Ubisoft open-sources Chroma, making colourblind game development accessible to all

Credit where it’s due; Ubisoft may not have cracked the modern Assassin’s Creed formula, but it knows how to look after its gamers, particularly those who struggle with colourblindness. With these players in mind, Ubisoft just open-sourced Chroma, its in-house colourblind simulation tool, inviting developers to run with it on their own projects and ultimately make the industry that much more inclusive.

Colour me impressed

Speaking on Chroma’s efficacy, Ubisoft’s director of accessibility, David Tisserand, said that it had proven itself “highly efficient” in developing accurate colour-accurate modes for its library. With an estimated 300 million folks suffering from the affliction, Ubisoft clearly felt it would be prudent to cater to this subset.

“It has allowed us to assess the accessibility of our games for colorblind players much faster and more comprehensively than ever before. 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,” he said.

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While anyone can download Chroma (via GitHub), game developers will get the most use out of it. It doesn’t just slap on a filter corresponding to the varying types of colourblindness (trichromacy, protanopia, etc). Instead, it simulates the colourblind experience for regular folk on a regular display and allows for more in-depth, accurate colour correction ahead of a title’s release

Since its inception in 2021, Chroma has evolved to use the Color Oracle algorithm to handle the simulation, can be used on dual or single screens, and offers customisable hotkeys and overlays to speed up development. It’s a rare win for Ubisoft, and one that is sure to earn it some credit among the colourblind community.