What accessibility features should games have?

Options addressing the actual barriers rather than a single difficulty slider — and the field has advanced substantially, with established guidelines setting out what is expected.

Visual:

Adjustable text size, which is the most frequently requested feature and remains unavailable in a great many games. Small, low-contrast text on a screen viewed from a sofa excludes people unnecessarily.

Colourblind modes, and — more importantly — not conveying information by colour alone. Adding shape, pattern or symbol means the colour setting becomes a preference rather than a requirement.

Contrast and brightness controls, and options to reduce visual clutter.

Subtitles with size, background and speaker identification, which benefit a far larger group than people who are deaf.

Motion and camera shake reduction, and field of view adjustment, which address motion sickness.

Auditory:

Separate volume sliders for music, effects, dialogue and interface.

Visual indicators for audio cues — directional damage, footstep indicators — which convert information available only by hearing into something visible.

Motor:

Full button remapping, including on console, which is frequently absent.

Toggle instead of hold for any sustained input, which is among the highest-value and cheapest options available.

Adjustable or removable timing requirements and quick-time events.

Reduced or eliminated button-mashing, which is genuinely painful for some players.

Sensitivity and dead zone adjustment, and controller support alongside other input devices.

Cognitive:

Adjustable difficulty, ideally decoupled — separate control over enemy damage, timing windows and puzzle assistance.

Objective markers and reminders of current goals.

Pausing anywhere, including in cutscenes.

Skippable content, including unskippable logos and sequences.

Readable, modifiable pacing.

Why it matters commercially as well as ethically. A substantial proportion of the population has a disability affecting some aspect of play, and most accessibility options benefit everyone — subtitles in noisy rooms, remapping for comfort, toggle options for long sessions.

The important principle: these should be options, not a mode. Requiring someone to select an accessibility mode that changes the experience is worse than letting them adjust what they need.

Doing it early is far cheaper than retrofitting.