Forza Horizon 5 adding sign language interpreters for cutscenes
Microsoft continues its run of making games more accessible as Playground Games announces an ASL/BSL interpreter will arrive in Forza Horizon 5
We already know Microsoft is way ahead of the game when it comes to accesibility in games, and now the company has gone another step further by promising to add sign language support to Forza Horizon 5.
In a post over on the Xbox Wire, Mike Brown (creative director at Forza Horizon 5 developer Playground Games), explained the various ways the game has been made more accesible for players with disabilities, noting the colour blindness mode, text-to-speech options and the myriad subtitle options that have been added to the game.
"Many of the accessibility features found in the game were created in partnership with players from the gaming & disability community, many of whom shared their experiences and the barriers they faced in gaming with us," Brown explained.
"With this in mind, the team is excited to share we are also working on American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) support for cinematics in Forza Horizon 5. Coming soon, this feature will include a picture-in picture display near the bottom of the screen of an ASL/BSL interpreter during the cinematics in the game."
The update is due to arrive 'shortly after launch' – which is tomorrow (November 9).
Interestingly, the game also lets you slow down the entire game speed, allowing you to play the same game just a bit slower if you need to – ideal for players who might not have the reaction speed that's usually necessary to play high-octane racing games.
This even extends to the character customisation options, which let you choose prosthetics for your character to better represent those players.
Alongside the phenomenal Xbox Adaptive Controller, concerted efforts to make its Store more readable for those with disabilities, and a month-long celebration of accesible gaming, the addition of American Sign Language and British Sign Language to the game shows that Microsoft is doing more than just saying it'll be more inclusive – it's taking meaningful steps to improve gaming for everyone.
Forza Horizon 5 releases on November 9 for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC – and it's already attracted over 1 million players.