Turn 10 Studios’ renowned racing simulation game Forza Motorsport is planned to incorporate a number of accessibility features to help make it more fun for blind, low-vision, and disabled gamers.
Blind Driving Assists, one of the most important features, was created over two years with the assistance of accessibility expert Brandon Cole, who is blind, and other blind and low-vision players. The feature provides aural cues to players to assist them in navigating the game, such as track position, orientation, and progress during turns. The game will also display information about the car, such as the amount of deceleration required and when to transfer gears if using a manual gearbox.
Cole mentions in a video previewing the functionality that the steering guide option pans the engine noise and tyre sounds to the left or right, depending on which way players should turn. Beeping sounds will alert players when they are approaching the track’s edge. Cole claims that he was able to win a race against a group of AI-driven automobiles thanks to the cues.
Players who are blind or have low eyesight can preview the audio cues in the accessibility menu, which includes detailed descriptions of what each cue implies. They can turn each set of cues on and off separately, as well as change the pitch and volume. It will take some time for players to become acclimated to the cues, but they might be quite valuable for people who are blind or have impaired eyesight who wish to play Forza Motorsport.
Furthermore, Forza Motorsport will include One Touch Driving, which will let players to customise braking, steering, and throttle assists to reduce the number of simultaneous inputs required. Turn 10 collaborated with gamers with mobility and stamina issues to develop One Touch Driving, which is meant for individuals who find it difficult to hold down buttons or push multiple buttons at once.
More standard accessibility features such as full controller remapping, colourblindness filters, and customisable subtitles will also be included in the game. Forza Motorsport is set to release later this year on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. The addition of these accessibility features will assist in making the game more accessible and entertaining for a broader spectrum of players.
