Racing in the Dark: Exploring Accessible Virtual Reality by Developing a Racing Game for People who are Blind

Abstract

Video games are popular leisure and social activities; however, they often present accessibility issues for the community of gamers who are blind. While gaming technology has evolved, people who are blind still have limited access to commercially available accessible video games. Current accessible games tend to focus on auditory information to play, and none are available in virtual reality (VR). Accessible, fast-paced games have the development challenge of providing players useful information in time to make split-second decisions. We developed Racing in the Dark, a fast-paced, accessible VR racing game for the Oculus Quest, exploring commercial VR interfaces to provide this critical information. By leveraging the Quest’s built-in haptic, tracking, auditory, and voice systems, we provide players with a non-visual car racing experience. This work aims to offer insight into the process of developing accessible VR games for gamers who are blind through the implementation of Racing in the Dark.