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NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

Microsoft nearly canceled its Xbox Adaptive Controller
Microsoft employees decided to rebel and make it happen anyway.

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.
Since Bryce Johnson first invented the Accessibility Controller at Microsoft, the company’s stance on accessibility has changed. Now, accessibility is also a big focus for Surface and Microsoft as a whole. “It turns out if you focus on accessibility, you often make a product that’s better for everyone,” says Ralf Groene, head of Windows and devices research and design, in an interview with The Verge. Microsoft has created an accessibility tech lab where it prototypes hardware designed to improve accessibility.
“It’s a huge topic for us to be inclusive,” says Groene. “Microsoft is not a niche brand. We have a large customer base, and the more we can democratize computing, the better we are. Making products not only beautiful but beautifully usable.”