Talk to Your Game: The Case for Voice Interfaces

First published as an Acagamic Tip Tuesday on acagamic.com in May 2023. Edited for this archive.

Voice interfaces could make games far more accessible. Imagine changing a setting by speaking to your game the way you would speak to a friend, instead of digging through nested menus. Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa already work this way. The result would be a smoother, more personal experience. Most game developers haven’t tried it yet.

Why developers hesitate

Players and developers have used visual interfaces, driven by controllers, keyboards, and touch screens, for decades. Four reasons hold developers back from voice:

1. Fear that the technology falls short. Developers worry that speech recognition will mishear players or respond wrongly.
2. Low awareness. Many UI designers and developers haven’t considered what voice interfaces can do.
3. Habit. Teams know graphical menus and resist change.
4. Perceived cost. Voice interfaces look complex and expensive to build.

I think voice interfaces can improve accessibility and the play experience. Here is why.

Voice opens games to more players

Voice interfaces are already common on phones and smart speakers. Voice control lets players with physical disabilities take part more easily, and designers could combine it with other inputs, such as gestures, touch screens, or companion apps.

Elite Dangerous has a notoriously deep settings menu. Changing one setting can take many layers of menus. With a voice interface, a player could say “increase sensitivity” and be done, saving time and frustration.

Text prompts interrupt play

Conversational interfaces are spreading across operating systems; when I first wrote this, Microsoft had just announced Windows Copilot. Games still lean on text prompts. Text prompts work in regular apps, where users control the pace. In a game, a prompt breaks the flow, and it is hard to answer when your hands are busy with a controller in the middle of the action.

In fast multiplayer games, text prompts slow the action and pull attention away. Voice commands, like in-game voice chat, would let players respond without taking their eyes or hands off the game.

Try it in your next game

If you develop games, experiment with conversational interfaces. Voice can improve accessibility for players with disabilities and let every player adjust the game to their needs without wrestling with complicated controls or menus.

Voice can also deepen immersion. Players who speak directly to a game feel closer to its world and characters, and they can change settings or take actions simply by asking. Picture a game that listens to you, responds, and adapts to your preferences. That is a closer bond between player and game than any menu can offer.