Owlchemy Labs: Out of this world accessibility in VR

VR may feel like its been around forever, but in truth, its still in its early days. Modern VR only took shape in 2012 with the release of the Oculus Rift, and in just over a decade, it has exploded; Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants have poured billions into headsets, research, and development.

Yet, for all that growth, VR accessibility remains a work in progress. That’s where the small but mighty studio Owlchemy Labs comes in! The AbleToPlay team is genuinely excited about their work and reached out to learn more about their accessibility philosophy — especially their groundbreaking efforts to make VR blind-accessible in a medium that markets itself as visual. As Owlchemy Labs engineer Peter Galbraith put it: “The idea that VR games could be for Blind and low-vision players was something many people weren’t sure was possible.”

Founded in 2010, Owlchemy Labs has become a landmark name in VR, delivering loved titles such as Job Simulator, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, Vacation Simulator, and most recently, Cosmonius High in 2022, followed by Dimensional Double Shift in 2024. Their games are not only playful and inventive, they push the boundaries of accessibility!

In Cosmonius High, players explore an alien high school, unlocking powers and saving the school from cosmic chaos! But what made this title truly remarkable came a year after launch: Owlchemy Labs rolled out a Vision Accessibility Update, specifically designed for Blind and low-vision players.

This update introduced a suite of awesome features including:

• Text-to-speech settings (with volume controls!)
• Environmental descriptions.
• Audio cues for stationary items so you know that's a mug on the counter.
• Teleportation audio describing where you're being teleported to!
• Auto-orienting player to significant objects.

Features like this help Blind and low-vision players orient themselves in a game space, distinguish between objects, and progress without the frustration of getting stuck or disoriented. They also make it possible to navigate the settings menu independently, allowing players to choose the options that best suit their needs!

As Owlchemy Labs technical designer Prism Jett explained, “The [Vision Accessibility Update] felt like such a groundbreaking push for players with vision impairment. The vision impairment simulation tool that Peter created was extremely important to ensuring that the assistive features we were implementing would actually benefit players with real-world conditions — not just what sighted people think people with vision impairment need.”

At AbleToPlay, we were curious about the in-house tools that made the Vision Accessibility Update possible – so we asked! Peter kindly explained, sharing: “One of the most useful tools I created was a vision simulation tool that could simulate some of the ways our players might see the game. From different types of colorblindness to blurred vision and complete vision loss, this tool changed what the user was seeing in the VR headset.”

When developers approach visual accessibility, a common pitfall is relying solely on online colorblind simulators, often mistaking them for corrective tools rather than what they are: simulations. And, of course, not all visual challenges can be addressed through simulation alone. “While it's no replacement for testing with actual disabled users, the vision simulation tool did allow us to identify some of the most obvious issues and quickly iterate on our designs.”

Recognizing that a simulation alone was not a replacement or a perfect solution to every visual accessibility challenge, the Owlchemy Labs team pushed further with creative approaches that went beyond a simple aid. Their goal was to make the experience truly inclusive – something Blind and low-vision players could enjoy autonomously. To achieve this, they partnered with Blind and low-vision consultants through VROxygen.com as well as independent accessibility advocates like Ross Minor and the late Brandon Cole, breaking from the traditional closed-door, one-and-done approach to game development. These consultants were intentionally included throughout the development process — a model for how accessibility can and should be baked directly into the game dev pipeline.

Having partnered with amazing disability consultants, AbleToPlay wanted to know what Peter considered the most educational experience from working on the Visual Accessibility Update.“One of my favorite designs [was allowing players] to turn the visual assist mode on without needing to see the setting in the game. We wanted players who needed our visual assistance mode to be able to access it independently, without the help of a sighted person. This meant that we needed a way for players to turn on visual assistance without being able to see the option in the virtual world. And with limited tactile feedback in VR, players couldn't simply be expected to feel around for the right button or switch.”

Accessibility is never “done.” But Owlchemy Labs’ willingness to launch a vision update shows care, curiosity, and commitment. As Peter summarized: “There are so many little things that went into making this feature and we learned a ton! And we're still learning and finding more areas where we can improve. Accessibility work is never done, but I hope Cosmonius High's Vision Accessibility Update helps show other developers and gamers that we can indeed make VR for everyone!”

Cosmonius High was a fantastic testing ground for pushing the boundaries of accessibility in VR! Building on those lessons, Owlchemy Labs began developing their next hit: Dimensional Double Shift, a chaotic, multiplayer VR game set in a gas n' grill where you hustle to satisfy customers and corporate demands. And the best part? It's FREE!

Dimensional Double Shift is currently in Early Access and actively evolving with new accessibility features, refinements to existing ones, and ongoing feedback-based improvements to ensure the game is even better at full release!

So, what sets Dimensional Double Shift apart?

From the Vision Accessibility Update in Cosmonius High, the team realized they had overlooked proprioception – our innate sense of where our body is in space. (Don't worry, no cosmic gravity chaos here.) With this in mind, Dimensional Double Shift was designed from the ground up for a hand-tracking rather than traditional controllers!

The Owlchemy team's philosophy is clear: they're building for the human, not the hardware. A prime example of this is their built-in locomotion assistance, which supports players whether sitting, standing, teleporting – and yes, even wiggling! This is intentional: dynamic floor depths ensure that all players remain at eye level regardless of posture. Workstations can be adjusted up or down for comfort; items can be grabbed with a simple hover when they fall, and distance pass allows players to exchange objects from a distance without the strain of reaching.

Accessibility doesn't stop with Blind and low-vision features either. Dimensional Double Shift includes a wide array of options such as:

• High contrast models and texture.
• Reduced cognitive load because we've all gotten quest fatigue.
• Predictable interactions. Watch out for the flying burrito!
• Adjustable audio for sound effects, music, ambiance, NPCs, and players.

Owlchemy Labs built on the lessons from Cosmonius High, raising the bar with Dimensional Double Shift through a bold, accessibility-first approach. Stories like this highlight why accessibility matters: when a game prioritizes inclusive design, the whole studio benefits, learns, and grows.

Owlchemy Labs' commitment extends beyond the games themselves. They've taken the initiative to advocate for device-level accessibility changes with Meta and other platform partners, ensuring that VR as a whole becomes more welcoming. This matters because, as Owlchemy Labs' senior UX research specialist, Jazmin Cano, shared in a GAConf talk, even if a game is accessible, many Blind and low-vision players still face barriers before they can reach it. From turning on the headset to navigating menus, starting a game often requires sighted assistance.

At AbleToPlay, we couldn't be more excited about Owlchemy Labs' dedication – not just to their own titles, but to the VR ecosystem as a whole! It's exactly the kind of vision we champion, because when everyone plays, we all win.

Join the conversation!

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