As video games are a medium which requires active participation from the consumer, accessibility is an important consideration that needs to be made when accounting for all of a game’s audience. It would appear as though Naughty Dog has decided to go above and beyond when it comes to accessibility in its upcoming title, as The Last of Us Part II reportedly offers over 60 different accessibility options.

Many games offer some level of accessibility, be it the availability of subtitles, colour blind modes, or alternative control schemes. According to The Verge however, the number of available options for The Last of Us Part II “is almost overwhelming, with so many toggles and siders to choose from.”

Some of the options include a text-to-speech feature, which reads out loud all of the various written elements, including menus and notes. A high contrast mode helps make enemies easier to spot, while greying out elements in the world which aren’t necessarily intractable, allowing players to focus on what they need to. Players with visual impairments can also use the touchpad to zoom into the world, allowing them to see distant elements more clearly.

While giving “granular control over their experience,” Naughty Dog is also offering a number of standardised presets, meaning that even the accessibility menu itself is accessible.

Accessibility options are a purely positive addition to games, allowing more players to experience and enjoy these stories, and so seeing Naughty Dog’s commitment to offering as many options as possible is a welcome move.

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KitGuru says: Are you glad to see Naughty Dog focusing on accessibility? What other games offer great accessibility options? Which games could use more accessibility options? Let us know down below.

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