Microsoft has been paying attention to the creation of games for the disabled. Microsoft has taken a step in this direction, ensuring that almost anyone can play games on computers and Xbox. Whether it be some thriller, action, mind games or any other like a mind booster for chess learn and practice, technology has made it more accessible and fun. Developers will currently send their games to evaluate their accessibility and be tested by players with disabilities.

Since the Xbox Tuning Controller launch in 2018, Microsoft claims that it has launched an alternative platform-provided program for evaluating Xbox and computer games and is consistent with Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (XAG).

What do you need to know?

• Over the years, Xbox has been committed to improving the accessibility of games and formulated the "Xbox Accessibility Guidelines" in 2020. 
• XAG aims to help game developers consider the accessibility of all players when creating games.
• One year later, Xbox has made many improvements to XAG to make it more comprehensive and easy to use.
• Xbox has also launched a new program to help game developers test their Xbox or PC games under XAG and get feedback from members of the game and the disabled community.

Over the past decade, the enthusiasm of developers and gamers for game accessibility has grown exponentially. According to ESA Foundation data, there are nearly 46 million disabled gamers in the United States alone who are playing. It's good to see that game developers are actively looking for resources to guide inclusive game design to ensure that their games are suitable. As the game has evolved from a niche market to the mainstream in the past few decades, it has also been increasingly used by people with disabilities or other considerations. Microsoft aims to make PC and Xbox more inclusive through a new internal testing service that compares games with the newly expanded Xbox accessibility guidelines.

The so-called Microsoft game accessibility testing service is now enabled, and anyone who publishes games on Windows or Xbox platforms can use it.

Microsoft has launched a platform-provided test program to evaluate games based on the accessibility.

Microsoft is expanding its accessibility efforts with a new program for evaluating Xbox and PC games. Today, its game accessibility team announced that developers could send their games to be assessed for accessibility and tested by players with disabilities. The plan was announced along with the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines update released in early 2020.

It is not free (although Microsoft did not specify any fees, this may vary from project to project), so if you want to know what the report looks like without wasting cash, please contact your account representative; he may Will connect you. But you don't need the final code to send it.

XAG is "a comprehensive collection of best practices that supports the gaming industry in advancing accessibility work."

Microsoft seems to have chosen the accessibility-first approach because it also released the first edition of the "Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (XAG)" in 2019, effectively establishing a standard for developers "to generate ideas And as a guide list for verifying the accessibility of the list" a game. "At the beginning of 2019, members of the Microsoft Gaming Accessibility team began the task of creating the Xbox Accessibility Guide (XAG), a comprehensive set of best practices to support the gaming industry in pushing accessibility efforts forward. XAG is intended for use by designers to generate ideas and as a guideline checklist for verifying the accessibility of the game. Using years of research on accessibility in the gaming industry and close collaboration with industry experts and gaming and disability community members, the original XAG was launched in January 2020.

"The game was tested by a team of subject matter experts and players with disabilities following the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines. Our goal is to provide accurate and timely feedback within seven working days," said Brannon Zahand, the company's advanced game accessibility program manager.

Microsoft said in the blog that developers can now send their Xbox or PC titles to Microsoft and analyze and verify them based on the recommendations provided in XAG.

"Since game accessibility is easier to achieve in the early stages of game development, we encourage game developers to submit as soon as they have a representative version that integrates the user interface and game experience. Basic," Zahand said. "That said, developers who have already released products and kept up-to-date updates and content may also find these tests useful because relatively minor adjustments or additions can usually be made. As part of content updates. For players with disabilities and any People who use accessibility features bring benefits."

Microsoft has made several advancements in in-game accessibility in recent years. The most prominent of which should be the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which allows people to plug in various auxiliary devices to be used as joysticks, buttons and triggers to make the game more accessible. A more comprehensive range of people play games on the company's platform.

In 2018, Xbox introduced an excellent Xbox adaptive controller. XAC allows players who may have difficulty using standard controllers to build custom settings tailored to their needs. Xbox released the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines in 2020, a comprehensive series of "best practices" to advance the accessibility of games and help game developers make their projects as accessible as possible.

Today, Xbox announced that they would make many improvements to XAG to make them easier to use, easier to understand, and even more thorough for game developers. Improvements include more straightforward language, improved overview, scoping issues and focus areas, educational background information, and guide examples. However, in addition to these essential improvements to XAG, Microsoft also launched an industry first: the platform provides programs that can test Xbox and PC games against XAG and provide game developers with feedback on how to improve their games. This includes screenshots, examples, steps to reproduce and information about why players can't access certain aspects of the title. Xbox's new program will also provide information and related links about accessibility, inclusiveness and technical documentation, industry experts, and non-profit accessibility organizations.

Finally, players with disabilities are included in the testing program, so every game tested against XAG is also played by members of the game and the disabled community. These vital testers will also provide their feedback and understand the areas that can be improved. It is great to see that accessibility features have taken another step forward in the game field, and I hope that many developers will use Xbox's guides and test procedures. Xbox is continuing to collect feedback from developers and the community to improve XAG further, and over time, the game will become more accessible.