Accessibility · Hearing

Hearing solutions

Sound does a lot of work in games — it sets context, focuses attention, defines space, builds atmosphere, and intensifies action. When a player can't rely on audio, that information has to become visible. Two to three of every 100 children are born with a detectable level of hearing loss, and about 15% of American adults report some trouble hearing.

Source: NIDCD (NIH) ↗

Closed captioning

A textual representation of a game’s audio — including speaker names and non-speech information like sound effects, ambient sounds, and emotional tone — so the story and cues come through.

In practice: Gears of War 5 labels speakers and adds context like "(on radio)" plus directional arrows.

Contrast

High contrast helps players distinguish text and visual elements from their background — especially important when a player is relying on visual cues in fast-paced moments.

In practice: Eagle Island lets players dim the backdrop to solid black and outline characters and platforms in white.

Text display

Customizable text for labels, menus, and chat — size, face, weight, style, spacing, alignment, case, and color — keeps information readable for everyone.

In practice: Grounded uses clear, accessible dialog boxes and notifications.

Trusted external resources

Hearing solutions are for members

Inside this resource:

Closed captioning done right
Contrast & customizable text display
Real game examples

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