Valve Introduces Accessibility Features for Steam Big Picture Mode and SteamOS

Valve has announced the introduction of new accessibility features aimed at enhancing the gaming experience for players with disabilities. These features are part of the latest beta release for Steam Big Picture Mode and SteamOS. A comprehensive list of these features can be found at explained here.

In a recent blog post, Valve emphasized that these features represent “just the first accessibility features we’re making available.” Currently, players utilizing both Big Picture Mode and SteamOS will have access to the following enhancements:

• A scaling slider for text size, allowing users to adjust the size of text for better readability.
• A high-contrast mode designed to improve the visibility of buttons and text on the screen.
• A “reduce motion” toggle that disables certain animations and screen transition effects, catering to those who may experience discomfort with motion.

For SteamOS devices, which currently include the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go S, additional features are available:

• A built-in screen reader that offers adjustable pitch, volume, and reading rate. This feature can be enabled or disabled through settings or via a convenient two-button shortcut.
• A color filter that impacts both the Steam UI and any games being played. Users can select from options such as grayscale, inverted display brightness, or inverted display colors.

These new features can be accessed through a dedicated Accessibility tab in the settings menu, as illustrated in the image below for SteamOS.

Earlier this month, Valve also introduced a feature that allows players to started letting Steam users filter games based on their accessibility support. This includes options similar to those mentioned above, as well as adjustable difficulty settings and speech-to-text or text-to-speech chat functionalities. Valve is actively encouraging players with disabilities to suggest additional features through a discussion thread, with a mono audio toggle currently gaining popularity among users.

For those who do not require these accessibility features, Valve has indicated that a simplified universal mode may be introduced in the future, although details remain limited. While I have not yet had the opportunity to test the beta version, the feedback suggests that these enhancements could significantly improve the gaming experience for many users.