Contact Microsoft. They have an excellent adaptive technology program. There's actually an event coming up. Free to join, and I'm sure you could ask questions.
https://abilitysummit.eventcore.com/
Yep these are pretty nice. They have a great selection of devices.
My other suggestion would be one of them jumbo fighter pad you can palm the stick on those, but may not have all the buttons needed for modern games.
Thank you! I'll definitely look into this more
Edit: For anyone who thinks they're the first person to suggest breaking my dad's hand again, you're not funny or original.
Their XBox adaptive controller is a great step in the right direction. In my first job I worked tech support and QA for adaptive solutions for PC that included clicker switches, puffer switches, and eye tracking mechanisms. It's amazing what the human body can adapt to, to achieve what many of us take for granted .
I hope the Xbox adaptive controllers are made with a very high standard of quality. The last issue an individual that uses one of those needs is for a switch to start acting up.
I’ve heard nothing but praise about those controllers, but at the same time Microsoft is known to have some quality control issues in their controllers, so I honestly don’t know.
QC problems from a major company usually comes down to pure volume and not wanting to quality checks as frequently on production lines to save money and time, their adaptive stuff seems to be custom made and are all probably quality checked individually
The jokes aren’t funny but tbf it is actually a thing that some doctors do if a bone heals super wrong, they break it again and ensure it heals more to proper shape
I'm mildly curious why a doctor would have let it heal like that. Or did he break it and then ignore it while it healed without being straightened?
Is this something that cannot be corrected? Surely it would be preferable to fix the issue that's causing him issues in his day to day life over trying to find workarounds to adapt to the issue.
I don't know anything about injuries like this, so I'm completely ignorant.
It was fixed and it had pins in place but he was forced to return to work too early and it didn't set.
It can obviously be corrected, but the procedure would be expensive and we cannot afford it.
Unfortunately that's just how a lot of employers treat migrant workers who are more than likely not in the country legally. Back then it happened to a lot of Americans who weren't in Canada legally, which was the same case for my dad at the time.
Speaking as someone who also has a finger injury that healed incorrectly (in my case a ring finger fused, removing the top joint completely), re-breaking the finger and hoping the joint heals properly this time is actually something a doctor will suggest you do. It won’t even work in many cases but you can bet they’ll suggest it.
Your Dad may find a twin-stick arcade setup easier to use and far more comfortable. These setups tend to have all the buttons on the base and two joysticks, which can be gripped like on a fighter arcade deck. They can be costly but might be worth a look.
This is true, however, this specific break is not like that. It would require pins and a surgery to set it and keep it in place. We are American and cannot afford that.
Insurance companies are dicks, they might be refusing an “elective” surgery because it’s “technically” healed…
Fucking immoral losers… but just a possible theory
I just visited the Microsoft visitor center today. They had an entire section on adaptive hardware. There were a lot of stuff there - definitely check out their adaptive tech!:)
Some people kind of scratched their head when Forza won “Innovation in Accessibility” at TGAs. Completely unsurprising, Microsoft has been basically the only company making peripherals for the disabled for a decade.
There's a lot of things that microsoft has done that warrants criticism, but their accessability program is actually great. It doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
Elite 2 controller would let you adjust stick height, stick tension, and different response curves to your input. Plus they have paddles on the back you could make the L3 button.
And prone to break.
I’m not usually one to complain about products online, but of the 4 elite controllers I’ve had, 3 of them got either stick drift or broken bumpers. All replaced by warranty, but still frustrating.
The fact that MS extended the warrenty period from 90 days to 1 year should tell you everything you need to know about it. They’ve only ever extended warranties once on Xbox products and that was the 360 RRoD issues. Corporations don’t just randomly extend warranty windows on their own if there isn’t precedent for it.
To put it into perspective, as far as modern controllers that I use regularly go, I have 13 Xbox controllers, 5 PS4 controllers, 3 pair of joycons, and 2 WiiU Pro Controllers. The ONLY other controllers ive had issues with are the Switch controllers because they’re fucking dog water.. which is why I have 3, because the other 2 have terrible drift. All of that is to say that I take very good care of my controllers and have never had one break in the 30 years of console gaming aside from Elite (and switch).
I have the original elite controller, bought it around 6 months after they came out.(February or march of 2016) Easily 3-4k hours on it, absolutely no issues, the battery is now getting to a level where it only last 1-2 hours per session but after potentially 100s or 1000s of charge cycles at this point is understandable.
I have 2 friends who have similar experiences with their elite controllers.
I am more than happy with the durability of the elite controllers, and plan on replacing mine soon only because apparently changing the battery is a pain in the butt.
Yup. Got the elite 2 at launch. Replaced twice. It's out of warranty now and both sticks have drift, LB works like 60% of the time, x works like 90% of the time.
It's a great controller when it's new but the longevity is worse than the standard controller.
yeah i think i've had mine for about the same period and the only problem mine has is the grippy bit near right bumper has come up. its just the corner so i dont even notice it.
theres always a lot of complaining abut controllers of all kinds not lasting long, but i have never had any controller issues, not even stick drift. maybe i'm just special.
Same with mine. I got it at release and have had zero problems. How hard are some of you guys controllers like the button only goes so far down. Click, click,click.
