Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller support is coming to Linux
One software engineer is improving gaming accessibility on Linux machines with upcoming XAC support.
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Since late 2018, the Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC) has been making PC gaming more accessible for gamers with disabilities and injuries. Now, thanks to the wit of one software engineer, XAC drivers will soon be coming to Linux.
With its incredible ability to adapt to each individual user’s needs, theXbox Adaptive Controllerhas given those PC and Xbox users who lack the full range of movement a chance to enjoy their favourite games. That’s without having to MacGuyver game controller solutions out of random household objects, or resign themselves to not playing games at all (a true travesty).
With the help of software engineer and co-author ofThe Definitive Guide to Linux Network Programming, Nathan Yocom, Linux users will soon be able to enjoy the freedom the XAC’s modular gaming setup can bring, too (thanksPhoronix).
In order to bring Xbox Adaptive Controller support to Linux users, Yocom has been extendingXpad drivercode that’s already available on the Linux kernel. It brings with it support for the layer button, with 4 active states mapped to an Axis control, as well as the Xbox button.
TheXAC driver codedoesn’t appear to be ready as yet, but updates are being added regularly and it shouldn’t be long before Yocom is ready to bring this highly adaptable accessibility option to Linux users.
So, while last yearMicrosoft’s inclusive lead revealedthere’s a “bit of a plateau” being faced in the field of designing accessibility tech, it appears the software side is far from standing still.
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Screw sports, Katie would rather watch Intel, AMD and Nvidia go at it. Having been obsessed with computers and graphics for three long decades, she took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni, and has been rambling about games, tech and science—rather sarcastically—for four years since. She can be found admiring technological advancements, scrambling for scintillating Raspberry Pi projects, preaching cybersecurity awareness, sighing over semiconductors, and gawping at the latest GPU upgrades. Right now she’s waiting patiently for her chance to upload her consciousness into the cloud.
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