- Idea generators for designers.
- Guardrails for developers.
- Validation checklists for test teams.
Current published version: XAG v3.2 (Jun 8, 2023). For change history, contact your Microsoft representative.
How each guideline is structured
Every XAG has the same sections:- Goal — the desired impact on players.
- Overview — the barriers players with disabilities commonly encounter for this topic.
- Scoping questions — helps you decide whether the guideline applies to your title.
- Background — introductory material for complex topics.
- Key areas to target — game elements that must not be overlooked.
- Implementation guidelines — the prescriptive minimums.
- Example content — images and clips showing correct implementation.
- Potential player impact — the disability types most affected.
- Resources and tools — external reading.
The 23 guidelines
Visual
Audio
Input
Difficulty and pace
Communication
Documentation and support
Use the XAGs in your process
1
Design phase
Run scoping questions against your design pillars. Mark in-scope guidelines and decide which assists to bake into core systems vs. options.
2
Implementation phase
Pull the implementation guidelines into your task tracker. Track per-feature accessibility acceptance criteria.
3
QA / cert prep
Run MGATS before final cert. Address the report’s findings before submitting.
4
Store listing
Document supported accessibility features in your Properties module so they surface on the Store PDP.
Related GDK building blocks
- Accessibility overview
- Speech accessibility user settings
- Text-to-speech
- XAccessibility API
- XSpeechSynthesizer API
See also
- Gaming and Disability Player Experience Guide (GADPEG)
- Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals learning path
- MGATS
- Accessibility feature tags
- XBOX Developer Programs
Related API documentation
- XGameUI API reference — accessibility-aware system UI (speech-to-text, virtual keyboard)
- XGameStreaming API reference — physical stream dimensions for readable UI
- Touch adaptation kit reference — touch layouts for accessibility