Street Fighter 6 is shaping up to be one of the series' most highly anticipated entries yet. Tons of new characters, a cast of celebrity commentators, and limitless character customization options have raised the hype for this game to new levels. However, another important new aspect of SF6 that makes the game even more approachable for a wider audience: its detailed accessibility options.
Competitive fighting games are already notoriously difficult to get into due to the nuances players need to be aware of when approaching serious matchups. On top of that, seeking accessibility for players with disabilities can often seem like an uphill battle. Street Fighter 6 addresses all of these issues and more by setting a new standard of accessibility options for the fighting game genre, and in turn, opening the floodgates for a possible new trend in gaming as a whole.
Street Fighter 6 Revolutionizes Accessibility for Fighting Games
Street Fighter 6 illustrates a clear effort in making the competitive fighting game genre more accessible for both casual players and gamers with disabilities. One simple way SF6 bridges the gap is through its new modern control scheme. While the classic six-button control scheme is still available, the Modern Controls option allows players to complete more complicated special moves by simply pressing a designated special move button and a direction. Not only that but holding down the assist button allows players to pull off more complex combos, adding to the ease of play. These modifications to the classic Street Fighter formula open doors for players to complete moves that may have been too difficult to accomplish before.
The most interesting of Street Fighter 6's new accessibility features is its detailed audio options. For example, there's a "Distance to Opponent" sound volume that functions as a beeping noise that speeds up or slows down depending on whether the combatants are closer together or further apart. While this may come off as sensory overload for some seasoned veterans, it can also make it simpler to pick up and play for players with visual impairments.
Similarly, Street Fighter 6 gives players the option to add hit effects to each attack. Previously, blind players would have to listen to the specific sounds made by both their character and the opponent in order to figure out how they were getting hit by each attack. This takes a lot of training, but SF6's new tonal options can streamline the process and make it much more accessible for more casual players.
Even before the implementation of these all-new options, previous Street Fighter games were not untrod ground for blind players. Blind Warrior Sven, a well-known gamer based in Europe who lost his vision unexpectedly to cancer at a young age, has gone on to play various pro Street Fighter tournaments and even reach Ultra Diamond rank in Street Fighter 5. His skill proves that the potentiality for players with visual impairments to be successful in Street Fighter was always there, but Street Fighter 6's new sound options can give players with visual impairments more of a competitive edge than ever before. Interestingly, Sven has taken a hands-on approach in testing and providing Capcom with feedback on SF6's accessibility options himself, so blind players can rest assured that their direct concerns are being addressed.
One notable area in need of improvement in SF6's accessibility as of its beta was its lack of options for players when trying to navigate outside combat. Basic details like UI narration and wall bumping sounds in World Tour mode should seem like a no-brainer, though they were noticeably missing in the beta. When considering all the other amazing audio details included in the game's fights, players are hoping the final version will fix these issues and include the same kind of outside-combat accessibility that it does during combat.
How to Adjust Street Fighter 6’s Detailed Accessibility Options
Accessing and adjusting Street Fighter 6's accessibility options is just as simple as players would hope. Under the main menu screen, players can access all accessibility options in terms of both controls and audio by scrolling left or right to the options tab. To change the controls between traditional and modern, players only have to navigate to the Controls tab and toggle the Control Type to whatever option they see fit.
For audio settings, the Audio tab is full of customizable options. Players can raise or lower the volume of such mundane sounds as character clothing and environmental ambiance to more combat-relevant sounds like hit volume and footsteps. This gives players the options to customize their experience and turn it into something that fits their personal playstyle. The attention to detail here is profound and is sure to make Street Fighter 6 the most accessible fighting game on the market when it finally releases in early June.