How accessible are game consoles for kids with disabilities?

Modern game consoles have become increasingly accessible for kids (and gamers of all ages) with disabilities in recent years.

Many consoles, such as the Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, have built-in accessibility options that allow players to customize their gaming experience. Perhaps even allowing someone previous unable to play to become a gamer! And that is something I wish to shed as much light on as possible.

Some of these features include:

• Text-to-speech: This feature allows players to hear spoken instructions and prompts, which can be helpful for children with visual impairments.
• Closed captioning: This feature displays subtitles on the screen, which can be helpful for children with hearing impairments.
• Controller customization: Some consoles allow players to customize the layout and functionality of the controller, which can be helpful for children with motor impairments.
• Assistive technology: Some consoles can be used with assistive technology, such as eye-tracking software or switch interfaces, to make gaming more accessible for kids with physical disabilities.
• Game accessibility options: Many modern games have built-in accessibility options, such as button remapping, colorblind settings, and difficulty adjustments that can make the game more accessible for children with disabilities.

Additionally, many companies now produce specialized controllers and peripherals that can help gamers with disabilities play games more comfortably.

With the list of features for each console below it's important to note that not all games support all these features and some of them may have more or less options in terms of accessibility. We have listed your options by console below, but it's always worth checking for the specific game or console that you are interested in and see if it has the features that you need.

Xbox

The Xbox Series X/S consoles have a variety of accessibility features and peripherals for disabled players, including:

• Text-to-speech: This feature allows players to hear spoken instructions and prompts, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Closed captioning: This feature displays subtitles on the screen, which can be helpful for players with hearing impairments.
• Controller customization: The Xbox Adaptive Controller is an alternative controller that is designed to be more accessible for players with motor impairments. The controller can be customized with a variety of inputs and buttons, and can be used with other assistive devices.
• Game accessibility options: Many games on the Xbox Series X/S have built-in accessibility options, such as button remapping, colorblind settings, and difficulty adjustments that can make the game more accessible for players with disabilities.
• Audio and Visual settings: The Xbox Series X/S provides a wide range of audio and visual settings that can be adjusted to meet the needs of players with different types of disabilities. These settings include color schemes, font sizes, and contrast.
• Narrator: The narrator on Xbox Series X/S is a built-in screen reader that can be used to read text and buttons aloud, making it easier for visually impaired players to navigate the console.
• Co-pilot mode: Co-pilot mode allows two players to control one controller, which can be helpful for players with physical disabilities who have difficulty using a controller alone.
• Magnifier: The Magnifier feature allows players to zoom in on the screen, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Audio descriptions: Audio descriptions provide spoken descriptions of on-screen elements, which can be helpful for players who are blind or have low vision.
• Spatial Sound: Spatial sound is an audio technology that creates a more immersive audio experience by providing a sense of direction and distance. This feature can be helpful for players who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Many of these accessibility features are available on the older Xbox One console, but some are ONLY available on the newer systems. The newer Xbox Series X/S features new and improved accessibility options, such as the ability to customize the controller's layout, the option to use a co-pilot mode to control the game with a friend, and more advanced voice commands.

PlayStation

The PlayStation 5 console has a variety of accessibility features and peripherals for disabled players, including:

• Text-to-speech: This feature allows players to hear spoken instructions and prompts, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Closed captioning: This feature displays subtitles on the screen, which can be helpful for players with hearing impairments.
• Controller customization: The DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 can be customized for players with physical impairments, providing a wide range of accessibility options including button remapping, adaptive triggers, and touchpad.
• The triggers on the PS5 controller can be adjusted to provide varying levels of resistance, making it easier for players with fine motor impairments to press them.
• Haptic feedback: The PS5 controller provides haptic feedback that can be adjusted to suit different player needs, making it easier for players with visual impairments to feel the action in games.
• Game accessibility options: Many games on the PlayStation 5 have built-in accessibility options, such as button remapping, colorblind settings, and difficulty adjustments that can make the game more accessible for players with disabilities.
• Audio and Visual settings: The PlayStation 5 provides a wide range of audio and visual settings that can be adjusted to meet the needs of players with different types of disabilities. These settings include color schemes, font sizes, and contrast.
• Voice commands: The PlayStation 5's built-in microphone allows players to navigate the console and launch games using voice commands, which can be helpful for players with physical impairments.
• Invert Colors: The invert color feature allows players to invert the color scheme of the screen, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Text-to-speech and subtitles: The PlayStation 5 has built-in text-to-speech and subtitle options for games that support it. This allows players with hearing impairments to hear spoken dialogue and see subtitles on the screen.
• Audio descriptions: Audio descriptions provide spoken descriptions of on-screen elements, which can be helpful for players who are blind or have low vision.
• Spatial Sound: Spatial sound is an audio technology that creates a more immersive audio experience by providing a sense of direction and distance. This feature can be helpful for players who are deaf or hard of hearing.

PlayStation 4

• Closed captions: The PS4 allows players to turn on closed captions for all games, making it easier for players who are hard of hearing to understand the audio.
• Audio descriptions: The PS4 allows players to turn on audio descriptions for games, making it easier for players with visual impairments to understand what is happening on screen.
• Text-to-speech: The PS4 allows players to have messages and certain menus read aloud, making it easier for players with visual impairments to navigate the system.
• Large text: The PS4 allows players to increase the size of text, making it easier for players with visual impairments to read text on screen.
• Button remapping: The PS4 allows players to remap buttons on the controller, making it easier for players with mobility impairments to play games.
• Invert colors: The PS4 allows players to invert the colors on screen, making it easier for players with certain visual impairments to see the game.
• Zoom: The PS4 allows players to zoom in on the screen, making it easier for players with visual impairments to see the game.

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch console has a variety of accessibility features and peripherals for disabled players, including:

• Button remapping: This feature allows players to remap the buttons on the Joy-Con controllers or the Pro Controller to make them more comfortable to use.
• Zoom: This feature allows players to zoom in on the screen, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Invert colors: This feature allows players to invert the colors of the screen, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• High contrast: This feature allows players to increase the contrast of the screen, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Text-to-speech: This feature allows players to hear spoken instructions and prompts, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Closed captioning: This feature displays subtitles on the screen, which can be helpful for players with hearing impairments.
• Magnifying Glass: The Switch has a built-in magnifying glass feature that allows players to zoom in on certain parts of the screen, which can be helpful for players with visual impairments.
• Assistive Technology: The Switch supports assistive technology such as Joy-Con controllers and Switch Pro Controller that can be used with one hand, and also supports external input devices such as switches, keyboards, and more.
• Game accessibility options: Many games on the Switch have built-in accessibility options, such as button remapping, colorblind settings, and difficulty adjustments that can make the game more accessible for players with disabilities.
• Audio and Visual settings: The Nintendo Switch provides a wide range of audio and visual settings that can be adjusted to meet the needs of players with different types of disabilities. These settings include color schemes, font sizes, and contrast.

We truly hope this enables any parents of wannabe gamers to allow their kids to take part in this wonderful hobby. I can imagine the freedom and empowerment gaming brings us would be immeasurably more so to those that face challenges to play.

Xbox’s Co-pilot mode was completely new to me as I researched this article and I plan to explore its applications with Jasper when facing games beyond his abilities that he wants to play. But armed with this and a wide range of game types and styles, I’m hopeful this feature alone opens up the world slightly more for others out there. Plus, it’s technically transforms solo play into couch co-op, so right in sync with the heart of what Plasmids ‘N’ Kids is all about.