Six companies, including Nintendo of America and EA, have begun displaying standardized accessibility tags on their game information pages. Players can now check whether a game includes necessary features—such as subtitles, narrated menus, and button remapping—using consistent terminology before purchasing or playing.
| 📒 | - ESA-operated tags applied across 6 companies including EA and Nintendo - Unifying varying company accessibility descriptions under a single standard - 24 features, US English, voluntary adoption |
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced on November 2 that six companies—EA, Google's YouTube Playables, Nintendo of America, Riot Games, Ubisoft, and Xbox—have begun implementing 'Accessible Games Initiative' tags. The ESA is a US video game industry trade association and the operating body of this joint project. In March of last year, the ESA unveiled the common tags alongside participating companies and announced plans to display them on each company's game information. The timing of adoption was left to each company's discretion, and this announcement reflects the progress of those plans moving onto live screens.
The background behind creating common tags stems from varying accessibility descriptions across companies. EA explained that because each publisher described features using different terms, it was difficult for players to compare games and judge what to expect before purchasing or downloading. The tags aligned definitions and criteria by reflecting feedback from players with disabilities, accessibility organizations, and game development teams. Participating companies are displaying them on their game pages and storefronts so players can search for needed features using consistent terminology.
The tags currently cover 24 features. These include 'large and clear subtitles,' 'narrated menus,' 'basic input remapping,' and difficulty levels, with specific definitions and application criteria established for each tag. For example, 'large and clear subtitles' examines conditions beyond mere subtitle presence, including text size, font, and background displays.
Placement varies by service. EA added tags to the 'About the Game' section on EA.com purchase pages and game-specific details on the EA app. Nintendo of America displays them in the 'About this item' section on Nintendo.com game pages in the US, and has also set up a game list categorized by tag on its US website.
Google provides tag guidance under 'Game Info' for individual games on mobile and web YouTube Playables, while Riot Games displays them in relevant game lists on its accessibility page. Ubisoft displays them on each game's purchase page, and Xbox displays them in its accessibility game list on its US website.
The tags are currently provided in US English, and adoption is voluntary for each company. This does not mean they have been applied across all games or all regions for the six companies. The announcement also did not specify whether they would be applied to Nintendo eShop in Korea. EA explained that the tags do not guarantee an overall game accessibility rating, certification, or individual usability for every player. Supported features and related information may also change as games are updated.
