The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative, a new tagging system designed to clearly communicate video game accessibility features to players. Announced at the Game Developers Conference, this initiative is a collaborative effort spearheaded by Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft, with additional support from Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games. The ESA will manage the program.
Participating game companies will apply relevant tags from a pre-approved list of 24 to their games. This information will be displayed prominently near game details on digital storefronts and product pages.
These tags will highlight features such as clear text options, large and clear subtitles, narrated menus, customizable stick inversion, the ability to save at any time, adjustable difficulty levels, and options for playing without requiring button holds, among others.
“Tens of millions of Americans have a disability and often face barriers to experiencing the joy and connection that comes with playing video games,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, ESA president and CEO. “We are immensely proud to announce the Accessible Games Initiative in partnership with industry leaders. This initiative demonstrates how impactful we can be when we work together in our industry-wide pursuit of helping more people experience the power of play.”
The rollout of these tags will be phased, implemented gradually by participating companies. Participation is voluntary and, initially, the tags will only be available in English. The ESA anticipates adding more tags or refining existing ones over time.
Accessible Games Initiative Tags:
Auditory Features
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple Volume Controls | Separate volume controls for music, speech, sound effects, background audio, text-to-speech audio, accessibility audio cues, and voice chat are available. A single master volume control also adjusts all sounds simultaneously. |
| Mono Sound | Allows gameplay with mono audio, sending the same audio to all channels. |
| Stereo Sound | Allows gameplay with stereo audio, indicating sound direction (left or right only). |
| Surround Sound | Allows gameplay with surround sound, providing directional audio cues. |
| Narrated Menus | Offers screen reader or voice narration for menus and notifications, allowing navigation item by item. |
| Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech* | Enables real-time text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionality for in-game chat. *This tag includes both auditory and visual features.* |
Gameplay Features
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Difficulty Levels | Provides multiple difficulty options, including at least one reduced-intensity setting, with descriptions of differences between levels. |
| Save Anytime | Allows manual saving of progress at any point, with exceptions during saving/loading or situations where saving could disrupt gameplay. |
Input Features
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Basic Input Remapping | Allows rearranging button controls. |
| Full Input Remapping | Allows complete customization of all game controls across supported input methods (keyboard, mouse, controllers, etc.), including stick functionality. |
| Stick Inversion | Allows inverting the direction of thumbstick and similar directional inputs. |
| Playable without Button Holds | Gameplay does not require holding down digital inputs (buttons/keys). Analog inputs may still require holds. |
| Playable without Rapid Button Presses | Avoids the need for repetitive button actions like button mashing or quick-time events. |
| Playable with Keyboard Only | Gameplay is fully supported using only a keyboard. |
| Playable with Mouse Only | Gameplay is fully supported using only a mouse (including adaptive tech). |
| Playable with Buttons Only | Gameplay is fully supported using only buttons (pressure sensitivity not required). |
| Playable with Touch Only | Gameplay is fully supported using only touch controls. |
| Playable Without Motion Controls | Gameplay does not require motion controls. |
| Playable Without Touch Controls | Gameplay does not require touchpads or touchscreens. |
Visual Features
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech* | Enables real-time text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionality for in-game chat. *This tag includes both auditory and visual features.* |
| Clear Text | Provides reasonably sized text with adjustable contrast and less stylized fonts in menus and settings. |
| Large Text | Allows for increased font sizes in menus and settings. |
| Large & Clear Subtitles | Provides subtitles for all dialogue with adjustable background transparency, avoiding overlap with game elements. |
| Color Alternatives | Color is not used for conveying critical information or is adjustable. |
| Camera Comfort | Minimizes or eliminates potentially discomforting camera effects (shaking, swaying, etc.) or allows for adjustments. |