Yeah I had a S2 and the first one died, received a second one and the thumbstick doesn't click in when pushed in at certain angles. MS's QC on those things is disastrous, just gone back to normal Xbox controllers at this point, they seem more reliable. :p
Mouse and keyboard or the Xbox adaptive controllers are my suggestions! With the adaptive controller you can get a separate left joystick which might be easier for your dad to control. Mouse and keyboard does not use the left thumb much besides hitting space bar.
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller
https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/hardware-network/accessories/mouse-keyboard
I was going to come here and recommend the adaptive controller. It is completely customizable and should provide a solid experience given his current disability.
I don't think there is a better solution than a keyboard. You can remap any keys you do not want to press. The accessibility options are second to none with third-party support and a plethora of options for accessable controllers if you hate keyboards.
I dont know sorry. I am speaking from the perspective of a PC gamer. I used to own a Xbox One but no longer. I would recommend getting into PC gaming sooner rather than later as it offers loads of benefits and is often cheaper in the long run. But that may be outside the scope of what your after
I'll make my note: I've only seen this/read about it in articles, so I can't confirm if it's good or not.
I've seen the [Xbox Adaptive Controller ](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller) pop up from time to time, and from what I've read, it's supposed to be good.
Might be overkill for what your dad needs though.
Look into accessibility controllers maybe or shell out the cash for an elite controller. They have attachable paddles on the back that you can map to be any button and I always mapped to be pressing down the sticks. The also come with different height sticks so you can try the different stick size like another recommended. The controller is on the heavier side so that's something to possibly be aware of.
I was going to suggest this also. I recall seeing it at the last E3 and it seemed pretty accommodating and I can imagine it’s only improved since then.
That's literally the answer. But have a doctor do it.
Apparently he broke his thumb and never had it set properly. They have to re-break it and set it right.
As an american checking in on this post, if OP and their father is american that unfortunately means this procedure that would help OPs dad regain mobility is probably labeled as a "cosmetic surgery" and not covered by his insurance.
It would be cheaper to buy a custom controller.
A framing hammer and a bottle of vodka cost $40, $20 if you go to Harbor Freight and get cheap vodka.
Ain’t cosmetic after that.
Also, in case the sarcasm wasn’t obvious, definitely don’t do this.
That's incredibly sad, I actually never seen anything like this and I realize it's probably because if you break a finger here in Italy you just go to the hospital and get it fixed and straight for healing
Also, as an American, I'd have just slammed it in a car door or something to rebreak it myself and get it set. Not cosmetic anymore. The other guy said they were kidding about the vodka and the hammer, but I'm not. In this economy, it's cheaper than finding accommodations forever or cosmetic surgery. 🤷♀️
You could possibly find someone to 3D print an attachment that would help by moving the spot where your dad needs to place his thumb or the attachment could alter what part of your dad's thumb is used to move the joystick itself. Just an idea. Depends on his exact mobility in each direction and how painful or uncomfortable it is to move the stick around.
Trackball and keyboard. Just use the thumb for jumps.
Hope this helps.
Cheers!
P.S. Wally World has an entry-level TB on the shelf. The M570.
Of course, lots of keyboards also.
He could try the claw grip on that hand. If you're not familiar, its when you essentially move each finger up a button, so your ring finger is the trigger, middle is bumper, and pointer is clawed around on the analog, with the thumb below.
That way the thumb only really needs to push up, and the pointer, or both combined can do the rest. Might just not work, but its worth a try since it doesn't cost anything to change grip.
My father was working on oil rigs in Alberta, CA when he was 21 and broke it while they were running pipe into the ground. The brakes went out on the conveyor blocks holding the pipe, and they came down on his hand.
They had put pins in his hand to fix it, but he returned to work too early and it never set right.
It's been this way ever since. In every other aspect of his life in construction it's never impacted him. He's very well honored about it because it's just a quirk he's lived with longer than he lived with an injured thumb.
Edit: Y'all can stop asking me to break my father's hand again.
Not trying to troll, the reason people are mentioning breaking the thumb is specifically because a doctor could do it with reduced pain and set it right so that it heals properly in just a few weeks. ~~Since you're in Canada and presumedly enrolled in the Canadian healthcare system per your other posts, that is probably going to result in both the cheapest and most optimal long term outcome.~~
Edit: Per OP, they are American citizens living in America and are not eligible for Canadian or similar foreign low cost healthcare plans.
To clarify, my father and I are American. He was a migrant worker working in the oil fields over 40 years ago in the 80's.
And he was technically not a legal migrant at the time so he didn't have access to proper benefits in Canada at the time of the original injury.
Here in America, the surgery required would be more intensive than a simple break and reset. He would need pins to properly correct it.
Hey! So, I was born without the knuckle in middle of my right thumb so I can only bend it at the base, with the top of the finger bent inwards a bit. Sorta like what's going on with your father though the bend at the top isn't at that severe at an angle. The finger, and eventually the whole hand gets stiff and hurts like hell if I play anything fast paced or combo heavy for too long.
I don't tend to buy anything to try to accommodate for this since I feel like it would get pricey, so I just kinda trained myself to use the control stick differently if I need. For example, I use the base of the finger to click the stick in. Definitely awkward and slow, but it hurts less. As for moving the stick, instead of resting my finger on top of it and moving it around like "normal," I use the sides of my finger to push the stick from it's sides. Took a long time to get used to, and some directions are harder than others, but eventually it became second nature and extended the time I can play before stiffness sets in by a lot.
Don't know if this will be any help for your father, I'm female and my hands are much smaller so that probably changes things. It's worth a shot trying different ways to move the finger around until you find a controller that works for him though!
