PlayStation’s efforts toward accessibility on its platforms have continued with the addition of a new feature on thePS5store. Sony has strived to make thePS5more accessible through the implementation of accessibility features in first-party games as well as the development of the Project Leonardo controller.
In recent years, Sony has worked toward making PlayStation consoles and games more accessible. Perhaps the biggest example of this work is the announcement of theProject Leonardo controller for PS5, which seemed to be Sony’s response to the Xbox Adaptive Controller. However, these moves toward accessibility started years prior with the inclusion of accessibility options in many first-party games that opened the doors for disabled gamers to enjoy titles such asHorizon: Zero DawnandMarvel’s Spider-Man.
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These features will be highlighted even more with the addition of Accessibility Tags in the PlayStation Store on PS5 which, according to a post on the PlayStation Blog, will hit the digital storefront this week. These tags will help players find out if certain accessibility options are present in games on the storefront. These can include features such as larger text options, colorblind modes, alternate control options, and otheraccessibility features in games likeThe Last of Us Part 1andGod of War Ragnarok. The post also shared a video demonstrating how to find these tags on the PlayStation Store page forGhost of Tsushima Director’s Cut.
These tags will be broken up into categories such as visual, audio, and gameplay options. The tags will also have a brief description showing what each feature means for the game in question such as the option to playGhost of Tsushima Director’s Cutwithout the Adaptive Triggers on the DualSense controller or theoption for players to get help with puzzles inGod of War Ragnarok. While these tags have currently only been shown to be implemented in first-party PlayStation games, the blog post states that Sony is “collaborating with a wide range of developers” to bring the feature to more games.
Sony has not shied away from highlighting the importance of making its games accessible to everyone, something that has continued with PS VR2 and theaccessibility options inStar Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge. With the addition of accessibility tags, players can be aware of these features from the get-go and ensure that they will be able to fully enjoy a game before they make a purchase. With the planned rollout of Accessibility Tags and the Project Leonardo controller still in development, Sony has made it clear that it will continue its work in making the PS5 accessible for everyone.
