We can all agree that Microsoft’s support for the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which allows those less abled to play video games, is a very good thing indeed. Sony don’t have any sort of program to make gaming more accessible but the Microsoft kit can still be very pricey. For example, here’s a big red button you can buy for just £49.99.

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The 12.7 cm button has a wired 3.5 mm connection and comes with three extra caps of different colours, but… it is just a big button. There’s nothing special about it so people are wondering why it’s so expensive. For comparison, the Xbox Adaptive Controller itself is £74.99, with a D-Pad, function buttons and two large domed buttons.

“Are all disabled people supposed to be rich?”, asks one of the reviews for the button, “£50 for this button? Are you kidding? It’s literally just a single button. Not pressure-sensitive. Doesn’t detect angles like a D-pad. Just a single-click button.”

“We use these in my workplace with disabled young people,” reads another review. “They are good at what they do but are massively overpriced. Basically it’s a plastic shell with a microswitch inside. Cost of components can’t be more than £3 or £4. Although the switch case is reasonably strong, the cable couldn’t be of lower quality or durability. It is thin, flimsy and breaks so easily, after which the switch is useless unless you have the know-how to open up the plastic shell and solder a new cable in. For the price, there is no excuse.”

We should point out that the button is not manufactured by Microsoft, just sold by them, and so they’re just keeping their prices in line with the companies that the Adaptive Controller was designed to work with, but surely they can be doing more and use their market presence to reduce the cost of these accessories across the board.

Of course, this being the internet there are other reviews that are less than helpful.

Source: Microsoft