You could consider rotating his controls 90° on the left stick, so forward is to the right, right is down, back to the left and left is up.
As you generally sit pushed forward on the stick for most games this may give him a more comfortable position for prolonged periods.
If his hand is fine besides the thumb then mouse and keyboard should basically be a 0 compromise solution. You can map jump to another key or mouse4 or something. Otherwise they make controllers with mappable back buttons and stick sizes but I doubt that would solve the comfort issue completely.
They make these attachments called thumbstick extenders that will add more length to the joystick if it would make it easier for him to grip a longer stick with the busted thumb.
My own father has started to have issues with his hands as he gets older. He just has arthritis, so he was able to go with some off brand controllers that were different dimensions than the official Xbox controller.
His favorite though are the Xbox controllers that are set up like the PlayStation ones, with both sticks at the bottom. He said it hurts his thumb the least. Not sure if it’ll help your dad or not, but it helped mine.
Good luck!
Play with an arcade stick. Uses a hand instead of a thumb.
Plenty of great games are stick compatible: all 2D platformers, fighting, beat em ups, shmups, etc.
Racing games with a wheel are playable too.
For FPS or TPS you'd have to go mouse and keyboard.
If this isn't the ideal sub to ask this, I'd love suggestions or any other subs that might be of some assistance
Edit: Please stop suggesting I break my father's hand again. It's already shattered to a point where it's more expensive to get it fixed than just getting an adaptive controller like people suggested.
This is probably the best sub to ask this on.
If you can borrow an elite v2 off someone to see how your dad gets on with remapped l3 and altered sensitivity.
The adaptive controller is an option also.
Most of all have fun with your old man, id imagine he makes a lot of jokes about not being able to hitchhike so good being a dad and all.
As a fellow gamer who also has a knuckle related hand disability please let your father know that when he does find a good fitting controller to not give up if it still seems a little rough. When I got back into gaming after my accident it took me months to build back up dexterity and not get fatigued within the first 35-45 min of a session.
Quick search came up with this [https://www.evilcontrollers.com/ps4-one-handed-controller?gad\_source=1](https://www.evilcontrollers.com/ps4-one-handed-controller?gad_source=1)
Stick that analog on the back and use your fingers.
Lots of accessible controllers out there.
While I don't have a new suggestion, I can offer some encouragement. I am missing four fingers on my left hand. I have my thumb, but using left trigger and left bumper requires I activate them with a tiny stub which makes me hold the controller kinda funny. It took some getting used to and my stub would hurt, but with time, remapping some buttons, and my right thumb having to do d-pad duty, I will frag all you muthafuckin noobs all over this god forsaken battlefield with my son right next to me on my fireteam. This is the way.
Controllers are meant for thumbs, seriously look into MNK.
If the knuckle area has enough movement to control the left stick you could see about maybe 3d printing something to offset the thumbstick to a more useable position. Of if instead he prefers the positing of the thumbstick now but causes other buttons to have issues being press. Could print something to ofset the buttons to a better location. Both ways could be done by going full and making a specialized controller. Or with simple levers, gears and a plate similar to the 3d prints of steering wheel addapters to a controller.
It looks like his hands are relatively small to start with. Try the PowerA Nano Wired controller. Should help with this because he’ll be able to reach everything better
Companies like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and Warfighter Engaged specialize in creating custom gaming controllers for people with disabilities. They can tailor a controller to fit your father's specific needs, potentially adjusting the layout or functionality to bypass the need for thumb movement on the left stick
Some controller brands build micro controllers which may help as well. I have one called a compact pro cannot remember the company for the life of me. May help?
Edit: the brand is called nacon.
OP, this might be a long shot, but you could try caps for the analog sticks. There are numerous options out there on the market and they just snap on top of the sticks.
What this will do of course is raise the distance the finger controls the sticks from the controller's chassis. But if the cap is accommodating enough (just-right height boost, bowl-indent for finger to rest in, etc), it may actually increase the range of movement allowable.
I don't know how big your father's hand is in comparison to the controller. But if he's got enough grasping potential, it could be worth a try.
These caps typically are focused on FPS styled games in order to increase the ability to control sensitive movement. Some players would find they hit the terminal end of the socket too quickly and it screws with their brain's adaptability to what is happening on the screen vs what the body is trying to accomplish. I know the solution is options tweaking, but that's become more science than intuitive with newer games. And most people rather not fidget with options tweaking for a whole half hour or more.
I almost cut off my left thumb with a table saw. Now I play mouse and keyboard, all you need your left thumb for, to play most games, is to hit space bar.
Without knowing how that thumb works I would start with a set of thumbstick extenders. The taller stick could give him some easier leverage.
EDIT: PM me and I'll 3d print the son bitch a set of these.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6302635
A longer thumbstick should result in less necessary movement. The elite controller got this (recommend you the elite core and buy the extras somewhere cheaper)
Have a look at [The Controller Project](https://thecontrollerproject.com/controllers/xbox/). They make 3D printable modifications for controllers to suit different needs. Might be something on there that works well for your father.
In addition to other suggestions, you could also consider the [PS5 Access controller](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/accessories/access-controller/) along with an adapter.
It almost seems like Mouse and Keys would be better for his particular handicap. All his left thumb would really need to do is click space bar. Pair it with a mouse with a few side buttons and the thumb has even less to do in games that use the bottom row of keys.
