Glossary

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Aim Assist(also: Aim Assistance, Auto-Aim, Bullet Magnetism)

A category of input-assistance features in shooter games that help a player acquire or track targets, for example by enlarging the effective cursor area, bending projectile paths toward enemies, or slowing the aim reticle when it is near a target. Aim assist is widely used to…

Automation Confusion

A phenomenon, well documented in human–automation literature and observed in partially automated video games, in which the user struggles to distinguish the outcomes of their own actions from those performed autonomously by a software agent. In shared-control gaming this can…

Challenge-Point Framework

A motor-learning theory proposed by Guadagnoli and Lee (2004) which holds that learning is optimised when the difficulty of a task is appropriately matched to the learner's current skill level. Tasks that are too easy provide little information to learn from, while tasks that…

Co-Located Collaboration(also: Co-Located Cooperation)

Co-located collaboration is the shared activity of people working or playing together while physically present in the same space, as distinct from remote or distributed collaboration. In HCI and accessibility research, co-located collaboration is studied because it adds embodied…

Co-Pilot Mode(also: Copilot Mode, Xbox Copilot)

Co-Pilot Mode is an accessibility feature, introduced by Microsoft on Xbox in 2017 and since adopted elsewhere, that lets two controllers be combined so they act as a single logical controller driving the same in-game player. The feature was created primarily for disabled…

Copilot (Shared Control)(also: Gaming Copilot, Assistive Copilot)

In shared-control video gaming, the copilot is the secondary actor who supports the pilot (the primary player, typically a person with a disability) by taking over game actions the pilot cannot perform. A copilot can be a human partner — often a family member, friend, or trained…

Curse of Dimensionality (Accessibility)

In an accessibility context, the practical barrier that arises when a player or user must coordinate a large number of distinct inputs simultaneously or in rapid succession — for example, moving, aiming, shooting, and reloading concurrently in a first-person shooter. Even when…

Handicapping(also: Handicap System, Player Balancing)

A mechanism that asymmetrically adjusts game or contest conditions so competitors of differing ability have more equal chances to win or participate meaningfully. Long established in sports such as golf, horse racing, and archery, handicapping is distinct from matchmaking in…

Human Cooperation (Accessibility)(also: Cooperative Shared Control)

In the context of accessible gaming and assistive technology, human cooperation refers to arrangements in which a disabled user (the pilot) and another person (the copilot) jointly operate a single system — for example by splitting game controller inputs between two pads so they…

PS5 Access Controller(also: PlayStation Access Controller, Access Controller)

Sony's highly customisable controller for PlayStation 5, released in 2023 and designed for players with limited motor control. It has a flat disc layout with interchangeable button caps and analog stick attachments, 3.5 mm expansion ports for external switches, and…

Pilot (Shared Control)

In shared-control video gaming, the pilot is the primary player — usually a person with a disability — who drives the gameplay and makes strategic decisions, while delegating specific inaccessible inputs to a copilot. The pilot retains leadership of the session and, in most…

Rhythm-Action Game(also: Rhythm Game, Music Rhythm Game, Beat-Matching Game)

A genre of video game in which players must make timed inputs (button presses, key strokes, or physical movements) synchronised with musical beats or rhythmic patterns. Popular examples include Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and PaRappa the Rapper. Rhythm-action games are…

Rubber Banding(also: Rubber-Band AI, Catch-Up Mechanic)

A handicapping technique, common in racing games, that dynamically adjusts the speed or performance of leading and trailing players to keep them close together. Traditional rubber banding operates by boosting the trailing player or hampering the leader in ways that are not…

Sandbagging

The practice of deliberately underperforming in a competitive setting to obtain a more favourable handicap, ranking, or matchmaking placement, then exploiting that advantage in later matches. Sandbagging originates in handicapped sports such as golf and is a known risk for any…

Skill-Based Matchmaking(also: SBMM)

An online matchmaking approach that attempts to pair competitors of similar demonstrated skill so that matches are appropriately challenging. SBMM is the dominant industry response to ability imbalances in competitive multiplayer video games, but it depends on a dense population…

Xbox Adaptive Controller(also: XAC)

A Microsoft-manufactured game controller designed for players with limited mobility. It provides a large flat-surface form factor with two oversized programmable buttons and 19 external 3.5 mm jacks plus USB ports, so it can be connected to a wide range of external switches,…

Xbox Controller Assist(also: Xbox Copilot)

A Microsoft software feature (formerly called Xbox Copilot) available on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs that links two physical controllers so they behave as a single controller — any input from either pad is treated as if it came from one player. It is explicitly advertised as…

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