Microsoft nearly canceled its Xbox Adaptive Controller

Microsoft came close to never launching its Xbox Adaptive Controller. In an interview with The Verge, Robin Seiler, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and devices, revealed just how close the accessibility-focused Xbox controller came to not shipping.

“There was a point in time when the Xbox controller that was designed for accessibility was on the cut list,” recounts Seiler. Microsoft was managing budgets, and it was about to be unfunded and never released. “Across teams, Xbox and Surface, we said, ‘No this is actually important for the world. This isn’t about revenue or brand positioning; it’s just important for people to be able to play games if they want to,’” says Seiler.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller originated from a...

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