There is! Losing your eyesight can be scary, and we at Ablegamers want to make sure that as many players who are losing their sight can continue to enjoy all the benefits that come with gaming. Please note however, that the technology we recommend all depends on the spectrum of your eyesight loss. Carefully review the options below, and reach out with any additional questions if you have them.
Technology
As far as technology goes, the only main options are screen magnifiers and screen readers. Depending on the level of sight loss you have will influence which one of these options are best. You can also use them both together!
Let’s start with the basics: What is a screen magnifier, and what is a screen reader?
A screen magnifier is a software that will magnify the contents on your screen. The range of magnification can range to 250%+, and allow for seamless navigation across the screen. Now, for gaming, it can be difficult to use a screen magnifier for any fast paced games. However, for games such as Hearthstone or other slower paced games, this can be a great option for you.
A screen reader is a software that reads the content on screen out loud to you (clever, right?). A screen reader can only be used with games that were developed with a screen reader (like JAWS, NVDA, etc.) in mind.
Side-Scroller Fighting games
Fighting games are widely popular in the Blind and low vision community, as these games heavily use audio to indicate different actions in the game. Each move, whether from yourself or the enemy, has a unique audio sound that players memorize.
Does this sound confusing? That’s okay, here’s some videos showing players playing fighting games:
Audio games
There are multiple websites available to players that host full-audio games! Some of these games work in conjunction with a screen reader, or can be played without. Below are some of our favorites: