Xbox Shows Off Accessibility Features Coming To Forza Motorsport

Xbox Game Studios revealed new details about the accessibility coming to Forza Motorsport, as they showed off footage of the game’s new amazing options. The latest Xbox Wire highlighted some of the options they’ll be giving players, including the ability for people who are blind to be able to race in the game! We got some of the details of that article below, along with the video showing off the racing in action!

“Blind Driving Assists (BDA) is a feature set that was built for players who are Blind or have Low Vision. After years of research and feedback, we have spent the last two years building the feature with direct feedback from Accessibility Consultant and Blind gamer, Brandon Cole and others from the Gaming & Disability community. Throughout our development, Brandon and other Blind and Low Vision players have been providing invaluable real-time feedback to help us create and refine the various Blind Driving Assists.”

“Blind Driving Assists work by providing a set of supplemental audio cues designed to help Low/No Vision players navigate the tracks of Forza Motorsport. The feature set was driven by the Audio team at Turn 10 and built in close partnership with our accessibility team throughout development. Players can listen to detailed descriptions, as well as a preview of each audio cue they will encounter on-track from within the accessibility menu. Once the player has familiarized themselves with the different audible information, what they represent, and how they all interact with each other, they can head to the track to try out the feature.”

“Blind Driving Assists also provides players with audible information about their position and orientation on track, approach and progress through turns, as well as information about the car, such as how much deceleration is needed, when to shift (if playing with manual transmission) and more. It was important to the entire team that Blind Driving Assists operate as a set of features, rather than a mode. We wanted Blind and Low Vision players to experience Forza Motorsport as it was intended, by providing the audible information that would allow them to make their own driving decisions. And because of this, Brandon will be the first to say to the Blind and Low Vision community that this feature is not ‘pick-up-and-play!’ There’s a learning curve while you discover how to drive by relying on the audio cues. Once players get used to it, we think it will be a game-changer. We’ll share more for the community closer to our launch.”