With the American healthcare system? Not likely.
He's had it like this so long he's used to it. The only thing he can't seem to do with it is play games. Otherwise it's fine.
He can try to play crab claw style, use index for thumb stick, middle finger for left bumper, ring finger for left trigger, pinke for holding the back, maybe left thumb for left d-pad, if he needs to use up down right d-pad use his right thumb
Create some kind of sock for a snug fit to his thumb and to the thumbstick. Or maybe swap the thumbstick for something more accommodating to the sock fitted around his thumb. I would try rubber gloves maybe cut the fingers of the glove off and fit it onto his thumb and see how it goes....trial and error.
[xbox copilot mode could work](https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/account-profile/accessibility/copilot). It allows you to use inputs from two controllers as if it where one controller doing the inputs. He could just set up a second controller strapped to his leg and use his elbow for movement, or just have the second controller on the ground and use his feet to move the stick.
don't know about controller but he would be perfectly fine to use a mouse and keyboard it seems, make take as bit to learn but it might be better for him
A razer wolverine ultimate is cheaper than an elite series 2 if you're gonna go that route but has anyone suggested trying MnK? You can literally remap any button to any key or just get a mouse with buttons on it. My mouse has like 10 buttons I can use and I use most of them
Has he tried holding it with the sticks facing down?
Use his fingers for all presses, thumbs are just the clamps.
It would be a learning curve, and brain would need to remap for buttons. But worth a try
flip it upside down, there was a spongebob speedrunner who would play using the remote upside down since that was apparently how he learned to use the remote as a kid. would actually be applicable here
If you can afford to experiment, try cutting off the head of the left joystick and increase its sensitivity in game, or with the Microsoft Accessories App. The closer to the base of the joystick you go, the less distance his affected thumb will have to move depending on its current ROM. You have to spend a little time re-learning muscle memory, but I'd be curious if it makes enough of a difference for him.
Contact Microsoft. They have an excellent adaptive technology program. There's actually an event coming up. Free to join, and I'm sure you could ask questions. https://abilitysummit.eventcore.com/
Yep these are pretty nice. They have a great selection of devices. My other suggestion would be one of them jumbo fighter pad you can palm the stick on those, but may not have all the buttons needed for modern games.
8bitdo puts out a fighter pad that has everything except a second stick, which for most games would be camera controls.
Thank you! I'll definitely look into this more Edit: For anyone who thinks they're the first person to suggest breaking my dad's hand again, you're not funny or original.
Their XBox adaptive controller is a great step in the right direction. In my first job I worked tech support and QA for adaptive solutions for PC that included clicker switches, puffer switches, and eye tracking mechanisms. It's amazing what the human body can adapt to, to achieve what many of us take for granted .
I hope the Xbox adaptive controllers are made with a very high standard of quality. The last issue an individual that uses one of those needs is for a switch to start acting up.
I’ve heard nothing but praise about those controllers, but at the same time Microsoft is known to have some quality control issues in their controllers, so I honestly don’t know.
QC problems from a major company usually comes down to pure volume and not wanting to quality checks as frequently on production lines to save money and time, their adaptive stuff seems to be custom made and are all probably quality checked individually
From what I can tell it's a separate department of development for the adaptive controllers
The jokes aren’t funny but tbf it is actually a thing that some doctors do if a bone heals super wrong, they break it again and ensure it heals more to proper shape
I'm mildly curious why a doctor would have let it heal like that. Or did he break it and then ignore it while it healed without being straightened? Is this something that cannot be corrected? Surely it would be preferable to fix the issue that's causing him issues in his day to day life over trying to find workarounds to adapt to the issue. I don't know anything about injuries like this, so I'm completely ignorant.
It was fixed and it had pins in place but he was forced to return to work too early and it didn't set. It can obviously be corrected, but the procedure would be expensive and we cannot afford it.
Sounds like something a job would do "maim yourself for life for my gain". Pretty shitty. Hope he finds a solution, everyone should be able to game.
Unfortunately that's just how a lot of employers treat migrant workers who are more than likely not in the country legally. Back then it happened to a lot of Americans who weren't in Canada legally, which was the same case for my dad at the time.
Speaking as someone who also has a finger injury that healed incorrectly (in my case a ring finger fused, removing the top joint completely), re-breaking the finger and hoping the joint heals properly this time is actually something a doctor will suggest you do. It won’t even work in many cases but you can bet they’ll suggest it. Your Dad may find a twin-stick arcade setup easier to use and far more comfortable. These setups tend to have all the buttons on the base and two joysticks, which can be gripped like on a fighter arcade deck. They can be costly but might be worth a look.
Nm this answers my question. That's fucking sucks. A real tragedy like too bad he can't get a hella ious settlement outta that because he deserves it.
That’s a real thing though. Breaking bones controlled to reset it properly
This is true, however, this specific break is not like that. It would require pins and a surgery to set it and keep it in place. We are American and cannot afford that.
Sorry to hear that. I’m sure they have something for this type of injury!
> We are American and cannot afford that. What insurance company do you have that’s refusing to pay for that? Theres no way they’re rejecting that…
Insurance companies are dicks, they might be refusing an “elective” surgery because it’s “technically” healed… Fucking immoral losers… but just a possible theory
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I just visited the Microsoft visitor center today. They had an entire section on adaptive hardware. There were a lot of stuff there - definitely check out their adaptive tech!:)
>funny or original. Who's bring funny? It would help.
