#video game accessibility

Five major video game companies — Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Google — are taking a significant step toward making games more accessible. These industry giants have announced a new initiative to include detailed accessibility labels on digital storefronts and product pages, giving players better insight into how a game might accommodate their individual needs. The program, known as the Accessible Games Initiative, is led by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), and it aims to establish a unified standard for disclosing accessibility features in games. At launch, the initiative will introduce 24 accessibility tags covering a wide range of features, including options for visual, auditory, gameplay, and input-based accessibility. Riot Games said its accessibility team is building a plan to incorporate the tags. “We want everyone to have the chance to play and enjoy our current and future games,” said Enid Brown Nelson, Riot’s director of product accessibility. Microsoft, through Team Xbox, confirmed that both its existing Xbox Game Accessibility Feature Tags and the new Accessible Games Initiative tags will coexist in digital Xbox experiences. Given Unity’s popularity with both indie and major game studios, this change could have a significant impact on accessibility in the industry. Read more in our articles including "Gaming Companies to Add Accessibility Tags to Game Listings" and "Unity adds native screen reader support on macOS and Windows for better game accessibility".