Traditional video games and other fun digital content we can play on websites today are far more accessible than ever, thanks to several key technological advances:
- better gaming devices
- faster internet speeds
- cloud gaming/computing
- live streaming capabilities
- artificial intelligence and its many applicationsmore efficient web browsers
- far more dynamic, responsive, and intuitive websites
Game development studios have also crafted several highly sophisticated accessibility features, significantly improving the experiences for players with disabilities.
Blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, virtual/augmented reality technology, enhanced cybersecurity practices, and the Play2Earn (P2E) model are some factors that have helped games become more accessible. These combined have helped open the world of online gaming for millions of enthusiasts worldwide.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at exactly how these new technological innovations and accessibility features are helping to shape the gaming industry’s future and completely revolutionize how we interact with the games we play.
What Has The Industry Done To Make Gaming Become More Accessible For People With Disabilities?
One of the hottest topics in the gaming industry in recent years is how market-leading software providers and hardware manufacturers have made their games more accessible to players with disabilities.
For example, some of the industry’s high-end, triple-A blockbusters and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) now feature real-time communication functionality that wasn’t previously available to all users.
The 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which was signed into law in 2010 but didn’t fully come into effect until 2019, required that any “advanced communications services” a video game utilizes be accessible to those with disabilities.
In other words, video games with interactive chat features, video communication services, email, instant messages, and text messages must be easily accessible to players with disabilities.
However, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a few exemptions have been taken into account. If, for example, upgrades to make these accessibility features available in their games aren’t possible for whatever reasons, those games may be exempt from the new requirement.
Only specific types of video games released after 2019 were required to offer more inclusive communication solutions with accessibility features such as video conferences, electronic messaging, and voice-over.
Text-to-speech technology, high-contrast settings, and screen magnifiers have also made games more accessible to people with disabilities.
The newly standardized features and accessibility tools have mainly helped gamers with hearing impairments, color blindness, and low vision, and they have dramatically enhanced the gaming experience for millions of players worldwide. And now? Playing their favorite titles is more immersive and enjoyable.
Other assistive technologies now used in some parts of the gaming industry include gesture controls, haptic feedback devices used in AR/VR games, switch access, and voice recognition.
The CVAA requirement essentially means that companies must now be compliant by including these accessibility features to be more inclusive of disabled players, or they could face fines.
What Are The Most Popular Video Games In 2025 With Accessibility Features?
Some of the most popular video games with accessibility features you might like to try in 2025 are high-end, graphically demanding titles such as Horizon: Forbidden West, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.
Others include Hogwarts Legacy, God of War, Celeste, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and The Last of Us 2 — to name just a few.
How Is Technology Playing A Role In Making Gaming More Accessible?
Technology has played a significant role in making games more accessible than ever. Thanks to faster and more reliable Wi-Fi/internet speeds, namely 5G (the fifth-generation wireless mobile network), online players can now stay entertained during travel and play their favorite titles from almost any location without interruption.
Besides faster and more stable internet speeds, some of the other key trends and technological innovations that are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the gaming industry and making it far more accessible to the masses are:
- Mobile gaming
- Better gaming devices (mobiles, dedicated handheld gaming devices, desktop computers, consoles, laptops, and tablets)
- Enhanced cybersecurity practices
- More dynamic, responsive, and intuitive websites
- Faster and more efficient web browsers
- Live streaming capabilities
- Virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR)
- Cloud gaming/computing technology
- Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency
- Faster and more secure in-game transactions
- App stores
- Virtual private networks (VPNs)
Many other ground-breaking technologies have also made traditional and mobile gaming more accessible — others will continue to emerge and take the industry to extraordinary new heights over the coming years.
A Closer Look At How Some Of These Technologies Are Making Online Games Accessible To The Masses
Mobile gaming is now the platform of choice for most gamers worldwide. People can now enjoy playing their favorite online video games by simply whipping out their device wherever they may be — they can enjoy playing while sitting on a park bench, waiting in a queue, having a coffee break, or wherever else they find themselves with a bit of free time, provided they have a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Today’s cutting-edge smartphones come with powerful processors, more responsive touchscreen controls and interfaces, high-resolution screens, and improved batteries — making even the more demanding titles much easier to access.
Thanks to advances in cybersecurity practices, including higher levels of cryptographic encryption (typically 128-bit SSL or higher) and more sophisticated firewalls that prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, players today are much better protected. More people than ever are willing to play games online on many safe sites because of these enhanced cyber security measures.
The online gaming experience has also improved thanks to faster and more responsive web browsers that are much easier to navigate. 5G and live streaming capabilities have improved the gaming experience for millions of enthusiasts, with people no longer having trouble with lagging, buffering, or disconnection issues.
When traveling at home or abroad, people can enjoy virtual experiences in numerous visually stunning 3D computer-generated realms. Devices like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest Pro have made metaverses such as The Sandbox, Decentraland, Axie Infinity, and Somnium Space, and VR games like The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, Resident Evil, Medal of Honor, and Half-Life: Alyx far more accessible.
Additionally, the cutting-edge blockchain technology that facilitates cryptocurrency in-game transactions has led to faster, lower-costing and more secure payments, which massively boosts accessibility.
The P2E (Play to Earn) model, safe app stores offering thousands of games, and VPNs (virtual private networks) that allow gamers to connect to services and access gaming sites they otherwise couldn’t have also been instrumental in taking the online gaming industry to newer and broader audiences.
Conclusion
For most people who follow the industry closely, accessibility is one of the main reasons gaming is on the rise. Plus, mobile gaming is also a driving force behind gaming’s ever-increasing popularity.
People can now enjoy playing hundreds of their favorite fast-loading titles from the palm of their hand without the need for powerful gaming hardware, such as PlayStations and Xboxes or Windows or macOS desktop computers or laptops.
Leaders in the gaming sector have helped to completely revolutionize the digital entertainment industry simply by making their games playable for everyone.
Over the coming years, experts predict that the industry will continue to grow thanks to the latest game releases, better hardware, new accessibility features and tools arriving, safer environments, and other exciting new technological innovations that will shape the future of gaming in ways that we cannot yet imagine.