One thing I have appreciated Xbox doing for quite a few years now is their initiatives towards making their console much more accessible, as well as engaging various communities to celebrate the diversity of gamers out there. Marking this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day or GAAD, the Xbox team has shared a range of new updates, accessibility features and more which are either available now, or will be available in the near future.
These include:
Accessory Updates and Options: Xbox is enhancing its range of accessibility-focused hardware. This includes updates to the Xbox Adaptive Controller and a continued commitment to investing in accessibility hardware. Xbox is also collaborating with accessibility hardware manufacturers to become authorised Designed for Xbox partners. Additionally, Xbox is seeking feedback from the gaming and disability community affected by the recent unauthorised accessories update.
Proteus Controller: Xbox has introduced the Proteus Controller, available for preorder. This Designed for Xbox controller kit features innovative ‘snap and play’ parts that easily connect, allowing players to use it with Xbox and PC games straight out of the box.
Accessibility Features in Games: Xbox is highlighting accessibility features in popular games such as Candy Crush Soda Saga, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and Diablo IV.
New Gameplay Resources: New resources include accessibility support pages categorised by disability type (speech, cognitive, vision, mobility, and hearing), improved filter and sort settings on consoles to help players find accessible games, and an upcoming Xbox Ambassador Accessibility Ally Badge for players.
Game Accessibility Workshop Toolkit: Xbox has developed a toolkit for all developers, which includes instructions and visual assets to help them conduct Game Accessibility Workshops independently.
New Research: Xbox has also shared new research on how developers can incorporate accessibility into gaming AI experiences.
