Microsoft just announced that all digital games and experiences are now accompanied by clearly labeled and standardized accessibility tags. These Accessible Games Initiative tags are designed to "provide players with clear and consistent information about the accessibility features in video games."
They are found on top of the store page. As you can see below, the game South of Midnight includes 13 accessibility features. Clicking "More" leads to a description of each. In this case, the game boasts adjustable input sensitivity, multiple volume controls, color alternatives, large subtitles and the ability to play without button holds, among other accessibility-minded features.
Each of these tags can now be used as a filter in the Xbox Store, to make it easier to search for the perfect game. They are also available in the Xbox PC app, Xbox Mobile app and, of course, on the website. Xbox began implementing Accessibility Feature tags back in 2021, but this move marks a transition to the standardized Accessible Games Initiative tags.
These standardized tags are being managed by the Entertainment Software Association, with input from companies like Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, Sony and Microsoft. Other big firms like Amazon Games, Riot Games, Square Enix and Warner Bros. Games have since joined the project. All told, there are 24 possible accessibility tags, advertising features like text-to-speech and menu narration.
Despite being involved since inception, Nintendo and Sony have yet to update their store pages with these tags. It looks like Microsoft is the first of the big three to do so.
While the gaming industry is standardizing this feature, the mobile app industry is playing catch up. Apple recently announced it's developing its own accessibility tag system, called Accessibility Nutrition Labels. This feature will be introduced to the App Store later in the year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/all-digital-xbox-games-now-carry-standardized-accessibility-tags-170945916.html?src=rss