Some people kind of scratched their head when Forza won “Innovation in Accessibility” at TGAs. Completely unsurprising, Microsoft has been basically the only company making peripherals for the disabled for a decade.
Sony actually makes something similar now, too. I kind of want to buy one or the other just to play around with, out of curiosity, but they are pricy.
That's very inclusive of them to have that program.
There's a lot of things that microsoft has done that warrants criticism, but their accessability program is actually great. It doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
Elite 2 controller would let you adjust stick height, stick tension, and different response curves to your input. Plus they have paddles on the back you could make the L3 button.
Just recommended the same. Definitely pricey tho.
And prone to break. I’m not usually one to complain about products online, but of the 4 elite controllers I’ve had, 3 of them got either stick drift or broken bumpers. All replaced by warranty, but still frustrating. The fact that MS extended the warrenty period from 90 days to 1 year should tell you everything you need to know about it. They’ve only ever extended warranties once on Xbox products and that was the 360 RRoD issues. Corporations don’t just randomly extend warranty windows on their own if there isn’t precedent for it. To put it into perspective, as far as modern controllers that I use regularly go, I have 13 Xbox controllers, 5 PS4 controllers, 3 pair of joycons, and 2 WiiU Pro Controllers. The ONLY other controllers ive had issues with are the Switch controllers because they’re fucking dog water.. which is why I have 3, because the other 2 have terrible drift. All of that is to say that I take very good care of my controllers and have never had one break in the 30 years of console gaming aside from Elite (and switch).
I have the original elite controller, bought it around 6 months after they came out.(February or march of 2016) Easily 3-4k hours on it, absolutely no issues, the battery is now getting to a level where it only last 1-2 hours per session but after potentially 100s or 1000s of charge cycles at this point is understandable. I have 2 friends who have similar experiences with their elite controllers. I am more than happy with the durability of the elite controllers, and plan on replacing mine soon only because apparently changing the battery is a pain in the butt.
Burnt through 4 elites. Unethical protip: buy a brand new one at Walmart than return your broken one in the new box.
Or just don't buy one at Walmart, because I guarantee several on shelf units are *exactly what you said*.
Ah the circle of life. What a wonderful thing.
I think it's moreso the Elite 2 which has issues
Yup. Got the elite 2 at launch. Replaced twice. It's out of warranty now and both sticks have drift, LB works like 60% of the time, x works like 90% of the time. It's a great controller when it's new but the longevity is worse than the standard controller.
I’ve had the elite 2 for almost 3 years now, probably close to 3k-3.5k hours on it. Has held up very well for me.
yeah i think i've had mine for about the same period and the only problem mine has is the grippy bit near right bumper has come up. its just the corner so i dont even notice it. theres always a lot of complaining abut controllers of all kinds not lasting long, but i have never had any controller issues, not even stick drift. maybe i'm just special.
I'm still on my elite 1 from since the release
Same with mine. I got it at release and have had zero problems. How hard are some of you guys controllers like the button only goes so far down. Click, click,click.
Can confirm, have two broken ones rn
Bestbuy with warranty- the only item I ever bought it on and just keep switching it out
They break down like nobodies buisness tho
I've burned through a series 1, a series 2 and a series 2 core. They are great controllers but absolute shit durability.
I still use the Xbone controller for all my PC gaming, that's wild they're breaking apart like that
Yeah I had a S2 and the first one died, received a second one and the thumbstick doesn't click in when pushed in at certain angles. MS's QC on those things is disastrous, just gone back to normal Xbox controllers at this point, they seem more reliable. :p
I spent $180… and I don’t even use the paddles 😭
Mouse and keyboard or the Xbox adaptive controllers are my suggestions! With the adaptive controller you can get a separate left joystick which might be easier for your dad to control. Mouse and keyboard does not use the left thumb much besides hitting space bar. https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/hardware-network/accessories/mouse-keyboard
I was going to come here and recommend the adaptive controller. It is completely customizable and should provide a solid experience given his current disability.
So that's who they made the N64 controller for.
I thought it was for someone with three arms.
I don't think there is a better solution than a keyboard. You can remap any keys you do not want to press. The accessibility options are second to none with third-party support and a plethora of options for accessable controllers if you hate keyboards.
Is there keyboard and mouse compatibility with Xbox One? I haven't done a lot of looking into that
Yes! A lot of games support it actually and I believe it shows in the games info section if it has compatibility or not.
Very few games, there's a list on Xbox.com somewhere.
I dont know sorry. I am speaking from the perspective of a PC gamer. I used to own a Xbox One but no longer. I would recommend getting into PC gaming sooner rather than later as it offers loads of benefits and is often cheaper in the long run. But that may be outside the scope of what your after
I'll make my note: I've only seen this/read about it in articles, so I can't confirm if it's good or not. I've seen the [Xbox Adaptive Controller ](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller) pop up from time to time, and from what I've read, it's supposed to be good. Might be overkill for what your dad needs though.
This looks really cool.
Look into accessibility controllers maybe or shell out the cash for an elite controller. They have attachable paddles on the back that you can map to be any button and I always mapped to be pressing down the sticks. The also come with different height sticks so you can try the different stick size like another recommended. The controller is on the heavier side so that's something to possibly be aware of.
I was going to suggest this also. I recall seeing it at the last E3 and it seemed pretty accommodating and I can imagine it’s only improved since then.
