Every December, the world marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, shining a light on the importance of awareness, understanding, and inclusion for people with disabilities across all areas of life. At Xbox, we’re passionate about making play a universal joy, accessible to as many people as possible. Our mission is to craft inclusive gaming experiences that let players enjoy their favorite games in their preferred ways, alongside communities they love to engage with.
Today, and throughout the year, we honor the incredible contributions made by the Gaming and Disability community, who have been pivotal in helping us co-create more accessible gaming experiences. Among these remarkable contributors is Stan Adermann, a Principal Firmware Engineer at Team Xbox. His personal journey with disability has been instrumental in developing our latest controller remapping features:
"I experience mild Essential Tremor, and as a longtime software developer, I’ve also dealt with hand pain," Stan explained. "Playing certain PC games worsened these issues, so I looked into how controller use on PCs could be made easier. This led to features like mapping mouse movements to controllers and introducing toggle holds. Mapping joystick movements to buttons or keys was another crucial addition."
We’ve seen some incredible advancements, such as the Xbox Adaptive Joystick and customizable thumbstick toppers available via Xbox Design Lab. We’re thrilled to share more updates that aim to break down barriers for players across our platform, hardware, and titles, celebrating the invaluable input from the community.
Remapping Options for Xbox Adaptive Controller and Elite Series 2
Remapping is a key aspect of accessibility, letting players tailor the functions of keyboard, mouse, or controller keys to better fit their needs. We’ve rolled out new remapping features in the Xbox Accessories App for the Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller and the Xbox Adaptive Controller:
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Toggle Holds: This feature simplifies controller use for those who struggle with prolonged button presses by allowing a button to stay pressed until it’s pressed again, like sticky keys on a computer.
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Map Stick Movement to Button Presses: Now, you can assign directional movements on the Elite Series 2 thumbsticks or external joysticks to specific button or keyboard actions. For instance, moving the stick upwards can mimic pressing the "B" button.
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Map Mouse Inputs to Controller: Players can map joystick movement to control mouse cursors and assign button functions to mouse clicks. This opens up the controller to function akin to a mouse and keyboard for various purposes beyond gaming, like checking emails or creating presentations on a PC.
- Map Hat Switch to Alternate Joystick: With this, players using joysticks with hat switches can configure these to work as the opposite stick when connected to the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
Visual Accessibility Updates for Diablo IV
Accessibility took center stage in the development of Diablo IV, led by Drew McCrory. In October, new features were introduced, particularly aiding players who are blind or have low vision:
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Auto-Pin: Automatically sets a map pin on your chosen quest’s destination from the in-game Journal.
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Audio Navigation Assistance: Provides audio cues to guide you toward your map’s waypoint, pairing well with the auto-pin for seamless navigation.
- Compass: This on-screen element aligns with the auto-pin, constantly showing players the right direction.
Diablo IV’s commitment to accessibility earned it a nomination in the "Innovation in Accessibility" category at the 2024 Game Awards.
Accessibility Features in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The latest Call of Duty installment has introduced new features, such as asymmetrical hearing compensation, a refined high contrast mode, and a better accessibility settings menu, developed with input from accessibility advocates. It includes previous features like reduced motion blur and joystick customization, and it introduces arachnophobia settings, multiple HUD layouts, and Intelligent Movement options, all designed to enhance players’ experiences. The resulting developments have earned the team a nomination for an "Innovation in Accessibility" award.
Celebrating the Life of Ibelin in World of Warcraft
Marking the Netflix release of "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" and honoring Mats "Ibelin" Steen, a Norwegian WoW player with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, World of Warcraft launched the Reven pack. This purchase supports CureDuchenne, which leads in global research and treatment for this muscle-wasting disease. The "Reven" companion, meaning "the fox" in Norwegian, is a testament to Ibelin’s enduring legacy within the gamer community.
For more insights into Microsoft’s Inclusive Design initiatives, you can explore further here.
