Giving Tom’s gaming abilities a boost
Monday, July 29th, 2024
Image: Tom using his adapted gaming setup. His additional controls are circled. The switches are plugged into an XAC, and ReWASD is used to convert the Xbox buttons into keyboard keys.
Tom has a unique way of playing his PC games. His hand and finger movements are restricted due to an undiagnosed neuromuscular condition, so he uses a chopstick to press keys on the left side of his keyboard with one hand, and controls a gaming mouse with the other, although he can’t use the side buttons.
It’s let him enjoy a range of games up to now, but he was keen to enjoy more action-oriented titles like No Man’s Sky and Shadow of Doubt, which effectively needed more key presses than he could currently manage.
Our specialist assessment team worked with him to carefully examine options that might usefully add to his existing range of controls and abilities. They began by trialling a chin-controlled joystick that had the potential to be an effective way to control the WASD keys, and suggested that two small switches fixed firmly to the top of his mouse could bring its side buttons into reach of his fingers. Although his left hand was clenched, he was able to use it to press down on two small switches if they were precisely positioned on his wheelchair tray.
Tom also had a degree of foot movement, so the team looked at harnessing that by adding a suitable small switch underneath his left foot, and another switch attached to a customised extension to his right footplate.
The team loaned the extended setup to Tom so that he had could put it through its paces, and were delighted to hear recently that he’s quickly grown accustomed to the new equipment and can now enjoy playing a greater range of games more easily.
We’re so glad we were able to suggest a setup that’s built on Tom’s existing skills. It’s giving him greater gaming independence and inclusion, and we’ll be there for him if he needs more support and advice in the future.