Gaming with low vision or sight loss: settings and features that help

Start with what sight loss means for your play

There is no single "vision setting". A player with low vision may need bigger text and stronger contrast. Someone with a colour vision deficiency may need a filter, or games that do not rely on red versus green. A blind player may use a screen reader for menus and audio cues during play. Many people use a mix.

A useful first step is to write down the moments where a game gets difficult. Is it reading menus? Spotting enemies? Following subtitles? Seeing where to go next? Each of those has a different fix, and most of the fixes are already built into consoles and PCs.

Console screen readers: Xbox Narrator, PS5 Screen Reader and Switch 2 Text to Speech

All three current console families can read their own menus aloud. What they read during a game depends on the game itself.

• Xbox: Narrator reads text, buttons and other elements aloud. Microsoft's support page lists two quick ways to switch it on: hold the Xbox button until the controller vibrates and then press the Menu button, or go to Profile & system > Settings > Accessibility > Narrator. You can choose a voice and change volume, speed and pitch.
• PS5: go to Settings > Accessibility > Screen Reader and turn on Enable Screen Reader. PlayStation notes that the screen reader is only available in certain languages and follows your console language. Press the PS button and triangle button together to pause or resume reading.
• Nintendo Switch 2: open System Settings > Accessibility and turn on Convert Text to Speech. Nintendo says it reads the HOME Menu, the album and System Settings, and UK English is supported. On system version 22.0.0 or later you can hold the Y Button on the language screen during first-time setup to turn it on straight away.

Full menu paths and the other options are in our device guides for Xbox, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Zoom and magnification on each platform

Magnifiers enlarge part of the screen. They are especially useful for small text in game menus that the console's own text-size options do not reach.

• Xbox: hold the Xbox button until it vibrates, press the View button and choose Yes. Once Magnifier is on, use the right trigger to zoom in and the left trigger to zoom out. Microsoft notes that pressing the Xbox button twice keeps the magnification in place while you use the controller for gameplay.
• PS5: go to Settings > Accessibility > Display and Sound > Zoom and turn on Enable Zoom. While playing, press the PS button and the square button together to zoom. PlayStation lists situations where zoom is unavailable, including Remote Play, broadcasting and Share Screen.
• Nintendo Switch and Switch 2: turn on Zoom (on Switch 2 under System Settings > Accessibility; on the original Switch under System Settings > System > Zoom), then press the HOME Button twice quickly. Use the X and Y Buttons to change the zoom level.
• Windows: press the Windows logo key and the plus sign to open Magnifier, and the Windows logo key and Esc to close it.

Magnification shows less of the screen at once, so it suits menus, maps and inventories better than fast action. Some players switch it on only for those moments.

Contrast, text size and colour filters

Contrast and colour settings change how the whole screen looks, which can help in places a game's own options do not cover.

• Xbox high contrast: Profile & system > Settings > Accessibility > High contrast, then choose Dark theme or Light theme. This is console-wide.
• Xbox colour filters: Profile & system > Settings > Accessibility > Colour filters. Microsoft describes correction types for deuteranopia, protanopia and tritanopia, with Intensity and Colour boost sliders. Filters apply to everything on the console but leave game clips and screenshots unchanged.
• PS5: Settings > Accessibility > Display and Sound includes Invert Colours, Colour Correction, Text Size, Bold Text, High Contrast and Reduce Motion.
• Switch 2: Text size (default, large or maximum), Bold text and High contrast are in System Settings > Accessibility. Nintendo points out these are not reflected when playing a game. Change Display Colours offers Invert colours and Greyscale.

System text settings mostly affect menus rather than games. That is why the in-game checklist above starts with text size: you need both.

Playing by sound: audio cues and narrated menus

Some games are designed so that blind players can complete them using sound: audio pings for objects, direction cues, and menus that are read aloud. The Accessible Games Initiative, run by the Entertainment Software Association, defines a Narrated menus tag for games where screen readers or voice narration can access all menus. Xbox has adopted these tags, and its support page explains what each one means.

Look for:

• menus that read each option as you move to it, rather than a cursor you steer around the screen;
• separate volume controls, so you can lower the music and keep important effects clear;
• stereo or surround sound options, which help you judge where a sound comes from;
• audio descriptions or sound cues for objectives, ledges, enemies and pick-ups.

Audio-led play varies a lot from game to game. Publisher accessibility pages are the most reliable place to check what a specific game offers before you buy. Our game accessibility profiles summarise those official lists.

Finding visually accessible games before you buy

Store tags can save you from buying a game you cannot use. On Xbox, Microsoft explains that you can filter the Store by accessibility features: press the Xbox button, go to Store, browse a category, press the X button to open filters and choose Accessibility. The same filters exist in the Xbox app for PC and on xbox.com. On PS5, open a game in PlayStation Store and press the triangle button or select the side panel to see its accessibility features, where the developer provides them.

Tags worth noticing for sight loss include Large text, Clear text, Large & clear subtitles, Colour alternatives, Narrated menus and Camera comfort. Xbox notes that tags are chosen by developers and are not exhaustive, so a missing tag does not always mean a missing feature. If a game matters to you, the developer's own accessibility page or support team is the best next check.

Comfort, flashing images and taking breaks

Some players with sight loss find long sessions tiring. Shorter sessions, a well-lit room and a comfortable viewing distance all help. On Xbox you can set a break reminder under Profile & system > Settings > Preferences > Break reminder, from every 30 minutes up to every 2 hours.

If you or someone you play with has photosensitive epilepsy, read the photosensitive seizure warning published by the console maker and check the game's own options for reducing flashing effects. The NHS lists flashing lights among things that can trigger seizures for some people with epilepsy. Speak to your GP or specialist about your own triggers.

UK organisations for blind and partially sighted gamers

RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) offers practical and emotional support for people with sight loss and their families, including a helpline and community groups. If sight loss is new to you, it is a good starting point for advice beyond gaming.

The UK support and funding page lists organisations, what they do and who they help. For setup questions about a specific console, Xbox and PlayStation both run accessibility support routes, which are listed there too.

Questions people ask

Can I play console games if I am blind?

Many blind players do. Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 all have screen readers for their menus. During play it depends on the game: look for narrated menus, audio cues and the publisher's accessibility page.

Do console text-size settings make game text bigger?

Usually not. Nintendo states that Switch 2 text settings are not reflected in games, and console text options generally cover system menus. Check each game's own text-size setting, or use the console magnifier.

Which colour filter should I pick for colour blindness?

Xbox offers correction types for deuteranopia, protanopia and tritanopia, with Intensity and Colour boost sliders. Microsoft suggests choosing the colour wheel that looks least distinct to you, then adjusting the sliders.

Where can I check a game's vision features before buying?

Use accessibility filters in the Xbox Store, the accessibility section of a game's page in PlayStation Store, and the publisher's own accessibility page.