The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today launched the Accessible Games Initiative, a new tagging system designed to inform consumers about video game accessibility features.
Revealed at the Game Developers Conference, the initiative was developed by a coalition including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft, with Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games later joining. The ESA will oversee the program.
Participating companies will apply approved tags from a set of 24 to their games, displaying this information on digital storefronts and product pages alongside game details.
Tags will highlight features like "clear text," "large subtitles," "menu narration," "inverted controls," "anytime saving," "adjustable difficulty," and "no button holds required."
“Millions of Americans with disabilities face challenges enjoying video games,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, ESA president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to introduce this initiative with industry partners, showcasing our collective commitment to making gaming more inclusive.”
Tags will be implemented gradually by each company and are optional. Initially available in English, the tag set may evolve over time.
Accessible Games Initiative Tags:
Auditory Features
Tag
Multiple Volume Controls
Description
Adjust volume separately for various audio types.
• Control music, dialogue, sound effects, ambient audio, text-to-speech, accessibility cues, and voice chat individually.
• Adjust all sounds simultaneously with a single control.
Tag
Mono Audio
Description
Play with mono audio output.
• Identical audio is delivered to all channels (e.g., both headphone sides), creating a unified sound.
Tag
Stereo Audio
Description
Play with stereo audio output.
• Audio indicates left or right sound origins.
• No indication for sounds from above, below, or behind.
Tag
Surround Audio
Description
Play with surround sound output.
• Audio conveys sound direction from any angle.
Tag
Menu Narration
Description
Use screen readers or voice narration for menus and alerts.
• All menus are accessible via screen readers or built-in narration.
• User-controlled interactions and changes are narrated.
• Navigate menus item-by-item without cursor movement.
Tag
Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*
Description
Use text-to-speech and speech-to-text for player chats.
• Text chats are narrated live.
• Voice chats are transcribed as text in real time.
This tag includes auditory and visual features.
Gameplay Features
Tag
Adjustable Difficulty
Description
Choose from multiple difficulty settings, including a less challenging option.
• Difficulty differences are clearly explained.
Tag
Anytime Save
Description
Manually save progress at any moment.
Exceptions:
• During saving, loading, or scenarios that could disrupt gameplay, like death animations.
Input Features
Tag
Basic Control Remapping
Description
Rearrange button controls.
• Swap or reorganize buttons.
• “Full Control Remapping” allows remapping all controls, not just buttons, by assigning actions to inputs.
Tag
Full Control Remapping
Description
Assign any action to any control.
• Remap all controls for supported inputs (e.g., keyboard, mouse, controllers, on-screen controls).
• Swap controller stick functions.
• “Basic Control Remapping” limits remapping to buttons via simple swaps.
Tag
Control Inversion
Description
Reverse directional inputs like thumbsticks for up/down and left/right movement.
Examples include thumbsticks and flight sticks.
Tag
No Button Holds
Description
Play without holding buttons.
• No digital inputs (e.g., keys, buttons) require holding.
• Some analog inputs (e.g., sticks, triggers) may require holds.
Tag
No Rapid Presses
Description
Avoid repetitive actions like button mashing or quick-time events.
Tag
Keyboard-Only Play
Description
Play using only a keyboard.
• No other devices are needed.
Tag
Mouse-Only Play
Description
Play using only a mouse.
• Supports adaptive tech mapped to mouse inputs.
Tag
Button-Only Play
Description
Play using only buttons without pressure-sensitive controls.
• Game and menus use only digital inputs (e.g., buttons, keys).
Tag
Touch-Only Play
Description
Play using only touch controls.
• No non-touch inputs (e.g., buttons, sticks) are required.
Tag
No Motion Controls
Description
Play without motion-based controls.
Tag
No Touch Controls
Description
Play without touchpads or touchscreens.
Visual Features
Tag
Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description
Use text-to-speech and speech-to-text for player chats.
• Text chats are narrated live.
• Voice chats are transcribed as text in real time.
*This tag includes auditory and visual features.
Tag
Clear Text
Description
Menus, panels, and settings feature readable text with adjustable contrast.
• Text size suits screen resolution and viewing distance.
• Less stylized fonts (e.g., sans serif) are available.
• Contrast can be adjusted for all backgrounds.
(See “Large Subtitles” for subtitle options)
Tag
Large Text
Description
Use large font sizes for menus, panels, and settings.
• Text size is adjustable relative to screen resolution and viewing distance.
(See “Large Subtitles” for subtitle options)
Tag
Large Subtitles
Description
Subtitles cover all dialogue with adjustable features.
• Text size suits screen resolution and viewing distance.
• Background transparency is adjustable.
• Subtitles avoid overlapping key game elements.
• Less stylized fonts (e.g., sans serif) are available.
• Covers spoken dialogue only, not other audio like tones or environmental sounds.
Tag
Color Adjustments
Description
Information isn’t conveyed solely by color or can be adjusted.
• Shapes, patterns, icons, or text replace color-based cues.
Tag
Camera Comfort
Description
Avoid or adjust camera effects that may cause discomfort (e.g., nausea, headaches).
• Effects like shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, or fast camera movement can be disabled or modified.
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