Designed for those with low or no vision, Blind Driving Assists, or BDA, uses a combination of sounds and descriptions to make driving in Forza Motorsport possible for those who would otherwise find it impossible.
The steering guide, for example, will place the sound of your car in either the left or right headphones based on which way the next corner is, while a beep will alert you as to if you’re near the edge of the track.
A voice can also describe what type of corner is coming up next, such as a hairpin, analogous to a rally co-driver. Players can test each BDA before hitting the track.
This isn’t the only accessibility feature, of course, with one-touch driving, narrated menus and specific colourblindness modes and filters are also available.
It follows Forza Horizon 5 in Microsoft’s portfolio which won the Innovation in Accessibility Game Award in 2021, thanks in part to its sign language options for the in-game story.
Also of note, Accessibility Consultant Brandon Cole is seen testing the BDA features within a promotional video driving Dave Newsham’s 2014 BTCC Ford Focus around Suzuka – although it’s unclear if this is in the new Forza Motorsport or a build of Forza Motorsport 7.
Forza Motorsport will release at some point in 2023 and to Game Pass day one. The eighth game in the driving series will act as a reboot.
Source: Microsoft
