Street Fighter 6's Modern Controls: A Game-Changer for Accessibility
In a world where Fighting Games are often associated with high entry barriers, Street Fighter 6's Modern controls are a breath of fresh air. These controls strike a balance between high mechanical depth and inclusive options, allowing players with accessibility needs to compete on equal footing with experienced players.
One player who has benefited from these controls is Jane, who has Klumpke's palsy, a condition that causes muscle atrophy in her arm and limits her arm mobility. While Jane has always enjoyed playing fighting games, the traditional six-button layout of Street Fighter has posed challenges for her. Executing combos with the directional pad and face buttons has been particularly difficult. Fortunately, Street Fighter 6's Modern controls feature an auto-combo feature that makes executing combos significantly easier for Jane.
Jane has chosen to play with the PS5 controller, which offers key accessibility features. The joystick is sensitive to both directions, eliminating the concern of accidental inputs. Additionally, the clickable joystick allows Jane to execute special moves and super moves with ease. Furthermore, the shoulder buttons can be used to execute special moves, streamlining combo execution for Jane.
While special moves do less damage with Modern controls, Jane considers it a fair trade-off. She feels significantly more comfortable and can pay closer attention to her opponent's patterns. Although certain command inputs, such as charge inputs and quarter circles, remain challenging for Jane, she can handle most inputs without much difficulty.
Playing as Ken, Jane finds his toolkit to be quite versatile. Despite encountering players with advanced combos using the Classic scheme, she feels confident and competitive even against seasoned opponents. The Modern controls have notably reduced the mental load for Jane and improved her defensive game, resulting in some very close matches.
Character switching is also smoother with Modern controls, allowing Jane to explore different fighting styles. While she primarily plays as Ken, she has been able to use the presets for other characters like Cammy and Guile. Jane looks forward to continuing her journey as Ken but is also excited to try other characters with the Modern controls.
Street Fighter 6 sets an excellent example of how accessibility in games goes beyond adding options. Capcom has put significant effort into making the core mechanics of Street Fighter 6 accessible, empowering players like Jane to feel confident and competitive even against opponents using the more advanced Classic controls.
If you're interested in Street Fighter 6, be sure to check out our Street Fighter 6 tier list, Street Fighter 6 moves list, and our Street Fighter 6 review. Additionally, learn about the Street Fighter 6 DLC characters that are available now or find out if you're up to speed with our Street Fighter 6 endgame guide.
