Tekken 8's new "Colorblind" filters are making rounds on the internet after several players complained of having migraines and vertigo after trying the accessibility feature.
One of the game's filter is a hot topic for debate as even colorblind people are unable to play the game mode without suffering headaches.
The debated filter displays highly contrasting black-and-white bars inside characters with the game background washed with white.
Why is no one talking about the color blind accessibility of Tekken 8. Literally no game has done this. pic.twitter.com/i8qdUYwpPP
— Gatterall (@itwhiffed) December 27, 2023
The filter is part of the demo play released in late December in anticipation for the full game's release this year.
Why is the Black-and-White Filter can be Bad for Players?
As a fighting game, the characters constantly move, causing people to become disoriented with the horizontal and vertical lines always changing positions.
James Berg, Xbox's senior manager for accessibility, said that the patterns of lines constantly moving causes continuous flashing "like an invisible strobe."
Berg said having long exposure to the strobing effect, even with people's varying tolerance, can cause negative effects to the body.
Other accessibility consultants and game developers agreed with Berg's sentiments, saying that the "correction filters" can potentially lead to seizures.
Tekken Developers Respond to 'Colorblind' Filter Controversy
In response, Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada explained that the game has "multiple types of color vision options" to help people while playing the game.
A few people, albeit very few, have either misunderstood the accessibility options we are trying, or have only seen the video without actually trying them out in the demo play.
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) December 28, 2023
We have "multiple types of color vision options" for players with different color vision, not just… https://t.co/cEdcUTI8n3
The brightness and contrast for the black-and-white filter can also be adjusted to reduce possible negative effects to players.
Harada said that the development team has received positive feedback from early demo plays, including the controversial black-and-white filter.
The game director clarified that the studio has been working with research institutions regarding accessibility options even before the game mode was released on Tekken 7.
Tekken 8 is set to release later this month with many longtime fans eagerly awaiting the next installation to the franchise since the last one launched in 2015.
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