The Nintendo Switch Did Everything Right, Except for Just One Thing…
And I’ll explain why this affects everyone, not just the targeted demographic this negatively impacts.
Gaming commands a population of almost 3 billion alone, flowing in a whopping $180 billion USD worth of revenue within 2021, according to this article by Cam Waller.
If you’re in a developing or developed country, the chances of you having touched a gaming platform (of any shape or size) is probably even higher.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the many primary mainstream consoles which contribute to these rising numbers; for good reason.
I’m a massive Switch fan. I almost exclusively play Nintendo devices and titles. I grew up on all its handhelds and home consoles, starting with the original DS back in 2006. Like many others, I love this Japanese gaming company which started with merely flower cards back in 1889.
And that’s why I wanted to call out this issue which surfaced the moment Switch consoles reached retailers, but I feel still hasn’t achieved its deserved light.
The Switch is one of the worst of the major consoles when it comes to accessibility features. About 20% of the ~3 billion gamers worldwide suffer from a disability.
And how does this affect the rest of the ~80%?
Why the Switch isn’t as Accessible as other consoles, and why this matters to ALL
The primary feature the Switch offers for those with disabilities is the basic “Zoom” mode — an amazing feature that allows gamers to zoom in up close within their screen not only on the Switch menu, but also in-game. This is a pretty important tool for many who are vision-impaired. Watch James Rath’s video if you’re curious how it helps a blind gamer.
That’s pretty much the only accessibility-related item offered within the console.
Competitors like Sony’s PS5 offer a plethora of features for a wider range of disabilities — everything but an actual accessibility controller:
For vision-impaired users:
- Customizing text and display settings (color correction, inversion & contrast, bolding & enlarging text, reducing emotion, etc.)
- Screen reading (gamers can pause/play, or start reading from the beginning of a paragraph)
- Zoom
- Chat Transcription (Speech-to-text and text-to-speech)
For hard-of-hearing users:
- Mono Audio
- Close Captions (Transcribing what’s being spoken on a screen in real-time)
The Switch doesn’t have a built-in screen reader. The most a vision-impaired user can do is simply learn the distinctive sounds the console makes when navigating around the menu.
Xbox takes it further by actually allowing users to create a custom controller experience tailored for them. Not to mention the other in-console accessibility features they provide to be as inclusive as possible: ones supporting audio, visual, inputs, and actual gameplay.
So how does this affect the rest, who don’t need accessibility?
Three implications actually:
- You fail to be inclusive, and you may not get to enjoy the experience within the Switch with fellow peers who need the support. It’s both a missed AND missing collective gaming experience for all.
- You fail to LEARN about these accessibility features EVEN EXISTING. You’d forget that there’s a whole market for this space. You not only become ignorant of these features because well, out-of-sight = out-of-mind, but you also may lose consideration for anyone in the future who may need these features. Wouldn’t that be awkward? Ignorance isn’t bliss in these circumstances. You miss the chance to understand how accessibility features work, and why they’re needed.
- These features could’ve been immensely useful for you (or will be in the future), disability or not. According to the WHO, the number of humans with disabilities has reached 1 billion as of 2021, and it’s only going to grow higher and higher as the years go by. When you also grow older, you’ll have a higher likelihood of needing accessibility support as well — be it hearing, vision, motor, or something else. Or maybe you could’ve experienced an enhanced gaming experience already, had you known about a certain feature or two within the Switch.
Let me know if I missed anything, or if you want to chime in on this discussion!
About Me
My name is Kasey, AKA J.X. Fu (pen name). I’m passionate about (you guessed it) writing, and thus I’ve found myself deep in the abyss on weeknights creating novels. I’ve written two: a fantasy/action/mystery, and a romance-comedy. I do this while working a full-time office job requiring ~40 hours a week. During peak planning season for my team, this can drive up to 60.
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