From Blind Driving Assists to One Touch Driving, Meet The Most Accessible Forza Motorsport Ever

All of us at Turn 10 Studios can’t wait for players to experience the generational leap in fidelity, immersion and realism when Forza MotorsportLaunches this year Just as the team has been busy building the most technically advanced and authentic racing game we’ve ever made, we’re proud to have achieved another goal: Forza MotorsportOur most accessible ever game.  

While there are several accessibility features to look forward to, and each one is important, on behalf of the team at Turn 10 I’m excited to share in-detail about a few of our new and innovative features that will enable more people to play.  

Blind Driving Assistance 

Blind Driving Assists is a set of features that were built specifically for those who have low vision or are blind. 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. Brandon and Low Vision gamers have provided us with real-time input to refine and create the Blind Driving Aids. 

Blind Driving Assistants help Low/No Vision Players navigate Forza Motorsport tracks by providing them with supplemental audio clues. Turn 10’s Audio team worked in partnership with Forza Motorsport’s accessibility team on the feature set. The accessibility menu allows players to listen in detail and preview each audio cue that they’ll encounter while on the track. The player will need to familiarize themselves with what the various audible signals mean and their interactions with one another before they are able to use the feature.   

Blind Driving Assists provides audio information to players about their location and orientation, progress and approach through turns as well as other information, including how much deceleration they need, and when to shift the vehicle (if using manual transmission). 

The team felt it was more important that Blind Driving Assistance be a collection of features than a single mode. Blind and Low Vision gamers should have the same experience as everyone else. Forza MotorsportIt was designed to allow drivers with low vision and blindness to drive independently by giving them the information they need. 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. After players are used to this feature, we believe it will change the game. We’ll share more for the community closer to our launch. 

One Touch Driving 

A new innovation in Forza MotorsportThe ability to race using any combination and amount of inputs is available. The team worked closely with Xbox User Research to develop this feature. At different stages of development, they brought in players who had various stamina and mobility disabilities. The new features cater to players with disabilities, such as those that have difficulty gripping the controller, pressing buttons, or holding them down. These allow for greater customizations of car control than ever. From the basics like automatic shifting, through enhanced steering and braking assists, to the all-new throttle and pit entry assists, you can create the experience that’s right for you, and play your own way.  

Screen Narration 

Something we are excited to offer to our players is a screen narration solution that can be adjusted to suit an individual’s preferences and informational needs to help them navigate and play the game. The system is built around volume, pitch and speed controls as well as the option to choose your voice narrator.  

As part of the effort to offer true customization, some new settings are available that control how verbose and where reading lists appear, as well as navigational keyword, button hints and other options. It can reduce information overload, and players will be able to make adjustments as they become more comfortable with the game.  

The Most Accessible Forza Motorsport Ever 

There are many accessibility features available. Forza Motorsport don’t stop there. Here’s a list of some of the many great accessibility features coming to Forza Motorsport. 

The Feature Descriptions  

• Blind Driving AssistanceBlind and Low Vision gamers can access audio cues to navigate the tracks and race. They will also improve their lap time and finish races. The players will have the option to select each cue individually and adjust volume, pitch, etc. to suit their requirements. 

• One Touch DrivingThe player can choose the combination they want to enable braking, throttle, and steering assists. This will reduce the amount of inputs needed. The driving assist features will let users customize their experience, and choose how many or few of the driving aids they want to use. 
• The Screen Narrator They can also enable the Narrator feature to assist in menu navigation and receive any information that is sent through UI. Players will also be able to customise the narration system to their liking, allowing them to select what type of information they want to convey. 
• Dynamic Audio DescriptionThe audio descriptions will be customized for each player and change according to the weather, time of day, or other factors.   
• Text-to-Speech/Speech-to-Text: These options allow players to take part in multiplayer voice chat, and send synthesized voices to other players via text-to speech or to view the incoming communication of other players as text using speech-to text. 
• The UI colorblindness modes: Change the UI color theme to help distinguish UI info and states of focus for those with tritanopia. 

• World Colorblindness filters: Tritanopia or deuteranopia sufferers can apply a special filter when rendering 3D objects such as tracks, cars, characters, cinematics in games, etc. to make color information distinguishable, as desired. 
• Controller Remapping: Gameplay controls can be remapped through the settings, offering additional flexibility to a players’ desired control scheme. 
• Subtitles: Subtitles can be enabled by players, and the font size of subtitles as well as their background transparency may also be adjusted.  
• Audio Customization Settings: The volume can be adjusted independently by the player to achieve their desired audio experience. 

• Opponent DifficultyWhen racing against AI, players can choose the driving level of their opponent.  

• Text Sizing: The menu text can be resized by the player. The HUD in-game will have some support for resizing. 
• Contrast: You can increase the contrast between UI/HUD elements. This is done by a series of additional levels, which provide higher contrast ratios for improved readability. 
• The background is moving. You can turn off the moving background to make it easier for you to navigate or read menus.  

Turn 10’s commitment to accessibility is ongoing. We’re always listening to players and striving to create features for more players to play the games they love. We’re incredibly proud of the work being done to empower more players than ever before to experience Forza Motorsport. 

Forza Motorsport  is coming this year to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S consoles, Windows PC and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta). Keep an eye out for more information!