Accessibility in video games: is language the next frontier?

Gaming has, without a doubt, been one of the defining cultural forces over the last few decades. From those early arcade days to the global domination of titles such as Fortnite and the cultural juggernaut that is Grand Theft Auto, the gaming landscape has evolved to open its doors to an ever-wider group of players.

We’re seeing this in the way that games explore a wider ranger of themes as the art form continues to transform – indie titles such as Giant Sparrow’s What Remains of Edith Finch play with traditional video game form and structure, while blockbuster releases like Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II question the entire premise of the hero’s journey.

Over the years, we’ve seen games embrace new and innovative forms of input, from touch screen to motion controls and heck, even a crank handle, with protagonists from all walks of life. As such, whole new demographics have found themselves flocking to dive into the fresh experiences that the industry has to offer. After all, gaming allows for immersion at a level that more traditional art forms, such as film can’t – in no other media do you directly interact with a world and all it has to offer.

As gaming has continued to welcome new players, so too has the need for expanded accessibility features, which ensure all players can enjoy their favourite titles. This is a challenge that the industry has tackled with fits and spurts – while there is an overall increase in the number of titles allowing for accessibility tweaks such as colour-blind filtering options, these are still far from standardized.

The evolution of accessibility in gaming

The aforementioned The Last of Us Part II was met with widespread acclaim upon release for its veritable smorgasbord of accessibility options. Developer Naughty Dog’s ambition was clear: ensure as many players as possible could fully experience the game, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities. To achieve this, they introduced more than 60 accessibility settings, making it the studio’s most robust and inclusive offering to date.

With accessibility identified as one of Naughty Dog’s goals from the beginning of development, the team were able to implement three core accessibility presets tailored for vision, hearing and motor needs. Each of these presets then served as a starting point from which individual players could tweak settings to match their own requirements.

Innovative subtitle and dialogue options also exceeded the then industry standard. Players were able to modify subtitle size, colour, background contrast, speaker names, and even enable directional arrows for offscreen speakers. Subtitles were also available to cover all systemic enemy dialogue during stealth and combat to ensure that critical moment-to-moment information was never missed.

Recent titles such as Bioware’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard have also embraced a slew of accessibility controls, allowing players to fine-tune the experience to their needs form the start.

Of course, it isn’t just software that has improved gaming accessibility over the last few years. Hardware itself has been one of the largest hurdles to overcome, and one that Microsoft themselves sought to tackle with the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Compatible with a range of external devices, the controller enabled a wider range of players to interact with their favourite titles than ever before – a move that Sony also adopted through their own Access controller in 2023.

What is linguistic accessibility?

Of course, access isn’t always limited by our physical abilities. Linguistic accessibility refers to the process of making language clear, understandable, and inclusive for the widest possible range of players. While traditional accessibility efforts often focus on physical, visual, or auditory barriers, linguistic accessibility endeavours to overcome the challenges posed by language itself – whether due to complex vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, reading level, or the range of languages spoken by players worldwide.

Localization service providers have long been at the forefront of pushing for improving linguistic access to the latest and greatest titles, providing translation and transcreation services that enable diverse player bases from across the world to lose themselves in these carefully crafted worlds.

Yet linguistic accessibility doesn’t just mean preparing multilingual versions of titles. There’s a lot more to it than that, especially if we want to create an industry that is truly welcoming to all players. Offering linguistic accessibility options could help audiences further tweak the gameplay experience to match their own specific needs.

Considerations for linguistic accessibility

Plain language and readability

Providing straightforward, plain language versions of scripts can significantly enhance the gaming experience for players with cognitive disabilities, dyslexia, or players who are not fluent in the game’s primary language. Simplified instructions, clear objectives, and concise dialogue can go a long way to ensure that all players understand what is happening in the story and what is expected of them in moment-to-moment gameplay.

Support for non-native speakers

Games are played by a global audience, many of whom may not be fluent in the game’s original language. While translation opens up gaming to new players around the world, managing budgets can mean that less widely spoken languages get overlooked in the localization process. Baked in linguistic accessibility options such as simplified language modes, glossaries for in-game terms, or even visual aids, can clarify meaning. These features help non-native speakers enjoy the narrative and mechanics without unnecessary frustration.

