In that instance, disabled players feared they wouldn't be able to play, and they were ultimately correct. Currently, Starfield's decision to not share any information most closely mirrors Nintendo with Tears of the Kingdom. Other developers of major blockbuster games have started sharing such information early, too, like Sony Santa Monica Studio revealing accessibility settings for God of War Ragnarök and Ubisoft sharing some of the accessibility settings in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown shortly after its Summer Game Fest demonstration. Recently, they shared a post exploring Disability Pride Month, and for the past two years in October, they've hosted an accessibility showcase with game and studio information. The lack of communication is especially notable given Xbox’s strong recent history of promoting and celebrating accessibility and the disabled community. In contrast, the only accessibility information given for Starfield with just two months to its launch was during Todd Howard’s interview on Kinda Funny’s Xcast, where he confirmed a “Large Font Mode” will be available. I’m so excited for this game, but am I allowed to be excited because what if I can’t play it?”īethesda Game Studios’ parent company, Xbox, notably held a press tour for extensive accessibility options for the newest Forza Motorsport six months before its planned release date. “It’s the not knowing if I can play and desperately wanting to be excited about this game, which thematically and visually is everything I look for. “My main hope is that accessibility options are communicated as soon as possible – like yesterday,” Jones said. While it’s exciting to see new footage, Jones notes there is a layer of uncertainty behind each demonstration. 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. Starfield’s SilenceĪs a disabled content creator and consultant, Jones understands the importance of giving disabled players as much information as possible before a title launches. 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.

And in both instances, the accessibility community took notice. 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. 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.

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