The Department of Veterans Affairs and Microsoft partnered to provide VA rehabilitation centers with Xbox controllers as part of an initiative to support muscle activation and hand-eye coordination in veterans with limited mobility.
Microsoft is donating its Xbox Adaptive Controller, a video game controller designed for users with limited mobility, game consoles and games to 22 VA medical centers across the country. The collaboration aims to introduce or reintroduce gaming to veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations and neurological injuries, among other conditions.
VA staff will monitor and engage with veterans who use the Xbox equipment and provide feedback to Microsoft on its therapeutic use and patient experience. Through use of the Xbox controller, the organizations aim to challenge muscle activation and hand-eye coordination in patients.
Gaming is popular among military personnel, and access to Xbox's adaptive controller in VA rehab centers offers various benefits to veterans, including stress relief and staying connected with friends and family in other areas of the world, according to a VA press release.