10 Games With Colorblind Modes That Actually Work in 2026

Why Most Colorblind Modes Disappoint — and What Good Ones Actually Do

Around 8% of men worldwide have some form of color vision deficiency (CVD) — roughly 1 in 12 [8]. Over 90% of those cases are red-green deficiencies: protanopia (red channel reduced) or deuteranopia (green channel reduced). Blue-yellow deficiency (tritanopia) is far rarer, affecting about 0.01% of people.

The problem with most colorblind implementations is that they use a full-screen filter — a wash over every pixel in the game. These filters shift the entire color palette and often oversaturate things that weren’t a problem to begin with. The better approach, used by a handful of games on this list, is targeted adjustment: change only the UI elements, enemy outlines, and map markers where color distinction actually matters, leaving the rest of the game’s visuals intact [4].

Every game below supports all three major CVD types unless stated otherwise. The comparison table shows exactly what each mode changes and whether it’s worth enabling.

Colorblind Mode Comparison Table

Fortnite

Fortnite’s colorblind implementation stands out for one reason: precision. You get three CVD-type modes (Protanope, Deuteranope, Tritanope) plus a strength slider that runs from 0 to 10 in increments of 0.1 — giving you 99 distinct levels per mode rather than a simple toggle [9]. Most games force you to choose between off and full-strength; Fortnite lets you dial in exactly how much correction you need.

Find it under Settings > Accessibility. Pro players have leveraged this aggressively — some competitive players run Deuteranope at maximum strength not because they’re colorblind but because it punches up enemy visibility against foliage. Whether you’re tuning for a clinical CVD or just want sharper contrast, the slider gives you room to find what works for your eyes specifically.

Don’t use if: You want targeted UI changes rather than a full-screen shift — the filter affects everything, including the environment.

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 took a different and arguably smarter approach [4]. Rather than a global filter, it gives you nine color options for hero outlines and lets you assign separate colors to your team and to enemies. You set those independently — so if yellow works better for your eyes on enemies but green is fine for teammates, you can configure exactly that. Access it via Options > Video > Color Blind Options.

This targeted method preserves the game’s visual design while solving the specific problem colorblind players face: distinguishing friends from foes in chaotic teamfights. In a game where a half-second of confusion decides a fight, the ability to pick exactly which colors appear on each team is a meaningful competitive advantage.

Don’t use if: You need help with environmental cues like ground effects or ability indicators — those aren’t touched by this system.

The Last of Us Part II

Naughty Dog built 60+ accessibility options into The Last of Us Part II, and the colorblind stack is one of the deepest in any single-player game [1]. You get the standard HUD Colorblind Mode (Protanopia/Deuteranopia/Tritanopia), which shifts the HUD accent palette. But the more powerful tool is High Contrast Display: three preset contrast levels that mute the environment’s color saturation and apply distinct highlight colors to allies, enemies, items, and interactive objects simultaneously.

The HUD Color picker adds a fifth variable, letting you choose between white, yellow, blue, red, or green for interface text. Running all three systems together — CVD mode, high contrast, and a high-legibility HUD color — creates an experience substantially easier to parse than any other game’s single-toggle approach.

Don’t use if: You’re primarily playing for the visuals — High Contrast Display does mute the game’s cinematic look significantly.

Diablo 4

Diablo 4’s colorblind filter lives under Options > Graphics > Color Blind Filter and covers all three CVD types with a filter intensity slider [7]. The slider lets you find the right correction strength for your eyes, similar to Fortnite’s approach but with a coarser range. What makes Diablo 4’s implementation particularly useful for an ARPG is the separate entity highlight system: you can assign distinct highlight colors to players, NPCs, and enemies independently, which matters when you’re trying to track specific targets through screen-filling visual effects during endgame content.

Don’t use if: You’re playing in a static environment and just need HUD adjustments — the full filter may wash out the moody aesthetic more than necessary.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 includes Deuteranopia, Protanopia, and Tritanopia filters under Settings > Accessibility, with a notable feature: the colorblind filter and the UI can be adjusted independently. Most games tie these together, so if you want to correct how cars and roads look, you also shift every menu and map icon. Forza lets you apply the visual correction to gameplay without affecting the UI, or vice versa — useful if your CVD primarily affects outdoor environmental color perception but your HUD is already legible.

Don’t use if: You need highly granular strength control — there’s no intensity slider here, just the three type presets.

Gears 5

Gears 5 earned a “barrier free” rating from accessibility reviewers — their highest possible mark — and the colorblind modes are part of why [3]. Three CVD-type modes cover the standard conditions, but the more important factor is that The Coalition designed the game so no critical information is communicated through color alone. Even with colorblind modes disabled, distinguishing allies from enemies relies on additional visual cues beyond color. The colorblind modes then enhance that rather than carrying the full weight themselves.

That design-first approach — baking accessibility into the structure rather than patching it with a filter — makes Gears 5 one of the more reliable colorblind experiences regardless of which specific setting you use.

Don’t use if: You need fine-grained strength control. The three modes are presets with no slider.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Larian added colorblind support in Patch 4 via a targeted approach that avoids the full-screen filter problem [5]. The mode adjusts party portrait frames, character map markers, and character outlines to use CVD-appropriate color palettes — but it does not apply any filter to the environment. In a dense RPG where you’re tracking multiple party members through crowded combat, being able to identify each character’s outline at a glance matters more than having the dungeon walls look different.

