Ubisoft has introduced an open-source tool designed to assist developers in customizing games for players with color blindness

Ubisoft has introduced Chroma, an open-source tool designed to apply color blindness filters to video game content in real time, enhancing accessibility for players. Created by the company's Quality Control division in India, Chroma's launch was announced during the Game Accessibility Conference this week. The development of the tool commenced in 2021 with a focus on assisting creators in shaping games that are accessible to colorblind users.

The tool supports real-time simulation of the main color blindness conditions: Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia, and works universally across games without relying on specific game engines. Approximately 300 million individuals globally experience some form of color blindness.

According to Ubisoft, Chroma operates without slowing down performance. "Chroma was devised to make color blindness accessibility a seamless part of both creative and testing phases," stated Jawad Shakil, Product Manager. "The team overcame hurdles like ensuring real-time efficiency and selecting the optimal algorithm for Chroma. Close cooperation with accessibility specialists and iterative adjustments from the feedback were pivotal in resolving lag and inaccuracies, thereby streamlining the accessibility testing process."

By choosing an open-source model, Ubisoft intends for developers globally to incorporate accessibility considerations into game design. David Tisserand, Director of Accessibility at Ubisoft, commented, "We encourage everyone to take advantage of this tool, provide insights, and contribute to its evolution."

You can download Chroma here.