YouTube's latest 'Playables' upgrade fixes a major gaming problem on the platform

If you often find yourself browsing the YouTube Explore page to find new rabbit holes to dive into, you have likely come across YouTube Playables. These are browser games built into YouTube that you can play without downloading anything. However, different games are designed differently for touchscreens, keyboards, mice, and other inputs. So how do you find the one best suited to your setup? YouTube is now working to fix that.

YouTube announced today that it is making Playables more accessible. The video streaming platform now displays useful information upfront, including 24 accessibility tags across three categories:

• Controls and input
• Audio and visual options
• Gameplay adjustments

Tags in the “Controls and input” category help players identify whether a game supports touch-only input, keyboard controls, button remapping, and more. “Audio and visual options” includes tags for mono or surround sound, color alternatives, large text options, and similar features. “Gameplay adjustments,” on the other hand, helps players find titles with customizable difficulty settings and save options.

Several games in YouTube Playables have already added support for these new accessibility tags. You can head to the “Game Info” section in games such as “Bubble Shooter” and “Fin Friends” to check them out right now.

Google uses tags defined by the Accessible Games Initiative, which aims to give players clear information about the accessibility features a game supports. There is also a handy guide to tags that you can review if you want help figuring out what the various tags on YouTube Playables mean.

Developers who have published games on YouTube Playables can add these tags through the developer portal. Google says the entire process takes only a few clicks.