New software lets visually impaired play first-person shooter games

Players are aurally alerted to in-game obstacles using customisable sounds

- Sarah Koh

Like many other children and teenagers, Josh Tseng spent some of his adolescent years playing video games such as Pokemon, Minecraft and Team Fortress 2.

However, he was robbed of this joy as his eyesight began to gradually deteriorate due to congenital glaucoma. By the age of 16, he was unable to read or write.

Thanks to a new software, however, Mr Tseng, 27, and other visually impaired individuals like him can continue to enjoy the thrill of some first-person shooter games, such as Counter-Strike 2.

The JBL Quantum Guide Play software uses advanced artificial intelligence to process in-game visuals and translate them into audio cues, said Ms Lee Yeeling, senior director of Asia consumer marketing in the Asia-Pacific region at Harman International. Harman is the parent company of audio equipment manufacturer JBL.

"The software allows visually impaired gamers to rely on sound for navigation and gameplay," said Ms Lee in an interview with The Sunday Times, adding that it utilises spatial audio technology, which gives players a three-dimensional audio experience that reflects their surroundings.

Launched on April 4, the software is free for download. It was developed by JBL in collaboration with non-profit organisation AbleGamers. The latter, which aims to improve accessibility in the gaming space, contributed two years' worth of research and facilitated testing with visually impaired gamers.