected an Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) to the Switch through a Mayflash Magic NS 2 adapter. This allowed him to trial a variety of assistive switches and joysticks mounted on a prototype gaming mat on his wheelchair tray to keep them in place. Two devices worked particularly well for Adam:

• Interact Switches: Ideal for input due to their large, easy-to-press surface.
• Oak Joystick with Medium Ball Topper: Provided the best grip and a reliable centering force, unlike the lighter Spruce Joystick, which caused unintended drift.

Final Nintendo Switch Setup:

• 1x Xbox Adaptive Controller (new window)
• 1x Mayflash Magic NS 2 Adapter (new window)
• 4x Interact Switches (new window) (spares for additional inputs)
• 1x Oak Joystick (new window) with Medium Ball Topper

This diagram displays his set-up for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

PlayStation 5 Setup:

Adam also wanted to play games on the PlayStation 5 with his father. For PS5 gaming, we trialed a one-handed PS5 controller modification with a leg mount, allowing Adam to stabilize the controller while using both hands for inputs — an option he’s excited to explore.

This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.