Every December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities brings attention to the necessity of fostering understanding, awareness, and equal participation for individuals with disabilities in all facets of society and development. At Xbox, we’re committed to ensuring that gaming is accessible to everyone who wants to play. For us, gaming is a vital part of life today, and we are dedicated to crafting experiences that allow gamers to engage with what they love, how they love, and alongside the communities they choose.
Every day, not just today, we celebrate the influence of the Gaming and Disability community’s contributions, which have been instrumental in helping us create more accessible gaming experiences across numerous projects. This includes the efforts of Team Xbox members such as Principal Firmware Engineer Stan Adermann. Drawing from his own experiences with disabilities, Stan has pioneered some exciting new controller remapping features:
“In my case, I have a mild form of Essential Tremor and experience hand pain due to years of software development,” Stan explained. “Certain PC games were worsening my pain, so I sought ways to make controller use easier on PC for those with similar challenges. We started by mapping mouse movements to controllers and using toggle holds. Mapping joystick movements to controller buttons or keyboard keys proved vital as well.”
The launch of the Xbox Adaptive Joystick and the availability of 3D printable files for adaptive thumbstick toppers through the Xbox Design Lab are just a couple of recent advancements we’re thrilled to introduce. These updates aim to eliminate barriers for a broader range of players across our devices, platforms, and games. These breakthroughs are made possible by the invaluable feedback from individuals with disabilities, helping shape inclusive gaming experiences.
Remapping Options for Xbox Adaptive Controller and Elite Series 2
Remapping is essential for accessibility as it allows players to adjust the default functions of keys and buttons to better suit their gaming needs. We’ve expanded these capabilities in the Xbox Accessories App for the Xbox Elite Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controller:
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Toggle Holds: Facilitates easier controller use by enabling players to keep a button pressed until it is pressed again, similar to sticky keys on PCs. This function is favorable for players who find prolonged button presses difficult to sustain.
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Map Stick Movements to Buttons: This allows players to assign directional joystick movements (up, down, left, right) to button or keyboard commands.
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Map Mouse Inputs to Controller: Enables thumbstick or joystick movement to correspond with mouse cursor movement. Buttons can also be mapped to mouse clicks, allowing controllers to mimic mouse and keyboard functions for various activities beyond gaming.
- Map Hat Switch to Alternate Joystick: Offers the ability to use the hat switch on external joysticks as an alternative stick input when connected to the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
Visual Accessibility Updates for Diablo IV
Accessibility played a crucial role throughout the development of Diablo IV, led by Drew McCrory. The team recently introduced features to enhance accessibility, particularly for players who are blind or have low vision. These include:
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Auto-Pin: Automatically places a map pin on your quest destination.
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Audio Navigation Assistance: Provides spatial audio cues guiding players toward their selected location.
- Compass: Displays an on-screen HUD element guiding players in conjunction with auto-pin features.
Diablo IV has been nominated for "Innovation in Accessibility" at the 2024 Game Awards. More details can be found in Blizzard’s comprehensive blog post on these updates.
Accessibility Features in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has integrated novel features like asymmetrical hearing compensation, a more enhanced high-contrast mode, and an updated menu for accessibility settings. Developed with input from accessibility advocates, the game retains established features from earlier versions such as motion blur reduction and advanced joystick settings.
Additional features include arachnophobia settings to alter spider-like enemy appearances, diverse HUD layout options, and Intelligent Movement settings for custom player experiences. The team has also been nominated for an "Innovation in Accessibility" award at The Game Awards.
Celebrating the Life of Ibelin in World of Warcraft
In tribute to the Netflix release "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" and Norwegian World of Warcraft player Mats “Ibelin” Steen, World of Warcraft has introduced the Reven pack in both its Modern and Classic games. The Reven, meaning "the fox" in Norwegian, is a pet players can purchase to support CureDuchenne, a global nonprofit at the forefront of Duchenne muscular dystrophy research and patient care. More details on the Reven pack and CureDuchenne are available.
For more on Microsoft’s commitment to inclusive design, further information can be explored [here].
