Towards accessible video gaming: understanding the preferences and needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing players in China

Abstract Given the growing popularity of video games, understanding the needs and preferences of players with diverse (dis)abilities is of paramount importance and ought to inform the research and practice in video game accessibility. Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) players in China remain an understudied group within gamers and little is known about their gaming preferences and needs. This study addresses this gap through an online survey with 98 DHH players in China. The findings show that Chinese DHH players actively engage with mainstream games and that, like non-disabled players, they play games to relax and to seek social connections. Their gaming preferences and needs also varied depending on their main communication methods. Amongst the participants surveyed, sign/written language users and bilingual (spoken and sign language) users were more likely to play games for social reasons than spoken language users. The findings also reveal that many commonly desired accessibility features remain absent from the games participants played, thus creating barriers to both independent and social play. Overall, this study provides a richer understanding of DHH players in China, identifies limitations in current video game design, and highlights opportunities to improve their gaming experiences.