Forza Horizon 5 Accessibility Settings Detailed, American And British Sign Language Coming Soon

Microsoft is a pioneer in accessibility in video games, as Forza Horizon 5 supports. In a blog post yesterday, Playground Games’ Mike Brown detailed a large swath of toggles and settings that make Horizon 5 playable for those who may be hearing or visually impaired or have other accessibility needs.

Highlighting the importance of these features in his post, Brown wrote, “We want everyone in the world to be able to experience our game, and with more than an estimated 400 million gamers with disabilities across the globe, it is vital that all players be able to tailor their gameplay in a way that works best for them.” Many of the features present come from conversations with the Gaming & Disability community, which detailed various barriers to entry to the development team. Below are some accessibility features available in Forza. Horizon 5.

• A Game Speed Modification setting that allows gamers to play Forza Horizon 5 at a reduced speed when playing offline; this feature is great for newcomers and those who would like more time to progress through the game.
   
• The High Contrast mode changes the colors of menus, text and other items to make them easier for gamers to identify.
   
• The Color Blindness mode allows colorblind players to see game elements clearly. The UI can be adjusted independently by players to adjust the color blindness settings.  
   
• We understand the importance of customizing subtitles. With these, you’ll be able to:
  • To toggle subtitles, turn them on/off
  • Change the font size
  • Change the background color
  • Capability to highlight key words
     
• You can customize the font size of your menu or gameplay.
   
• A screen reader narration that speaks text and buttons aloud.
   
• For players who wish to join Voice Chat, there are text-to-speech or speech-totext options. Players can send synthesized vocal chat as voicechat or need to use the synthesized text to communicate with each other.
   
• Disable moving background
   
• The notification duration setting allows you to control how many notifications appear in your game.

Another significant accessibility feature in the works but isn’t present right away is picture-in-picture American Sign Language and British Sign Language interpreters during cut scenes. It is expected that this new feature will be available in the AAA gaming space soon.

Forza Horizon 5 is available on Xbox Series X/S (Xbox One and PC), November 9. The open-world racing game can be played immediately by those who have pre-purchased the Premium Edition, Game Pass subscribers or who paid for the Premium add on. If you’re want to know more about Horizon 5, check out our review of the game right here.