Gaming is no longer a niche and more and more people are discovering video games as their new hobby. Some of these rely on accessibility due to various restrictions. These settings on current consoles make games accessible to everyone.
Accessibility on Sony and PlayStation
Both hands on the controller, fingers on the buttons, eyes on the TV. What some people take for granted can be a huge challenge for people with disabilities. The Accessibility in video games has only gained attention in recent years. Fortunately, developers and publishers of games and consoles are providing more and more settings for players with limitations.
On the PlayStation 5, for example, the accessible gaming options are shown very prominently at the top of the settings. Adjustments can be made here Make games on PS5 accessible to everyone.
Display and sound settings
Visual perception is the main focus of video games. The PlayStation consoles therefore offer some useful settings that visually ensure greater accessibility. That's how you can Disable motion effects such as motion blur or screen movements and color inversion helps with color vision problems.
You can generally enlarge screen texts or make them easier to read by increasing the contrast. The Zoom function enlarges a specific area of the screen.
Do you like playing with friends and talking to them via voice chat? Chat transcription converts the speech of your fellow players into text. This works for party and voice chats. In addition, messages you enter will also be read out to the other players.
Screen reader and subtitles
If other senses such as seeing or hearing are restricted, screen readers and subtitles on the PS5 and PS4 can help. The screen reader is particularly useful because Screen texts read aloud become. You can adjust your speaking speed, voice type or volume individually. However, it is important to mention that only selected languages are available for the screen reader.
Individual controller settings
The controller is the most important tool for video games on the console, but not everyone can operate the DualShock 5 or similar devices the same way. The PlayStation offers one custom key mapping so you can change the functions of the buttons as you wish.
There is also the option to a second gamepad as an auxiliary controller to use. This allows you to play together with another person, using the two controllers as if they were a single device. This could also be useful for parents with children.
The Xbox offers these accessibility settings
Compared to Sony, Microsoft has long been a pioneer in terms of accessibility, and the US company even brought in the Xbox Adaptive Controller Device for players with reduced mobility on the market. Sony's access controller followed later.
If you used Game Pass on your PC and later bought an Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S, your accessibility settings will be adopted and transferred directly to the new console – praiseworthy!
The accessibility settings on the Xbox are very similar to those on the PlayStation. In summary, these are the most important options on the Xbox.
Screen and audio options
You can use the screen magnifier Zoom in on a specific area of the screento see text and images better. If you switch on the controller focus, the magnifying glass follows the focus of the gamepad on the TV or monitor.
You can also highlight elements in the menu better by switching on high contrast. Alternatively, there is even the possibility to adapt the complete design of the menu structure – Colors, brightness, night mode etc.
The so-called mono output ensures that all audio channels combined into one become. This means the same sound will be played on all speakers.
Voice acting and subtitling
When it comes to accessibility, the Xbox also offers a screen reader that reads text, buttons and other elements on the screen. You can even here choose from three different Microsoft voiceschange the volume, speed and pitch of speech.
The Games and chat transcription allows you to convert speech into text or vice versa. This not only works in party chats when you talk to other players, but also within selected games.
Dennis Winkens is paraplegic. You can see how Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller supports him when gaming in this video.
Customize the controller according to your own wishes
Like on Sony's PlayStation, you can do that too Customize the Xbox controller button assignment to suit your needs. There is also the option to turn controller vibrations on or off.
Like on the PlayStation, the so-called copilot allows you to combine the input of two controllers so that two people can play as one.