Gaming has always promised freedom and fun, but for many players, that promise has come with limits. This summer, those limits get a major shakeup thanks to Open Drive, the latest creation from accessibility champion SpecialEffect. Unveiled on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Open Drive is a free mobile driving game where you can steer using your eyes—or practically any input device you prefer. It’s more than a game; it’s a bold demonstration of what happens when thoughtful design meets technology with everyone in mind.
Open Drive supports eye gaze, switches, controllers, keyboard, mouse, and touch—on both iOS and Android. The game detects your input device automatically and tailors the controls to suit. Whether you’re using an eye tracker, an accessibility switch, a game controller, or just your finger, Open Drive gets you behind the wheel in seconds.
Race through four distinct worlds—Stunt, Speed, Snow, and Meadow—and tweak the game speed to match your comfort or skill level. If you need more time to line up a jump, grab orbs, or navigate a tricky corner, just slow things down. That kind of player-focused customization is still rare in mobile gaming, making Open Drive a true standout.
For newcomers to eye gaze tech, here’s how it works: compatible cameras track your eye movements, so you steer simply by looking left or right on the screen. Actions like “clicking” are handled by dwelling your gaze on a target for a moment. And if eye tracking isn’t your thing, almost any other input method is welcome—Open Drive adapts, instantly.
Dr. Mick Donegan, Founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, puts it simply: “Even though devices themselves are becoming increasingly accessible, most mobile games can still only be played using touch or, in some cases, a gamepad. It’s for this reason we’ve developed a suite of mobile apps we hope will be enjoyed by many people with even the most severe physical challenges.”
Open Drive launches at a moment when accessibility is finally moving to the forefront of game design—but most mobile games are still catching up. With features like Switch Access on Android and Assistive Touch on iOS, plus a partnership with Sun & Moon Studios, Open Drive is polished, flexible, and ready for the widest possible audience. The game’s auto-detection of input devices removes setup headaches, making it easier than ever for players with specialized hardware to jump in and start racing.
And it doesn’t stop with Open Drive. SpecialEffect has plans to bring more accessible classics—think Chess, Checkers, marble-popper Mole Miners, and tower defense hit Badger Badger—to mobile, all shaped by community feedback. The vision? To empower a wider community of gamers, and to inspire the industry to make inclusive design a standard, not a special feature.
Open Drive will be available for free on the App Store and Google Play this summer, with zero in-app purchases—ever. Whether you’re seeking accessible family fun or tracking the evolution of inclusive design, Open Drive is a game that invites everyone to buckle up and enjoy the ride.