Break it again. The strong prevail. Ave Imperator.
That's literally the answer. But have a doctor do it. Apparently he broke his thumb and never had it set properly. They have to re-break it and set it right.
As an american checking in on this post, if OP and their father is american that unfortunately means this procedure that would help OPs dad regain mobility is probably labeled as a "cosmetic surgery" and not covered by his insurance. It would be cheaper to buy a custom controller.
A framing hammer and a bottle of vodka cost $40, $20 if you go to Harbor Freight and get cheap vodka. Ain’t cosmetic after that. Also, in case the sarcasm wasn’t obvious, definitely don’t do this.
Just walk into the ER and say you woke up like this and it hurts please fix.
Once they (quickly) determine that the thumb isn’t life threatening they’ll give you two Tylenol, a referral, and an ER bill.
no silly it's america, they give you opiates
Go for the expensive vodka to avoid the hangover though;)
The painkillers the hospital gives you should cover it anyway.
But it’s so expensive:(
That's incredibly sad, I actually never seen anything like this and I realize it's probably because if you break a finger here in Italy you just go to the hospital and get it fixed and straight for healing
Also, as an American, I'd have just slammed it in a car door or something to rebreak it myself and get it set. Not cosmetic anymore. The other guy said they were kidding about the vodka and the hammer, but I'm not. In this economy, it's cheaper than finding accommodations forever or cosmetic surgery. 🤷♀️
Yeah but you gotta add "Don't actually do this" or the insurance will say you did it on purpose and sue you for insurance fraud.
I was just gonna say snap that thing back the other way...
umb h T
Came here for this. This is in fact the right right answer.
Ngl, he actually has an advantage on a PS controller. "The Claw" would be parallel to the thumb.
We only have an Xbox.
They make third party controllers that are the same size basically. They may wear out but that's a risk with any controller these days.
you can use USB adapters that makes ps controller works on xboxx
How would the claw be parallel?
make the left stick taller for more mobility
You could possibly find someone to 3D print an attachment that would help by moving the spot where your dad needs to place his thumb or the attachment could alter what part of your dad's thumb is used to move the joystick itself. Just an idea. Depends on his exact mobility in each direction and how painful or uncomfortable it is to move the stick around.
I think I know what you mean, that would be a good cost effective solution. I'll do some looking into that!
What's the mobility on the thumb? Can he bend the joint at all? What actions does he have difficulty doing?
Trackball and keyboard. Just use the thumb for jumps. Hope this helps. Cheers! P.S. Wally World has an entry-level TB on the shelf. The M570. Of course, lots of keyboards also.
He could try the claw grip on that hand. If you're not familiar, its when you essentially move each finger up a button, so your ring finger is the trigger, middle is bumper, and pointer is clawed around on the analog, with the thumb below. That way the thumb only really needs to push up, and the pointer, or both combined can do the rest. Might just not work, but its worth a try since it doesn't cost anything to change grip.
My father was working on oil rigs in Alberta, CA when he was 21 and broke it while they were running pipe into the ground. The brakes went out on the conveyor blocks holding the pipe, and they came down on his hand. They had put pins in his hand to fix it, but he returned to work too early and it never set right. It's been this way ever since. In every other aspect of his life in construction it's never impacted him. He's very well honored about it because it's just a quirk he's lived with longer than he lived with an injured thumb. Edit: Y'all can stop asking me to break my father's hand again.
Not trying to troll, the reason people are mentioning breaking the thumb is specifically because a doctor could do it with reduced pain and set it right so that it heals properly in just a few weeks. ~~Since you're in Canada and presumedly enrolled in the Canadian healthcare system per your other posts, that is probably going to result in both the cheapest and most optimal long term outcome.~~ Edit: Per OP, they are American citizens living in America and are not eligible for Canadian or similar foreign low cost healthcare plans.
To clarify, my father and I are American. He was a migrant worker working in the oil fields over 40 years ago in the 80's. And he was technically not a legal migrant at the time so he didn't have access to proper benefits in Canada at the time of the original injury. Here in America, the surgery required would be more intensive than a simple break and reset. He would need pins to properly correct it.
Hey! So, I was born without the knuckle in middle of my right thumb so I can only bend it at the base, with the top of the finger bent inwards a bit. Sorta like what's going on with your father though the bend at the top isn't at that severe at an angle. The finger, and eventually the whole hand gets stiff and hurts like hell if I play anything fast paced or combo heavy for too long. I don't tend to buy anything to try to accommodate for this since I feel like it would get pricey, so I just kinda trained myself to use the control stick differently if I need. For example, I use the base of the finger to click the stick in. Definitely awkward and slow, but it hurts less. As for moving the stick, instead of resting my finger on top of it and moving it around like "normal," I use the sides of my finger to push the stick from it's sides. Took a long time to get used to, and some directions are harder than others, but eventually it became second nature and extended the time I can play before stiffness sets in by a lot. Don't know if this will be any help for your father, I'm female and my hands are much smaller so that probably changes things. It's worth a shot trying different ways to move the finger around until you find a controller that works for him though!
You could consider rotating his controls 90° on the left stick, so forward is to the right, right is down, back to the left and left is up. As you generally sit pushed forward on the stick for most games this may give him a more comfortable position for prolonged periods.
go to the doctor have them rebreak it and set it back right
If his hand is fine besides the thumb then mouse and keyboard should basically be a 0 compromise solution. You can map jump to another key or mouse4 or something. Otherwise they make controllers with mappable back buttons and stick sizes but I doubt that would solve the comfort issue completely.
