In the world of video games, accessibility is a central issue and a necessity to allow as many people as possible to play without barriers, whether physical, sensory or cognitive.
Today, accessibility is no longer just a luxury or a bonus, but an essential element in creating an experience where everyone can find their place.
Take the example of The Last of Us Part II from Naughty Dog, acclaimed for incorporating one of the largest sets of accessibility options ever seen. This game offers over 60 accessibility settings, including features for people who are visually impaired or blind (like high contrast mode or descriptive audio), as well as settings for players with motor or hearing disabilities. Yes, we don’t think about it, but having subtitles that are also readable has become an essential element that ultimately helps all players.
Other games, like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Forza Horizon 5also offer options designed to meet the varied needs of players, such as customization of controls, adapted subtitles and audio assistance to guide in-game actions.
The role of disabled players associations
The developers didn’t wake up by magic, as you can imagine. This work was largely initiated by associations which play a crucial role in advancing accessibility in the sector. In France, the Handigamers and CapGame associations actively campaign to raise awareness among industry players of the importance of accessibility and organize events so that people with disabilities can express their specific needs.
This is how Paris Games Week and Xbox called on CapGame to make the event more accessible for players with reduced mobility, for example. In addition to associations, there are also content creators, streamers or activists who do this awareness-raising and tester work. Because without testers affected by these disabilities, it is difficult to identify and respond to certain needs.
The absence of global regulations and a common framework for accessibility also complicates the process: each studio acts according to its means, but without a universal standard, which creates gaps between gaming experiences. Don’t forget the invisible disabilities which for the moment still benefit from too few options.
Universal accessibility in video games will only be possible with continued cooperation between everyone involved, from the studios to the players themselves. But initiatives like the Xbox Adaptive Controller, launched by Microsoft, which allows people with disabilities to create controller configurations adapted to their specific needs, are inspiring models for the industry.
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