Each December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities reminds us of the importance of promoting awareness, understanding, and ensuring equal participation for people with disabilities in all facets of society. At Xbox, we see gaming as a vital part of modern life, one that should be open to everyone. We are dedicated to crafting inclusive gaming experiences that allow players to engage with the games they love, however they prefer, and within the communities they feel a part of.
Today, and every day, we celebrate the invaluable contributions from the Gaming and Disability community, who have partnered with us on various projects to enhance accessibility in gaming. Noteworthy among these contributors is Stan Adermann, a Principal Firmware Engineer at Xbox. Having personal experience with disability, Stan’s insights have been instrumental in creating innovative controller remapping features.
Stan explained, “I deal with mild Essential Tremor and hand pain from years in software development. Playing certain PC games exacerbated these issues, prompting me to explore solutions for easing controller usage on PCs. We started with mapping mouse movements to controllers, and creating toggle holds. Remapping joystick movements to different buttons or keyboard keys was vital too.”
We’re thrilled to unveil new features, from the Xbox Adaptive Joystick and custom 3D printable thumbstick toppers available via the Xbox Design Lab, to a series of updates aimed at breaking down barriers for more players across our gaming platforms and titles. We honor the creatives with disabilities who have significantly shaped these inclusive gaming experiences.
Remapping Options for Xbox Adaptive Controller and Elite Series 2
Remapping has become a cornerstone of gaming accessibility, allowing users to alter key functions on controllers, keyboards, or mice to suit their needs better. Recently, we’ve enriched the Xbox Accessories App for both the Xbox Elite Series 2 and the Xbox Adaptive Controller with these new functionalities:
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Toggle Holds: This feature simplifies controller use for those who find it hard to maintain long button presses, operating much like sticky keys on a PC, allowing any button or port to remain ‘active’ until pressed again.
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Map Stick Movement to Button Presses: This update lets players map directional movements (up, down, left, right) from thumbsticks or external joysticks to specific button actions, offering, for instance, the option to link the "up" stick movement to a "B" button press.
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Map Mouse Inputs to Controller: Players can now map joystick or thumbstick movements to control a mouse cursor, and configure buttons for right, middle, and left mouse clicks. This bridges controller and mouse/keyboard operations seamlessly on PC, facilitating tasks like navigating a game guide on YouTube or preparing presentations.
- Map Hat Switch to Alternate Joystick: For joysticks equipped with a hat switch, you can now configure it to replicate the functionalities of the opposite stick when hooked to an Xbox Adaptive Controller.
Visual Accessibility Updates for Diablo IV
For the developers of Diablo IV, accessibility has been a top priority, led by Drew McCrory. In October, they introduced features specifically crafted for those who are blind or have low vision, enhancing the game’s robust accessibility offerings:
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Auto-Pin: Automatically places a map marker on your quest destination selected from your Journal.
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Audio Navigation Assistance: This feature provides spatial audio cues to help guide players towards their marked destination, complementing the auto-pin navigation.
- Compass: Displays an on-screen compass guiding players to their in-world pin, forging a dependable navigation aid alongside the auto-pin system.
Diablo IV has received a nomination for its innovations in accessibility at the upcoming 2024 Game Awards.
To dive deeper into these updates, you can find the detailed Blizzard blog post here.
Accessibility Features in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The latest iteration of Call of Duty, Black Ops 6, brings forth several new accessibility features. These include asymmetrical hearing compensation, an enhanced high contrast mode, and a revamped accessibility settings menu. Developed with guidance from accessibility advocates, the game incorporates familiar features like reduced motion blur and joystick settings from Modern Warfare III.
New adjustments include arachnophobia settings to alter the appearance of spider-like foes, more HUD layout choices, and Intelligent Movement settings to further personalize player experiences. The team’s efforts in accessibility have been acknowledged with a Game Awards nomination for “Innovation in Accessibility.”
For more on these settings, visit the details page.
Celebrating the Life of Ibelin in World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is celebrating the release of "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" on Netflix, honoring Mats “Ibelin” Steen, a Norwegian WoW player affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In tribute, WoW has launched the Reven pack, a companion available for purchase in both modern and classic game versions. Proceeds support CureDuchenne, an organization dedicated to research and enhancing lives for those living with this progressive neuromuscular disease.
To learn more about this pack and CureDuchenne’s mission, click here.
To explore Microsoft’s inclusive design philosophy further, visit their website.
