Microsoft is expanding its accessibility efforts with a new game evaluation program for Xbox and PC. Today, his game accessibility team announced that developers can submit their games to be assessed for accessibility and tested by players with disabilities. The program was announced along with the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines updates released in early 2020.
“Developers now have the option of submitting their Xbox or PC title to Microsoft and reviewing and validating it according to the recommendations provided in the XAGs,” says an Xbox blog post published today. The Xbox Accessibility Guidelines include full explanations of inclusive design considerations for developers and have now been updated to include clearer language, additional context and implementation examples.
The game’s test reports will include feedback from players with disabilities, as well as links to information about inclusive design, relevant nonprofits and accessibility experts. Any problems encountered during the test will be “observed with reproduction steps, screenshots and other information to help the developer understand what aspect of a given experience can be challenging for certain players with disabilities,” says the post.
More companies have focused on game accessibility in recent years – including Microsoft with the Xbox Adaptive Controller – but there are still some high-profile examples beyond The Last of Us Part II. Such a program can lead to more games with a wide variety of accessibility options. It is also significant for players with disabilities to be able to provide information, rather than being left out of consideration or planned without their contribution.