Accessibility feature tags

Accessibility feature tags let players filter game catalogs for the accessibility features they need. You declare them in Partner Center using the Accessibility feature in the Gaming Metadata module.

Current version: Accessibility Feature Tags v2.0.1 (published March 14, 2025).

There are two families of tags:

Accessible Games Initiative tags — 24 tags created by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and adopted across the industry.
XBOX Accessibility Feature Tags — 6 additional tags Microsoft created before the Accessible Games Initiative, which have no ESA equivalent. All previous XBOX tags that overlap with ESA tags have been renamed to align.

How tagging works

Check the criteria

Every tag has strict player-facing requirements. Confirm your game meets all requirements before declaring the tag.

Declare in Partner Center

Add tags via Accessibility in the Gaming Metadata module of your Catalog Listing.

Ship

Tags surface on the Microsoft Store product page. Players can filter by them.

Microsoft validates

After publication, Microsoft verifies that the game actually delivers the tagged features. Inaccurate tags will be flagged for removal by your Microsoft representative.

Only declare tags your game truly meets. Store auditing verifies them, and tags can be revoked if they don’t match the shipped experience.

Accessible Games Initiative tags (24)

Sourced from the Accessible Games Initiative. Each tag has a specific player-facing description, a goal, developer requirements, and Microsoft test criteria — refer to the source spec before declaring.

Auditory features

Tag	Player summary
Multiple volume controls	Separate volume sliders for music, speech, SFX, ambient, TTS, voice chat, and accessibility cues, plus a master.
Mono sound	In-game option to send all audio to a single combined channel.
Stereo sound	Directional audio communicates left/right of the player.
Surround sound	Directional audio communicates any direction, beyond left/right.
Narrated menus	All menus, notifications, and non-decorative text are narrated (or a platform screen reader is supported).

Gameplay features

Tag	Player summary
Difficulty levels	Multiple presets with described differences; at least one preset significantly reduces intensity.
Save anytime	Manual saves at any point of gameplay; separate slot from auto-saves; auto-save never overrides manual.

Input features

Tag	Player summary
Basic input remapping	Digital buttons can be swapped or rearranged on every supported input device.
Full input remapping	Any game action can be reassigned to any input, including analog stick swap.
Stick inversion	Y-axis (and where applicable X-axis) inversion for camera and movement sticks.
Playable without button holds	Every mechanic that uses a hold has a toggle or press alternative.
Playable without rapid button presses	Every mechanic that uses mashing has an auto/toggle alternative.
Playable with keyboard only	The full game is playable with a keyboard alone.
Playable with mouse only	The full game is playable with a mouse alone.
Playable with buttons only	The full game is playable using only digital buttons (no analog sticks required).
Playable with touch only	The full game is playable with touch alone.
Playable without motion controls	No mechanic requires motion input.
Playable without touch controls	No mechanic requires touch input.
Chat speech-to-text & text-to-speech	In-game chat supports STT for incoming voice and TTS for outgoing text.

Visual features

Tag	Player summary
Clear text	Text meets contrast, size, and typography minimums for readability.
Large text	An in-game option scales all functional text well beyond default sizes.
Large & clear subtitles	Subtitles are resizable and meet contrast/background requirements.
Color alternatives	Any information conveyed by color is also conveyed by a second channel.
Camera comfort	Motion sickness options — reduce shake, disable motion blur, disable head bob, adjust FOV.

XBOX Accessibility Feature Tags (6)

Six additional tags with no Accessible Games Initiative equivalent.

Tag	Player summary
Additional accessibility information	Free-form field for accessibility notes not covered by other tags.
Accessibility on launch	All accessibility settings are configurable before required gameplay begins.
On-demand tutorials	Tutorial content can be replayed at any time from an accessible menu.
Pausable	Single-player gameplay can be paused instantly at any time (including cinematics).
Adjustable input sensitivity	Stick, trigger, and mouse sensitivity are adjustable in-game.
Single stick gameplay	The full game is playable using just one analog stick.

Where to get the full criteria

Every tag ships with:

Player-facing description — what the player will see on the Store PDP.
Goal — the intended player outcome.
Developer-facing requirements — the minimum bar to declare the tag.
Tips and context — recommended practices beyond the minimum.
Microsoft test steps — the exact validation Microsoft runs post-publication.
Pass / fail examples — concrete scenarios.

Get the current specification from your Microsoft representative and cross-reference it against your build before declaring any tag.

Questions or unsure whether you qualify?

Cross-reference the XBOX Accessibility Guidelines — the XAGs are the underlying best practices; the tags describe player-facing outcomes.
Email xpaq@microsoft.com with XBOX Partner Accessibility questions.
Request a MGATS evaluation to validate tag readiness before you publish.

GDK and Game Engines Integration

Steam porting guide

Game Principles

Core Features

Console Features

How tagging works

Accessible Games Initiative tags (24)

Auditory features

Gameplay features

Input features

Visual features

XBOX Accessibility Feature Tags (6)

Where to get the full criteria

Questions or unsure whether you qualify?

See also

​How tagging works

​Accessible Games Initiative tags (24)

​Auditory features

​Gameplay features

​Input features

​Visual features

​XBOX Accessibility Feature Tags (6)

​Where to get the full criteria

​Questions or unsure whether you qualify?

​See also

​Related API documentation

How tagging works

Accessible Games Initiative tags (24)

Auditory features

Gameplay features

Input features

Visual features

XBOX Accessibility Feature Tags (6)

Where to get the full criteria

Questions or unsure whether you qualify?

See also

Related API documentation