SpecialEffect brings accessible play to the forefront at Pocket Gamer Connects London

• SpecialEffect will be at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026, the UK's biggest games industry event, to meet with developers, tools, service providers and other delegates on January 19th and 20th.

For a lot of people, picking up a controller or a mobile device and jumping into a game is second nature. For others, it’s far more complicated, and that’s why SpecialEffect exists. 

Founded in 2007, the UK-based charity has been helping people with physical disabilities play games in ways that work for them, whether with the help of a customised controller, eye-tracking tech or something else.

Its teams include occupational therapists, game specialists, and researchers who work on adapting hardware and software so that anyone can enjoy the games they love. Not only helping individuals themselves, its R&D team regularly launches free tools and guidance for studios and hardware developers in the industry to build more accessible game experiences.

For instance, SpecialEffect had a hand in both the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Sony’s Access Controller. It’s also created the EyeMine, which lets players control Minecraft entirely with their eyes.

The charity will be at Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 19th and 20th as an official charity partner. At the event, they will be available to meet with developers, tools, service providers and more to show their work and spark more conversations about accessibility in games. It’s a chance for the industry to see the real people behind these innovations and understand why their work matters.

SpecialEffect COO Tom Donegan said: “We’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to Pocket Gamer for announcing us as a charity partner for the event. We’re seeing an ever-increasing demand for our services, all of which are provided without charge, and their recognition is a truly welcome boost in ensuring we can continue to reach every disabled person that needs our help.” 

“Without such valuable support from the mobile games industry, we simply couldn’t bring a better quality of life to so many people across the world.” 

In case you’re planning to be in London on January 19th and 20th and want to catch SpecialEffect in person, tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects London are available now.