
October marks the first anniversary of the release of the current generation of consoles by Microsoft and Sony. The Xbox Series X / S and PS5 come with powerful new hardware, as well as a library of titles that benefit from special features such as faster loading speeds, quick resumes, and DualSense tactile sensations. The new system opens up the possibility of innovating not only by making games faster and more tactile, but equally importantly, by making them more accessible.
Even before the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, Xbox has made a special effort to make accessibility advances part of its mission. From the launch of the Xbox Adaptive Controller to some new accessibility updates and features on the system Recently announced During October’s Disability Awareness Month, Xbox is building an accessible game package that will attract many disabled players. Xbox accessibility leaders talk to IGN to achieve the company’s journey to build a more accessible platform, the work to be done to make all games more accessible, and its future. He talked about his expectations for better cooperation across the industry.
Xbox accessibility evolution
Accessibility in first-party studios isn’t new, as the system includes console-wide accessibility as early as 2015. Still, with the exception of the latest Xbox updates and announcements, progress is relatively advanced. Both PlayStation and Xbox allow players to fully customize their controls regardless of the input of a particular game. However, these customization options existed in previous generations and have changed little since the first release. Nintendo Switch takes this feature one step further with five custom controller profiles for each official Nintendo controller. Other notable accessibility options included at the hardware level, or present in most games, are zooming, text-to-speech, and the ability to reduce screen movement and movement. However, Xbox is creating new features that help distinguish accessibility from its competitors, and hopefully encourages the industry as a whole to find new ways to innovate.
Xbox Anita Mortaloni, Director of Accessibility, talks to IGN, focusing on the progressive evolution of accessibility, especially in the console.