This week I have researched how video games can accommodate d/Deaf and hard of hearing gamers, and what more needs to be done to improve accessibility.
Accessibility Features for d/Deaf Gamers
Subtitles are a crucial need for d/Deaf accessibility in video games, and though most video games now have options for subtitles, there are some franchises which do not include them for important cutscenes - such as Activision’s Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which was released without subtitled cutscenes. Another issue is that the subtitles can lack in quality, sometimes being too small or hard to read against certain backgrounds, leading to eye strain. As well as subtitles, closed captions to include sound effects and changes in speakers are required for d/Deaf and hard of hearing gamers. There should also be options to adjust text size, colour, and choose how much text shows up at once.
Voice chat features on video games also have alternatives, such as text chat and transcription. In particular, Microsoft added a voice to text transcription feature for XBox and Windows 10 in 2017. These options allow d/Deaf gamers to participate fully in team games and be able to communicate with other players.
Visual cues to alert d/Deaf gamers of enemies, items, and tasks are also key. These can include directional arrows, highlighted items, and timing cues. Many games now have the option of both audio and visual cues, greatly improving accessibility. Another type of cue within video games is controller vibrations.
Morgan Baker also highlights the importance of integrated design in video games:
"To create a more accessible product, designers will need to add additional visual information to assist with d/Deaf/HoH processing. The downside of only including closed captions is that active reading takes up a large portion of cognitive flexibility. This might work for TV or movies, but video games require player engagement. What if the gameplay is unpredictable and includes lots of sounds? For d/Deaf/HoH users, they’re forced into a multi-tasking dilemma and oftentimes, experience cognitive overload. They do not benefit from the interconnection between auditory and visual processing.
This is why the Deaf Accessibility tools are critical and, more so, why there needs to be healthy balance of both subtitles/captions and visual cues."
Can I Play That?
A great website that focuses on accessibility in video games is Can I Play That?. Alongside general news in the community, they have a series of accessibility reviews that evaluates features not only for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing, but also for visual impairments, mobility, and cognitive accessibility.
DeafGamersTV
Chris streams over on Twitch, and he spreads d/Deaf awareness and the need for greater accessibility within video games, calling out games such as Mass Effect: Andromeda and Destiny for having poor subtitles. He has also been in contact with Ubisoft about how they can improve options for d/Deaf and hard of hearing players.
The Last of Us: Part 2
Although The Last of Us: Part 2 received mixed reviews from critics, it was praised for its accessibility options. In particular, subtitles included not only dialogue but sound effects, with options to resize the text and have different text colours for each character. Directional cues are very clear, with controller vibration cues also used.
Can I Play That? gave the game a maximum rating of 10/10 for d/Deaf and hard of hearing accessibility. Courtney, a member of the Can I Play That? team, commended the wide variety of accessibility options TLOU: Part 2 offered:
"A lot of games do some of these things. None of them have done all of them until now”
For a full list of its accessibility options, visit here!
Therefore, it is great to see that accessibility options are expanding within video games. However, with issues such as lack of subtitling, no options to adjust subtitle text size, or background colours making it hard to read subtitles still a problem with some releases, it is clear that video game developers need to do more to improve d/Deaf accessibility. Moving forward, franchises should look to games such as The Last of Us: Part 2 and consult more with d/Deaf gamers to improve experiences.
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