Alternative communication modes

Players struggling with reading or processing written language can benefit from linguistic accessibility options such as voiceover, text-to-speech, or visual symbols that reinforce written instructions.

Language should never be a barrier to play. For people with learning disabilities or people from different linguistic backgrounds, linguistic accessibility can provide the opportunity to fully engage with a game’s story, mechanics, and community.

Current practices and limitations

The gaming industry has made significant advances in linguistic accessibility over the last few console generations, with features such as subtitles, voiceover, and localization now standard in most games. These provide essential support for deaf and hard-of-hearing players. Many titles now also allow players to adjust the text size, font, and background opacity to enhance readability.

Localization remains a cornerstone of linguistic accessibility, and with most games now translated into multiple languages, it is now a standard part of the game development process. Some games even offer region-specific adaptations to account for cultural differences. That said, localization has typically focused on maintaining linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance, rather than on accessibility for players with diverse cognitive or linguistic needs.

Game scripts often contain a range of complex vocabulary (often designed specifically for its own world), idiomatic expressions, or lengthy text strings that can overwhelm players with cognitive disabilities. Game localization has therefore become quite the art form, carefully modifying turns of phrase and language to better connect with audiences globally. It is because of this need for more adept localization that machine translation hasn’t quite taken off in gaming as much as in other sectors.

Could technology improve linguistic accessibility?

Cost has long represented the most significant barrier to advancing linguistic accessibility in video games. Creating multiple versions of in-game scripts means adapting dialogue, instructions, and narrative to suit different cognitive levels. This, of course, requires substantial resources. This challenge is compounded when games are localized for global audiences, as each language and region would require its own set of adapted scripts. The result is a steep increase in production time and expenses, often making comprehensive linguistic accessibility seem out of reach for many studios.

However, technology, particularly artificial intelligence, could offer promising solutions to this dilemma. We already see large language models being used to create easily digestible summaries of research papers and new articles. Could we use an AI tool could take complex narrative text and produce a version written in plain language, or automatically flag idioms and cultural references that might be confusing for non-native speakers? This process could then be rolled out across multiple languages and locales, dramatically reducing the manual time and effort required for each region.

Crucially, the most effective approach combines the speed and scalability of AI with the expertise of human reviewers. Apple’s AI made headlines for its erroneous attempts to summarise BBC articles, proving that we can’t rely on AI to do all the work for us. While AI can handle the heavy lifting of generating and adapting scripts, human linguists and accessibility specialists are essential for ensuring that the final content is accurate, culturally appropriate, and truly accessible. This hybrid workflow helps maintain the creative intent and emotional impact of the original script while making it understandable to a broader audience.

By leveraging AI in this thoughtful, collaborative way, game developers and publishers could potentially expand their accessibility offerings while keeping costs in check. Could we therefore see options like “simplified language mode” in accessibility menus, just as colourblind or subtitle settings have become standard?

Gaming: a place for everyone

As video games continue to push the boundaries of storytelling, interactivity, and inclusion, the next great leap in accessibility lies in breaking down linguistic barriers. While the industry has made commendable progress in supporting players, true accessibility must also encompass the diverse ways gamers engage with language. Features like plain language modes, expanded localization, and alternative communication methods are not just enhancements – they are essential steps toward making games universally welcoming.

The integration of artificial intelligence offers a promising path forward, enabling studios to scale linguistic accessibility without prohibitive costs. However, technology alone cannot guarantee meaningful access; the expertise of human linguists and accessibility specialists remains indispensable to preserve nuance and intent. By adopting a hybrid approach that combines the efficiency of AI with the discernment of human oversight, developers can deliver experiences that are both authentic and accessible.

Ultimately, language should never be a barrier to play. As gaming continues to grow as a global, interactive art form, embracing linguistic accessibility will ensure that everyone, regardless of background or ability, can fully participate in the worlds we create. The future of gaming is not just more immersive and innovative, but also more inclusive, proving that accessibility in all its forms is the next frontier the industry must conquer.

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