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Xbox X|SWe've documented 28 accessibility features for Microsoft Flight Simulator, including Adjust Speed, Low Pressure, No Quick Reactions, Control Assists and 1 Stick. Its accessibility is strongest in Controls and Getting Started but it also has features in Visual, Difficulty, Navigation, Reading and Audio to reduce unintended barriers.
This report is created with input from accessibility experts and the player community to help people find games that have the accessibility features they require. Once you have found potential games on the database, there are excellent specialist accessibility sites that offer in-depth reviews to guide your purchasing decisions.
Our accessibility examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Microsoft Flight Simulator accessibility 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 2 years ago.
Accessibility Notes
- Assistance enables waypoint arrows at the taxiways, guiding players on where to go.
- Route and waypoints enable markers to guide players in the sky.
- Landing Path guides players on landing.
- Travel To time-lapse the flight, condensing long-haul flights.
- Active Pause pauses the flight, allowing players to explore the surrounding area.
- Autorudder keeps the plane in the centre line of taxiways and runways when the player is unable to control it.
You can use a reduced set of buttons but opt to start the flight in the air so you don't have to deal with the taking-off procedure which requires multiple buttons. This enables you to fly and use just the left stick to fly. Although you can't control throttle, this mode is playable although you can't ascend very high. You could also opt to let the computer fly the plane and then use the right stick to look around.
Flight Simulator also allows players to search for faunas in the game, either by searching "fauna" on the World Map, or selecting "Fauna Markers" when in mid-air. In addition, there is a feature of entering a geographic coordinate to find a location.
Helpful information on how to play the game is available from the SpecialEffect video.
Game Details
Release Date: 18/08/2020
Out Now: PC and Xbox X|S
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Players: 1 (30 online)
Genres: Simulation and Traversal
Accessibility: 28 features
Components: 3D First-Person, 3D Third-Person, Day and Night, Open World and Weather
Developer: Asobo Studio (@AsoboStudio)
Costs: Purchase cost, In-Game Purchases and In-Game Pass
Controls
We've documented 12 accessibility features for Controls in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deal with how you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Gamepad
Can play with the following:
1 Stick: Can play with 1 stick.
1 Button & Single Stick: Can play with button and stick.
Multiple Buttons & Single Stick: Can play with multiple buttons and a stick.
Multiple Buttons & Two Sticks: Can play with multiple buttons and two sticks.
Mouse And Keyboard
Can play with the following:
Mouse Alone: Can play with just the mouse/mouse-button/mouse wheel.
Mouse and Keys: Can play with mouse and multiple keys.
Remap Controls
Can customise the controls for the game as follows:
Remap Buttons: Can re-map all buttons so that you can use alternatives that better suit your play.
Swap Sticks: Can swap the sticks over so that you can use the opposite sticks to control the game.
Remap Sticks: Can remap the stick controls to controller buttons for easier access of direction controls.
Remap Mouse and Keyboard: Can remap mouse and keyboard key bindings, on systems that support these controls.
Controller Vibration
Informative Vibration: Controller vibration indicates events or interactions in the game, echoing visual and audio cues. This can provide additional information about progress, approaching enemies or hitting a target.
Sensitivity
You can adjust
Adjust Mouse/Stick/Touch Sensitivity: Adjust how sensitive touch/mouse/stick controls are.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Controls
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Controls accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Controls accessibility:
- Sail Forth (16 Controls Features)
Difficulty
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Difficulty in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deal with how you can adjust the challenge of play, and whether this is locked once chosen or can be adjusted as you play.
Difficulty Options
Select Difficulty: Select the level of difficulty from a range of presets. This not only offers a way to adjust the challenge of a game but enables you to do so without dealing with individual criteria.
Customise Difficulty: Customise different aspects of the game to create a challenge of an appropriate level. Adjusting elements individually enables you to tailor gameplay to suit your needs and style of play.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Difficulty
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Difficulty accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Difficulty accessibility:
- Forza Motorsport 7 (3 Difficulty Features)
Getting Started
We've documented 6 accessibility features for Getting Started in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deal with what support is offered to get started with the game. This includes customising the experience when you first open the game via any onboarding processes it provides as well as tutorials and other assistance when you first start playing.
Assistance Getting Starting
These features aid your play of the game in terms of cognitive load on learning controls, dealing with pressure and coping with the environment and challenges.
Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials and instructions on how to play. Information is provided in a timely manner, with appropriate level of detail.
Assistance With Controls: The game can automatically assist with aiming, steering, reloading, jumping, running etc. This reduces the challenge of certain aspects of play to remove barriers and make control of characters more accessible.