The limitation is scope: if you find the game’s environmental palette itself confusing (e.g., distinguishing certain spell effects), the in-game colorblind mode won’t address that. Community mods exist for more aggressive color correction if needed.

Don’t use if: Your CVD primarily affects environmental color perception — BG3’s mode is a UI-layer tool, not a visual overhaul.

Valorant

Valorant’s colorblind implementation is narrow but effective for what it does [6]. Under Settings > General > Accessibility, you get four enemy highlight color options: Red (default), Purple (optimized for tritanopia), Yellow (deuteranopia/protanopia). The yellow options have become the most-used in the competitive community — yellow pops against the game’s grey-and-neutral maps more reliably than red for most CVD conditions, even for players without a diagnosed deficiency.

The scope is intentionally limited: enemy outlines only. You can’t adjust teammate colors, map elements, or HUD separately. For a tactical shooter where the single most important visual task is spotting enemies, that narrow focus may actually be the right call.

Don’t use if: You need broader HUD or map color adjustments — Valorant doesn’t offer those. Combine with OS-level accessibility tools if needed.

Cyberpunk 2077

CD PROJEKT RED didn’t launch Cyberpunk 2077 with a colorblind mode, but Patch 2.02 added it and Update 2.1 expanded the full accessibility menu [2]. The current implementation offers Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia modes under Settings > Accessibility, applying a UI filter that corrects interface element colors throughout the game. Considering Night City’s heavy use of red-green contrast in enemy faction identifiers and UI elements, the filter makes a genuine difference for red-green CVD players navigating the game’s dense HUD.

Don’t use if: You were hoping for targeted changes only — this is a UI filter, meaning it affects the entire interface rather than specific elements.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Black Ops 6’s 2024 accessibility update brought High Contrast Mode to both Campaign and Zombies modes. The system works by adding customizable outline colors to allies and enemies — you choose the specific colors rather than picking from a CVD preset — plus an optional Dark Background setting that increases contrast from background elements [10]. For colorblind players, the ability to set enemy outlines to a color that works for your specific CVD type, independent of any global filter, puts control directly in your hands.

Don’t use if: You need filter-based correction for environmental color perception. This is an outline and contrast system, not a full-spectrum correction tool.

Which Game Fits Your CVD Type?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does colorblind mode give non-colorblind players a competitive advantage?

In practice, yes — particularly in games like Fortnite and Valorant. Running Deuteranope mode at higher strength levels can increase the saturation contrast between enemies and neutral backgrounds, making targets easier to spot even if your color vision is normal. This is why pro players sometimes use CVD settings tactically. Whether you consider that an intended use or an exploit depends on your perspective, but developers haven’t restricted it.

What’s the difference between a full-screen filter and a targeted colorblind mode?

A full-screen filter processes every pixel the game renders, shifting the entire color palette toward CVD-accessible values. The result is that unaffected colors also change, which can make the game look washed out or oversaturated. A targeted mode changes only specific elements — enemy outlines, UI icons, map markers — leaving everything else unaltered. Targeted modes (Overwatch 2, BG3, Valorant) produce a more natural experience; full-screen filters (Fortnite, Gears 5) offer broader correction. The best implementation depends on where your specific CVD causes confusion.

Which type of colorblindness is most common in gaming?

Deuteranopia and protanopia — both red-green deficiencies — account for over 90% of all CVD cases [8]. If you’re not sure which condition you have, a deuteranopia setting is the statistically best starting point. Tritanopia (blue-yellow) is rare enough that its specific mode is more of a thoroughness check than a high-demand feature, though games that include it signal a commitment to covering the full spectrum of colorblind players.

Bottom Line

The gap between a game that technically has a colorblind setting and one that’s genuinely playable with CVD is larger than most players realize. Fortnite and Overwatch 2 lead for precise, customizable control. The Last of Us Part II and Gears 5 stand out for building accessibility into the core design rather than bolting a filter on. Baldur’s Gate 3 and Valorant show that narrow, targeted implementations can be highly effective when they address the exact problem. For the settings hub — covering how to get the most from your game’s display and input options — see our complete game settings optimization guide.

Sources

[1] The Last of Us Part II: Accessibility Features Detailed — Naughty Dog (naughtydog.com)

[2] Accessibility features — Cyberpunk 2077 — CD PROJEKT RED Support (support.cdprojektred.com)

[3] Gears 5 accessibility review — Can I Play That?

[4] Overwatch Gets Updated Colorblind Feature With Nine Color Options — SlashGear

[5] Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 4 improves colorblind and UI accessibility — Can I Play That?

[6] How to change enemy color in VALORANT — esports.gg

[7] Diablo 4 Color Blind Filter Settings — VHPG (vhpg.com/diablo-4-color-blind-filter/)

[8] Prevalence of Color Blindness: Global and Regional Statistics — VisionCenter

[9] The best colorblind settings for Fortnite — The Global Gaming

[10] Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessibility Updates and New Features — Call of Duty Blog (callofduty.com/blog/2024/10/call-of-duty-black-ops-6-accessibility-updates-features)

Michael R.

I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.