343 Industries has teased some of the accessibility features to be available at launch for its upcoming Halo Infinite.
Teased during the Xbox Accessibility Showcase by 343 Industries producer, Paige Johnson, a list of new and customizable features for Halo Infinite was shown. It was noted that the studio’s goal is to make the game accessible to as many players as possible, and this includes those new to the franchise, but also those who struggled in previous games due to barriers.
Players will be able to adjust subtitles for their size as well as apply the background opacity, enable color coding for different speakers, and choose from subtitles for all dialogue, or just dialogue for the key narrative for the game’s campaign. There will also be a customizable menu and gameplay font size.
Menu narration will be available with different narration speeds, and there will be synthesized text-to-speech and speech-to-text options for those that want to participate in voice communications. This was also a system-level feature revealed earlier this year.
Also detailed was a “Linear Navigation” mode that allows players to navigate through Halo Infinite’s UI without needing to see how controls are positioned on-screen to access them. The HUD and reticle opacity can be adjusted as well to make elements more legible.
Friendly and enemy colors can be adjusted, different audio levels can be tweaked, and both controller and keyboard and mouse inputs can be remapped, adjusted for sensitivity, with options for taps or toggles versus holds. Additionally, a movement-assisted steering feature will allow players to use additional controls to drive wheeled vehicles rather than just using the look-to-steer mechanic.
Earlier this year, 343 Industries highlighted Halo Infinite options and accessibility in a stream that showcased some of the above.
Halo Infinite will also offer prosthetic options for character creation so that more players are represented through their Spartan characters. 343 Industries says it has worked with organizations such as Warfighter Engaged to help in the design process.
While what’s listed above is to be available at launch, 343 Industries seems to remain committed to updating Halo Infinite over time. The game is slated to launch on December 8, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC.
