There are a lot of things that people can take for granted in this life. It’s not an insult; it’s just the way things are. We get so comfortable in doing certain things that when we suddenly can’t do them, it’s a big change we have to adapt to. But there are some people out there who are disabled in one form or another who can’t even enjoy some of the basic pleasures of life, such as playing video games. That’s where companies like PlayStation have honestly been doing great work, as they’ve been trying to help bring more accessibility options to their games and systems.
Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and PlayStation decided to highlight that by showing a video featuring various consultants who have special needs when it comes to gaming and how the various PlayStation controllers, including the Access Controller, allow them to game without having to strain themselves.
For example, some of them use the various controllers to do some of the moves that they can’t do on their own so that they can focus on what they can do. Others use the Access Controller to tailor what they do for every game that they play, even citing that the skills they had “lost” because of their condition were regained because of the options the controller gave them.
It’s a very touching video, and you should definitely check it out:
Accessibility in gaming might not be something you think about every day, or even at all, depending on your situation, but it is something that gaming companies as a whole need to not only consider but adapt to so that everyone can play video games.
Just as important, accessibility goes beyond having a special controller for people with needs to use. There are visual and auditory needs that some have that have to be reflected in gaming as well if they’re to play it properly. For example, those with various levels of vision might not be able to see what is going on with the screen, so special features can be made to ensure they get the information they need to advance. Same with those who have hearing loss and yet want to understand everything that’s going on in the game’s world beyond dialogue.
To their credit, companies like Naughty Dog, Capcom, Santa Monica Studio, Insomniac and others have created incredible accessibility features in the past, and hopefully, more companies will join them in this crusade in the future.
