Ubisoft has open-sourced its internal color blindness simulation tool, Chroma, to allow developers to meet the accessibility needs of people with the condition.
Chroma works by overlaying filters on gameplay without hindering performance to simulate three major types of color blindness: Protanopia, Deuteranopia and Tritanopia.
Ubisoft said the tool is capable of simulating live gameplay up to 60fps and isn’t dependent on a specific engine. The company began developing Chroma in 2021 to enable its internal teams to better address the accessibility needs of players.
Ubisoft director of accessibility, David Tisserand, said Chroma has become a “highly efficient tool” after several years of internal use and development.
“It has allowed us to assess the accessibility of our games for color blind players much faster and more comprehensively than ever before,” added Tisserand in a blog post.
“Because we believe accessibility is a journey, not a race, we’re thrilled to share Chroma with the entire industry. We invite everyone to benefit from it, provide feedback, and contribute to its future development.”
Ubisoft worked closely with accessibility experts to develop Chroma
QC product manager Jawad Shakil explained Ubisoft faced “significant challenges” when developing the technology but worked in tandem with accessibility experts to refine Chroma before releasing it for public use via GitHub.
Related:Unity developers will soon be able to bring games to Fortnite
“Chroma was created with a clear purpose—making color blindness accessibility a natural part of the creative and testing process,” said Shakil. “The team faced and overcame significant challenges while building it, but through close collaboration with accessibility experts and by refining the tool based on feedback, they created a solution that eliminated lag and inaccuracies, making accessibility testing efficient and smooth.
“Chroma is a testament to the team’s innovation and dedication; their work is already making a difference in how we design games with accessibility in mind. Open-sourcing Chroma is a proud step forward, allowing everyone to benefit from this innovation.”
A number of major studios have expanded their accessibility efforts in recent years. Microsoft established an entire division to create accessible hardware for Xbox, while Sony continues to bake robust accessibility options into its hardware and software.
More recently, Nintendo, Microsoft, EA, and others united at GDC 2025 to launch the Accessible Games Initiative to improve the accessibility messaging on their products.
Related:Dispatch’s episodic format – alongside sharp storytelling – is key to its success