Starfield fans are concerned about the dearth of information regarding the game’s accessibility features, with less than three months until the game’s release. Due to the increase in accessibility features in modern games, disabled gamers are enjoying more games than ever before, and many players expect Starfield continues this trend.
Last month, Bethesda released a nearly one-hour-long Starfield Direct that highlighted the game’s many features. Fans saw how combat works, how to customize spacecraft, how to travel from planet to planet, and even how to steal sandwiches from enemy ships and store them on their own.
Despite the large quantity of footage shown for the game, neither the Direct nor subsequent announcements have addressed how the game’s accessibility options function. In fact, it is unclear whether any accessibility options even exist.
Do you know that Patch 1.03 has been released for Final Fantasy 16, the highly anticipated installment in the adored franchise? While the patch focuses primarily on minor adjustments and additions to the game’s options, it introduces significant enhancements to the user experience:
Some source reports that Bethesda’s reticence regarding Starfield’s accessibility features has caused some disabled players to question whether or not they will be able to play the game. It is difficult for disabled gamers like Kolo Jones, who has ADHD and spondyloarthritis, which causes inflammation in her vertebrae, to grasp controllers.
Jones will require explicit “quest markers” and additional controller support for twin-stick movement and button inputs in order to travel to and from the many planets of Starfield under these conditions. Jones is excited for the game, but the requirement to use both thumbsticks while simultaneously pressing multiple buttons may preclude her from playing it.
Unfortunately, Bethesda games have a reputation for missing accessibility features, as one disabled gamer named Matthew Allcock discovered the hard way. Before he was afflicted with nystagmus, a condition characterized by rapid, repetitive eye movements, he enjoyed playing Fallout and Skyrim by Bethesda.
As his disability worsened, he was unable to continue playing due to the difficulty of locating adversaries, locating objects, and traversing the map. Allcock hopes that Starfield will defy convention and include the features he needs to appreciate the game.
In recent years, there have been numerous fantastic video games with excellent accessibility features, and game developers have done a fantastic job of accommodating those who require a little extra assistance.
Adding these features is not always straightforward, but hopefully Starfield will be added to the list of accessible games later this year. Starfield releases on PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6.