Reaction-Time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions, or there are settings to lower the requirement for quick reactions. This means you don't need to quickly press a button in response to an on-screen prompt, target a fast-moving target or skillfully complete a scenario against the clock.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren't time-limited or there's a low-pressure mode. This avoids the pressure of being put on the clock for overarching missions, or failing tasks because you didn't reach a destination in time.
Adjust Speed: Adjust the speed of the game at critical moments or throughout, or rewind play for a second attempt, to ease reaction times. By slowing the game, you have more time to interpret what is happening and then execute your actions. It also reduces the pressure on getting things right quickly or the first time you attempt them.
Assistance For Progressing
These features aid your progress through the game offering different ways of maintaining your progression.
Save Progress Anytime: The game automatically saves progress or you can save any time. This doesn’t mean you never lose progress, but it does mean you can stop whenever you want (without having to get to a save point) without losing progress.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Getting Started
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Getting Started accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Getting Started accessibility:
- Cities: Skylines (8 Getting Started Features)
- Mars First Logistics (7 Getting Started Features)
Reading
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Reading in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deals with how much reading or listening comprehension is required, how well the game provides visual and audible access to the text and whether subtitles and captions are a good fit for purpose.
Reading Level
How much reading is required to play the game's main path or story and how complex the language is. The presence of voiced characters doesn't reduce this requirement, as it's recorded as a separate datapoint.
Simple Minimal Reading: Minimal reading is required. The quantity and complexity of reading are at a level that a primary/elementary student (9-year-old) could understand.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Reading
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Reading accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Reading accessibility:
- Rescue: Mayday (5 Reading Features)
- The Drone Racing League Simulator (4 Reading Features)
- Mars First Logistics (4 Reading Features)
- Cities: Skylines (4 Reading Features)
Navigation
We've documented 2 accessibility features for Navigation in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deal with how the game provides guidance and assistance to navigate its worlds. These are only for games that have traversal and exploration in 2D and 3D spaces.
Head-Up Display
Head-Up Display Navigation: Indication of where to go next with overlaid arrows, minimaps and waypoint markers. This supplements in-game visual and audible cues with additional guidance about where you are and where you need to go.
Game Map: View a map of the game world during play, with the landscape, points of interest and missions highlighted throughout the entire game. This enables the orientation of the player and the world, confirming a direction of movement and the location of destinations or points of exploration.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Navigation
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Navigation accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Navigation accessibility:
- Mars First Logistics (7 Navigation Features)
- Sail Forth (6 Navigation Features)
- Rescue: Mayday (5 Navigation Features)
- Climber: Sky is the Limit (4 Navigation Features)
Visual
We've documented 4 accessibility features for Visual in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deal with how you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Visual Distractions
No Screen Shake: No screen shake effect or it is included but it can be disabled. This includes the absence of screen shake for dramatic effect as well as to indicate hits on a target.
Audio Cues for Visual Events
Audio Cues for Visual Events: Audio is provided to indicate visual events. Game events or progress highlighted by visual icons, effects or animations are also accompanied by audio to signify that progress. This is useful for blind players.
Audio Depiction of Event Location: Indication with positional/stereo audio of where directional events are on the screen for things like damage, footsteps, environmental elements. This is useful for blind players.
Colour Options
Colour Adjustments: Adjust colours of characters or game elements for greater visibility. Includes the ability to select which type of colour blind mode you require.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Visual
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Visual accessibility features you require, this similar game extends the Visual accessibility:
- Rescue: Mayday (9 Visual Features)
Audio
We've documented 1 accessibility feature for Audio in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deals with how you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Adjustable Audio
Balance Audio Levels: Set music and game sound effects separately. This enables you to select your preference as well as ensure critical game sounds aren't obscured by other audio.
Similar Games With More Accessibility Features for Audio
If you want to play Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it doesn't offer the Audio accessibility features you require, these similar games extend the Audio accessibility:
- Lifelike (3 Audio Features)
- The Drone Racing League Simulator (2 Audio Features)
- Mars First Logistics (2 Audio Features)
- Sail Forth (2 Audio Features)
Communication
We haven’t documented any accessibility features for Communication in Microsoft Flight Simulator which deal with how you can communicate with other players in the game and what options are available to customise and control this interaction. The following games are similar to Microsoft Flight Simulator, and offer accessibility features for Communication:
- Forza Motorsport 7 (2 Communication Features)
- The Drone Racing League Simulator (1 Communication Feature)
- Mars First Logistics (1 Communication Feature)
- Rescue: Mayday (1 Communication Feature)
System Accessibility Settings
In addition to the accessibility features provided in the game, you can also use system-wide accessibility settings:
PC
Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators.
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox One has a system features, the excellent co-pilot share controls mode and adaptive controller support for all games.
Read more about system accessibility settings.
Accessibility Report supported by VSC Rating Board, PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors Andy Robertson and Jo Robertson
