Microsoft’s Adaptive Accessories are a tradeoff

Like many people, I have invisible accessibility needs. I don’t always suffer from barely bearable pain these days (I used to!), but certain movements come with a physical cost.

A complicating factor is that I hate using computer accessories that are marketed for “accessibility.” Too many accessibility tools have user experience trade-offs in either functionality, comfort, or simplicity.

As a result, when it comes to setting up work, I set it up my way. With a well-placed touchpad (with wrist rest) instead of a mouse, and a keyboard on your lap, you can sit in an expensive ergonomic chair without having to reach forward. I’m trying Still, it’s not the most convenient thing in the world. If there’s a better way, I’m game.

All of these are compatible with Windows 10 and 11, which is good news for users who hate upgrades. You can also set it up from the Microsoft Accessory Center app. It can also be used on devices running other OSes, but requires initial configuration on a Windows PC. It also works wirelessly (via Bluetooth) or hardwired via a USB-C cable (which also charges).

Overall, these devices excel in providing the opportunity to make many actions and features accessible with a long or short press of a button without the burden of reaching forward across the desk. (This is me; see above). In other words, they more or less do what they set out to do. It’s also sized for portability, that is, accessibility. Any of these (with the possible exception of the Adaptive Mouse Tail) will fit comfortably in your pocket — even in the too-small pocket of a woman’s jeans.

However, I have a small problem. I’m not a fan of materials/textures. plastic felt. They quickly become too textured and not textured enough. The casing is cheap and uncomfortably rough.

Speaking of accessibility, let’s dig into these accessibility features. (Keep in mind that I’ve looked at these in terms of my own needs. For others, these accessories may work differently or be better suited.)

The Adaptive Hub is a small black box-shaped device roughly the size and shape of a portable USB charger. “Hub” is the key word here. It doesn’t provide much functionality as it enables devices to provide accessibility. It’s like a wireless docking station for other adaptive devices, not just other Microsoft Adaptive Accessories. The Adaptive Hub has five 3.5mm ports and three USB-C ports (excluding the charging port), all configurable and capable of connecting adaptive buttons and switches. It also has a Bluetooth pairing button.

What I really like about the Adaptive Hub is that it features a profile button that allows you to switch between 3 separate device profiles. You can customize each profile so that your adaptive device behaves in a specific way when Adaptive Hub is configured for that profile. This means that up to 3 different people can use the same adaptive accessory in their own configuration via the Adaptive Hub. Or, if you don’t need to share, one person can effectively triple the number of features each adaptive accessory offers.

A fourth profile, profile 0, can also be used to customize the set of button actions for a specific app.

The Adaptive Button is a small rectangular device roughly the size of the cluster of keys 1 through 9 on my keyboard’s 10-key number pad. The one I received had a directional pad topper right out of the box, but the adaptive buttons are customizable. Microsoft also sells at least two other toppers, including a joystick topper and a two-button topper. The company also partners with Shapeways, a 3D printing company that creates other his 3D printed toppers and add-ons for specific needs. (By the way, changing the topper requires some awkward pushing and twisting.)

However, this review will focus on the directional pad.

The directional pad has eight primary directional pushable buttons and a ninth pushable area center. You can customize the behavior of each short and long press using the Microsoft Accessory Center app. Effectively, D-pad offers 18 functions or actions (including macros where appropriate) per profile.

Adaptive buttons are small and have rubber feet so you can hold and position them however you like. The square shape of the adaptive button device isn’t the most ergonomic design, depending on how you use it. I found it uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time (i.e. control with my thumb). The size and shape emphasize portability above all else.

Plus, being perfectly square, perfectly symmetrical, and perfectly black, it’s not always easy to tell which side is which. On the bottom side are the power and pairing buttons (both small and the same color as the rest of the device), and on the top side is the USB-C charging port. No other indicators. It might be a good idea to put a sticker on the D-pad.

My biggest complaint with the directional pad is the lack of satisfying tactile sensations. The buttons are mushy and not deep at all. I didn’t feel any particular pressure. (I think some people prefer these kinds of haptics; I don’t.) The haptic feel was also inconsistent across the D-pad. Some sides/corners have a different click feel than others. Center presses, on the other hand, required significantly more pressure than side or corner presses.

Either way, the D-pad isn’t the best topper option for everyone.

Adaptive mice (plugged directly into your computer, not through an adaptive hub) are similar in size and shape to adaptive buttons, but with rounded corners and edges (suitable for mouse domes) and slightly shorter. It has two clickable buttons and a clickable scroll wheel. Just like adaptive buttons, both buttons and clickable scroll wheels can be configured as action/function shortcuts for both short and long presses.

In a world where middle button/scroll wheel clicks and right clicks aren’t as essential as they were 20 years ago, this extra functionality adds a new, exciting and useful layer to the standard mouse. For example, a short press of the middle button opens Notepad, and a long press opens Calculator. many; after all, I wasn’t using middle-click for anything else.

But while adaptive mice increase productivity and functionality, they come at the cost of physically accessible designs. Like its adaptive buttons, its size and shape make it particularly useful for travel, but those same factors make it particularly uncomfortable for standard use as a mouse. It’s also too small and too smooth for a comfortable and sustainable claw grip. As soon as you start clicking buttons, you run the risk of losing your grip on them.

The design probably only needed a small bump to keep the mouse button texture from sliding off. You can expect Microsoft to provide this with Microsoft Adaptive Mouse 2.0. Until then, you can stick something yourself (probably a furniture slider) to keep it from slipping out of your hand. If you want to keep it in, you’ll need a 3D printed solution (either homemade or by Shapeways).

But wait. There is another solution. You can purchase the Adaptive Mouse Tail and Thumb Support add-on for Adaptive Mouse. It attaches to the back of the mouse (with part of the case removed) and transforms the Adaptive Mouse into a shape similar to the Microsoft Arc Mouse, allowing it to be used as a more traditional mouse.

The included thumb support attachment can be easily attached and reattached to either side, making this add-on useful for right-handers as well as left-handers. (Or you can leave it off if you want a different grip.)

On the downside, the adaptive mouse’s responsive buttons aren’t ideal for this kind of use, or aren’t angled properly. Normally with a standard mouse you can press anywhere on the button without much difference in force registering the click. Now, when using the adaptive mouse tail on an adaptive mouse, I had to consciously either point my finger at the tip of the button or press harder. It doesn’t stop you from using an adaptive mouse with a mouse tail, but it does take some getting used to.

my conclusion? All of these accessories, in my estimation, represent a commendable continuation of Microsoft’s entry into the adaptive accessory market. There are some really useful features in the form of portability, multiple profiles, and click-and-reach-saving shortcuts. But they come with some UX tradeoffs (unappealing textures, slipperiness, poor ergonomics, substandard haptic design). This is something that needs to be improved for optimal accessibility.

Photo shoot by Joe Stanganelli The Verge.