The Game Awards will be streamed this Thursday, December 10, at 3:30 PM PT / 6:30 PM ET, and it’s one of the most prestigious events in video gaming. Viewership has increased every year since it began, and it looks like even more people will be able to enjoy the show this year. For the first time, The Game Awards will include a special audio descriptive mode during the stream.
The show’s creator and product Geoff Keighley made the announcement on December 5, adding that the mode will be available via YouTube Gaming. The mode should allow those who have low vision or no vision to still enjoy the show by detailing what is happening on the stage.
We’ve seen games move toward greater accessibility for players with low vision recently, offering audio description for menus and other text. In the case of Watch Dogs: Legion, the game even has a narrator say “press [X] button” by default when you start it up.
This year, The Game Awards is recognizing the games that have made the greatest strides in accessibility. Alongside Watch Dogs Legion, other nominees this year include The Last of Us Part 2, Hyperdot, Grounded, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In the case of Grounded, one of its most innovative accessibility features changes the design of spiders so players with arachnophobia can still enjoy it.
Alongside YouTube, The Game Awards will be available on several other platforms and sites including Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and GameSpot. Hey, that’s us! You can vote now to help determine the winners.