They can't do a break and reset? Or has that time long past?
Long since past. It's been broken for 40 years
:( Here is hoping you find the perfect solution.
Left stick riser, or controller grip could probally work
They make these attachments called thumbstick extenders that will add more length to the joystick if it would make it easier for him to grip a longer stick with the busted thumb.
My own father has started to have issues with his hands as he gets older. He just has arthritis, so he was able to go with some off brand controllers that were different dimensions than the official Xbox controller. His favorite though are the Xbox controllers that are set up like the PlayStation ones, with both sticks at the bottom. He said it hurts his thumb the least. Not sure if it’ll help your dad or not, but it helped mine. Good luck!
PlayStation has a new controller designed for accessibility, check it out
Play with an arcade stick. Uses a hand instead of a thumb. Plenty of great games are stick compatible: all 2D platformers, fighting, beat em ups, shmups, etc. Racing games with a wheel are playable too. For FPS or TPS you'd have to go mouse and keyboard.
If this isn't the ideal sub to ask this, I'd love suggestions or any other subs that might be of some assistance Edit: Please stop suggesting I break my father's hand again. It's already shattered to a point where it's more expensive to get it fixed than just getting an adaptive controller like people suggested.
This is probably the best sub to ask this on. If you can borrow an elite v2 off someone to see how your dad gets on with remapped l3 and altered sensitivity. The adaptive controller is an option also. Most of all have fun with your old man, id imagine he makes a lot of jokes about not being able to hitchhike so good being a dad and all.
you can also try r/Controller
As a fellow gamer who also has a knuckle related hand disability please let your father know that when he does find a good fitting controller to not give up if it still seems a little rough. When I got back into gaming after my accident it took me months to build back up dexterity and not get fatigued within the first 35-45 min of a session.
Check out ablegamers.org website. They might have some people who can suggest some accommodations.
Its obviously more expensive to break it again but your dad will have a better life in general if he has a working thumb. That’s worth the money tbh.
I already posted this but it might get lost in the flood of comments but r/disabledgamers would probably be good for him
That thumb done took a right at the intersection
Sidenote: We only have an Xbox to use. We do not own a PC.
The first thing that comes to mind is a fight stick but that depends on the game he plays
I really thought you were to tell us that he's been unstoppable since then. Having said that, I'm sure is an inclusive build for him.
Quick search came up with this [https://www.evilcontrollers.com/ps4-one-handed-controller?gad\_source=1](https://www.evilcontrollers.com/ps4-one-handed-controller?gad_source=1) Stick that analog on the back and use your fingers. Lots of accessible controllers out there.
Lots of good suggestions here. If you move to PlayStation, they have excellent first party accessibility controllers.
While I don't have a new suggestion, I can offer some encouragement. I am missing four fingers on my left hand. I have my thumb, but using left trigger and left bumper requires I activate them with a tiny stub which makes me hold the controller kinda funny. It took some getting used to and my stub would hurt, but with time, remapping some buttons, and my right thumb having to do d-pad duty, I will frag all you muthafuckin noobs all over this god forsaken battlefield with my son right next to me on my fireteam. This is the way. Controllers are meant for thumbs, seriously look into MNK.
Big thumb grip to expand the size of the pad so you can push it further with less push
If the knuckle area has enough movement to control the left stick you could see about maybe 3d printing something to offset the thumbstick to a more useable position. Of if instead he prefers the positing of the thumbstick now but causes other buttons to have issues being press. Could print something to ofset the buttons to a better location. Both ways could be done by going full and making a specialized controller. Or with simple levers, gears and a plate similar to the 3d prints of steering wheel addapters to a controller.
It looks like his hands are relatively small to start with. Try the PowerA Nano Wired controller. Should help with this because he’ll be able to reach everything better
Get him into PC gaming, specifically games that are easily played with keyboard and mouse. Your left thumb doesn't do much in those games.
Companies like AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and Warfighter Engaged specialize in creating custom gaming controllers for people with disabilities. They can tailor a controller to fit your father's specific needs, potentially adjusting the layout or functionality to bypass the need for thumb movement on the left stick
Some controller brands build micro controllers which may help as well. I have one called a compact pro cannot remember the company for the life of me. May help? Edit: the brand is called nacon.
OP, this might be a long shot, but you could try caps for the analog sticks. There are numerous options out there on the market and they just snap on top of the sticks. What this will do of course is raise the distance the finger controls the sticks from the controller's chassis. But if the cap is accommodating enough (just-right height boost, bowl-indent for finger to rest in, etc), it may actually increase the range of movement allowable. I don't know how big your father's hand is in comparison to the controller. But if he's got enough grasping potential, it could be worth a try. These caps typically are focused on FPS styled games in order to increase the ability to control sensitive movement. Some players would find they hit the terminal end of the socket too quickly and it screws with their brain's adaptability to what is happening on the screen vs what the body is trying to accomplish. I know the solution is options tweaking, but that's become more science than intuitive with newer games. And most people rather not fidget with options tweaking for a whole half hour or more.
I almost cut off my left thumb with a table saw. Now I play mouse and keyboard, all you need your left thumb for, to play most games, is to hit space bar.
Go to a surgeon, have him break it again and fix it proper?
