A number of accessibility updates are due to be heading to Xbox consoles soon.
Xbox has revealed that there is a range of accessibility updates and changes due to be taking place this year. One of these changes will find Ease of Access —found in the console settings— being renamed to Accessibility. This is consistent with the upcoming Windows 11 update.
There’s also a feature called “Quick Settings” on the way that will allow users to quickly access and edit accessibility settings. This will be available from the Xbox Guide and allows the user to toggle accessibility features without leaving their game or app.
Improved Color Filters are on the way for Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X and will allow users to customize the visual experience and distinguish between colors that may be difficult to see. It’s noted that while some games do apply similar filters individually, this feature will work globally across the Xbox console, from games, movies, apps, menus, and more. Any filters applied will not affect performance, screenshots, or game clips.
A Night Mode display is another feature that affects the whole console while still not impacting performance, screenshots, or game clips. This feature offers a range of settings to adjust light sources to help with night use or for those with light sensitivity. This works by reducing and customizing what light comes from the display the Xbox is connected to, and it allows the power button on the controller and console itself to be dimmed. There’s also a way to have total darkness and a customizable blue light filter for your display. This will be available on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X and can be turned on or off, or scheduled for specific times.
Earlier this year, Xbox revealed text-to-speech and speech-to-text for Xbox Party Chat, and now, in the coming weeks, players worldwide will be able to set their preferences for speech-to-text and text-to-speech chat through the Accessibility options.
In addition to the above, the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and Xbox Adaptive Controller feature sets are being updated to include next-gen features. This includes cross-device connectivity and reduced latency.
