One of Media Molecule’s most notable endeavors with Dreams is taking complex game creation tools and making them accessible for a wide audience. The game has been largely successful on that front, letting those without any professional experience in game design create surprisingly complex prototypes and impressive games. However, a sticking point for the community so far has been the use of motion controllers (either the Dualshock 4’s sensors or PlayStation move) to manipulate Dreams’ cursor.
Motion control movement in Dreams can often be unwieldy or annoying, forcing you to recenter your cursor. Moreover, motion controls also prove to be an obstacle for those with certain physical disabilities.
Media Molecule says it’s aware of that feedback and the company is working on non-motion alternatives, with mouse and keyboard controls being a (distant) possibility for the future. Jon Beech, a senior designer on Dreams, says:
For us accessibility is really important and that includes accessibility for people who have difficulty using motion controls, so things like mouse and keyboard help with that. So yeah, anything can happen in regards to [accessibility]. For us it’s just a matter of prioritizing motion-free control that uses the PS4 and then later down the road we can look into possible mouse and keyboard support.
For more on Dreams, check out our cover story on the game as well as what will be included in next month’s update.