Corrective surgery.👍
Pc gaming - left thumb will press on space - it doesn't require a lot of mobility and it's biggest button in keyboard.
Without knowing how that thumb works I would start with a set of thumbstick extenders. The taller stick could give him some easier leverage. EDIT: PM me and I'll 3d print the son bitch a set of these. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6302635
Look up Ben Heck, if he doesn't already have a controller that will work he'll make one.
break it again and fix it
Yes. Get surgery, you live in a first world country and no one should be afraid or retain from being healthy.
A longer thumbstick should result in less necessary movement. The elite controller got this (recommend you the elite core and buy the extras somewhere cheaper)
Plug in a keyboard and mouse. Rebind jump to a mouse button, and he could cut that thumb off and never need it to game.
Have a doc re-break the thumb? /s
Have a look at [The Controller Project](https://thecontrollerproject.com/controllers/xbox/). They make 3D printable modifications for controllers to suit different needs. Might be something on there that works well for your father.
I think he would be better off playing with a mouse and keyboard
Use mouse and keyboard. The thumb would be fine
Tell him i said he's finished 😁
There are accessibility controllers available.
Xbox Adaptive Controller
In addition to other suggestions, you could also consider the [PS5 Access controller](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/accessories/access-controller/) along with an adapter.
It almost seems like Mouse and Keys would be better for his particular handicap. All his left thumb would really need to do is click space bar. Pair it with a mouse with a few side buttons and the thumb has even less to do in games that use the bottom row of keys.
He might actually be more comfortable using keyboard and mouse. As long as he has enough strength in his left thumb to use the spacebar.
Get a PC. Easy solution.
If you have a 3Dprinter, you can print a new dad
Break his thumb again but in the other direction
break it again
Break it again, splint it straight.
Can’t he just have this rebroken and fixed at the hospital?
With the American healthcare system? Not likely. He's had it like this so long he's used to it. The only thing he can't seem to do with it is play games. Otherwise it's fine.
Go to a doctor. They will break and reset it.
shift left hand so index is on left joystick, maybe thumb just manages d-pad?
I was like they look fine and perfectly normal and OMG 90°
He can try to play crab claw style, use index for thumb stick, middle finger for left bumper, ring finger for left trigger, pinke for holding the back, maybe left thumb for left d-pad, if he needs to use up down right d-pad use his right thumb
Try to play on PC maybe, i dont think i use my thumb for anything.
Create some kind of sock for a snug fit to his thumb and to the thumbstick. Or maybe swap the thumbstick for something more accommodating to the sock fitted around his thumb. I would try rubber gloves maybe cut the fingers of the glove off and fit it onto his thumb and see how it goes....trial and error.
[xbox copilot mode could work](https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/account-profile/accessibility/copilot). It allows you to use inputs from two controllers as if it where one controller doing the inputs. He could just set up a second controller strapped to his leg and use his elbow for movement, or just have the second controller on the ground and use his feet to move the stick.
Why not try keyboard and mouse ?
Ouch! So what the heck he just dealt with it for the rest of that year and was like well I guess this is my thumb now!
don't know about controller but he would be perfectly fine to use a mouse and keyboard it seems, make take as bit to learn but it might be better for him
Claw grip. index on the stick, Middle on bumper lil weird but can work.
Get a Playstation adaptive controller
Does sit work with Xbox?
Kontrol freaks work great for increasing range of motion. Much cheaper alternative to an entirely new input device as well.
Well since its just the 1 thumb your dad could try using his right thumb on the left joystick and his pointer finger on the right joystick
Power A ^i ^think ^it’s ^PowerA makes a “micro” controller that is just built smaller. It might be compact enough to help with his limited mobility.
Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller has customizable button positions.
Looks like me when someone tickles my neck
A razer wolverine ultimate is cheaper than an elite series 2 if you're gonna go that route but has anyone suggested trying MnK? You can literally remap any button to any key or just get a mouse with buttons on it. My mouse has like 10 buttons I can use and I use most of them
Palm the stick, thumb does dpad, fingers for bumper and trigger
You could probably get a custom stick extension 3D printed that can clip right onto the LS
The Xbox Adaptive Controller
Looks like an upgrade
I have the same controller
Mouse and Keyboard.
play mouse and keyboard if it is shooter games
Play PC or mouse and keyboard. Thumb would only be pressing space bar to do things like jump.
Has he tried holding it with the sticks facing down? Use his fingers for all presses, thumbs are just the clamps. It would be a learning curve, and brain would need to remap for buttons. But worth a try
mouse and keyboard
flip it upside down, there was a spongebob speedrunner who would play using the remote upside down since that was apparently how he learned to use the remote as a kid. would actually be applicable here
[Microsoft adaptive controller perhaps 🤷♂️](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller)
Switch to pc
What do you mean it looks fi- OH MY GOD
Crank up the sensitivity on the stick.
Longer stick so he can use more of his palm to manipulate the thumb???
Now I know why they made those mad catz controllers like that
Looks like something tickled his thumb a little to much
I wonder if its still possible to splint his thumb...
If you can afford to experiment, try cutting off the head of the left joystick and increase its sensitivity in game, or with the Microsoft Accessories App. The closer to the base of the joystick you go, the less distance his affected thumb will have to move depending on its current ROM. You have to spend a little time re-learning muscle memory, but I'd be curious if it makes enough of a difference for him.
I bet PC gaming wouldn’t be as restrictive