Starfield's Lack of Accessibility Information Has Disabled Gamers Worried

ign.com:

Kolo Jones is eagerly awaiting the release of Starfield, Bethesda’s newest open world title. As a fan of the sci-fi genre, Jones wants to explore as many planets as possible, engage in ship combat, and unravel the mysteries between each faction. But currently, her anticipation is met with equal feelings of trepidation. For Jones and other disabled players, Starfield’s lack of accessibility information is causing concerns.

Last year, Bethesda unveiled an official gameplay look at Starfield, and during this year’s Summer Game Fest, Xbox hosted an hour-long Starfield Direct with new footage and developer commentary. While we learned about mechanics like combat, space traversal, and even sandwich storage, noticeably missing from each presentation was any word on accessibility features or design practices. And in both instances, the accessibility community took notice. Speaking with IGN, disabled players question the overall silence regarding Starfield’s accessibility information, the accessibility of previous Bethesda Game Studios titles, and their hopes for Starfield pre-and post-release.

As a disabled content creator and consultant, Jones understands the importance of giving disabled players as much information as possible before a title launches. For a game as expansive as Starfield, disabled individuals like Jones need to know of available options and designs that will either help or hinder their gameplay. While it’s exciting to see new footage, Jones notes there is a layer of uncertainty behind each demonstration.

“My main hope is that accessibility options are communicated as soon as possible – like yesterday,” Jones said. “It’s the not knowing if I can play and desperately wanting to be excited about this game, which