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Ubisoft Chroma is an open-source Windows tool designed to simulate color-vision deficiencies over a running game, without requiring a Unity package or Unreal plugin. It can help developers and QA teams spot color-dependent gameplay and interface problems in an existing build. It is a simulator, not an accessibility fix, and its screen-level design does not guarantee compatibility with every game or display setup.
What is Chroma?
Chroma applies a color-vision simulation to the game as it appears on screen. Ubisoft describes it as independent of a particular game or engine, with live simulation intended for gameplay testing, configurable controls, and screenshot capture for recording issues. The repository names protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia as supported simulation categories. Ubisoft claims live operation at up to 60 frames per second; that is a project claim, not a performance guarantee for every PC or game. The project is released under the Apache License 2.0; check the repository and its third-party notices for the terms that apply to distributed components.
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ISHIHARA Color Vision Test Book with 14 Plate with User Manual Occluder | $23.75 | Buy on Amazon |
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Ishihara Color Vision Test Book of 38 Plates with User Manual | $33.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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ColorCheck Complete Vision Screener | $189.55 | Buy on Amazon |
Ubisoft says the tool grew out of internal use, with development beginning in 2021 in its Quality Control team in India. That history is Ubisoft’s account of the project, not independent validation of the simulations. Its public repository showed a release dated November 21, 2025 in the material available for this article; check the repository’s current Releases page for newer builds and current requirements.
Ubisoft’s announcement describes Chroma’s public release. The GitHub repository is the place to check current downloads, instructions, licensing, and project details.
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- Vanishing design: Only people with good color vision can see the sign. If you are colorblind you won’t see anything.
- Transformation design: Color blind people will see a different sign than people with no color vision handicap.
- Hidden digit design: Only colorblind people are able to spot the sign. If you have perfect color vision, you won’t be able to see it.
- Classification design: This is used to differentiate between red- and green-blind persons. The vanishing design is used on either side of the plate, one side for deutan defects an the other for protans.
Does “works with any game” mean universal compatibility?
No. Chroma’s engine independence means it is designed to inspect the rendered screen without integration into a specific game engine. That makes it useful for different engines and already-built games, but it is not a warranty that every game, graphics configuration, or display path will work. Compatibility can depend on factors such as exclusive fullscreen, HDR, multiple monitors, remote streaming, anti-cheat software, or how the game presents its image.
Confirm operation with the game and setup you intend to test. If the effect does not appear or behaves inconsistently, try a supported windowed or borderless mode if available, check the project’s current instructions, and avoid using an injector or overlay in an online game unless its rules permit it. These are general compatibility checks, not confirmed Chroma defects.
How to install and use Chroma
Use the official repository as the source of truth for the current Windows requirements, release files, and controls. The available project information does not establish exact hotkeys, button names, launch order, or fullscreen behavior, so do not assume those details across versions.
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- Vanishing design: Only people with good color vision can see the sign. If you are colorblind you won’t see anything.
- Transformation design: Color blind people will see a different sign than people with no color vision handicap.
- Hidden digit design: Only colorblind people are able to spot the sign. If you have perfect color vision, you won’t be able to see it.
- Classification design: This is used to differentiate between red- and green-blind persons. The vanishing design is used on either side of the plate, one side for deutan defects an the other for protans.
- Open the official Chroma repository and review its current README, releases, and notices.
- If a prebuilt release is available and suits your system, download it from the project’s release page. Confirm the file and installation guidance in the release notes before running it.
- Launch Chroma and the game, then apply one of the listed color-vision simulations using the controls documented for that release.
- Inspect live gameplay and important interface screens, not just a single still image. Use the screenshot feature to capture a reproducible issue for your bug tracker.
- Repeat the inspection with the other available simulations and with relevant display modes or scenes.
- Fix the underlying design where color alone carries essential information, then test the change again in the game and with players.
For a source build, the repository identifies Visual Studio 2022 as the preferred development environment. It documents a CMake-related C++/WinRT issue for builds without Visual Studio 2022; if that issue occurs, its listed workaround is nuget install Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT. Follow the current repository’s build instructions rather than treating that command as a complete build procedure.
What should you test?
Choose moments where a player must identify, compare, or react to color quickly. Include ordinary play and unusual states, since lighting, effects, and UI changes can make a distinction fail only in particular conditions.
Gameplay and world cues
- Red-versus-green targets, team colors, ally and enemy markers, and color-coded objectives.
- Damage indicators, hit markers, warnings, interaction prompts, status effects, and resource meters.
- Waypoints, hazards, puzzle elements, environmental clues, and collectibles.
- Fast combat, motion, particle effects, transparency, bloom, and scenes with both bright and dark lighting.
Menus and interface
- Main menu, settings, inventory, map, skill tree, character screen, minimap, and multiplayer scoreboard.
- Subtitles, tutorials, error messages, accessibility settings, and small or rapidly changing indicators.
- Low-contrast screens, different UI scales, and states where labels, icons, or patterns compete for attention.
Display and capture conditions
- Windowed, borderless, and exclusive fullscreen modes where the game offers them.
- HDR and SDR, if supported by the game; different brightness settings and monitor profiles.
- Multiple monitors or streamed gameplay if those are part of the team’s actual workflow.
The useful question is not simply whether the filtered image looks plausible. Ask whether a player can identify the information they need quickly and reliably without having to infer meaning from color alone.
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- Comprehensive Color Vision Testing – The Good-Lite ColorCheck book covers both adult and pediatric screenings in one easy-to-use format.
- Meets Government & Military Standards – Fully compliant with official color vision screening requirements, eliminating the need for multiple test books.
- Dual Testing Options – Features LEA NUMBERS and LEA SYMBOLS plates for protan/deutan (red/green) and tritan (blue/yellow) color deficiencies.
- Durable & User-Friendly Design – Includes larger color plates, tabbed sections, protective coating, and clear instructions for efficient testing.
Simulation is not the same as making a game accessible
A simulator changes the developer’s view to help expose color relationships that may be difficult to distinguish. A correction or daltonization system instead attempts to alter colors so selected distinctions become easier to perceive. Neither approach, by itself, guarantees accessible design.
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When a critical interaction depends on color, consider adding another signal: a distinctive icon or shape, text label, pattern, outline, position, animation, or sound cue. For example, allies and enemies can use different marker shapes and labels as well as different colors. A whole-screen color shift may alter art, lighting, and readability without fixing the interaction that caused confusion.
How Chroma compares with other options
| Tool | Best fit | Scope | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubisoft Chroma | Game accessibility QA on an existing build | Engine-independent screen-level simulation, according to the project | Compatibility depends on the game and display setup; a simulation is not proof of accessibility. |
| ReShade / official site | General post-processing and custom shaders | Shader effects target supported rendering technologies, including Direct3D, OpenGL, and Vulkan, according to the project | It is not dedicated to color-vision QA; setup and game-specific behavior vary, and online-game rules may restrict injectors. The official site listed version 6.7.3, released February 28, 2026, in the material available here; check for a newer version. |
| Color Oracle | Inspecting desktop designs and applications | Free, open-source simulator for Windows, macOS, and Linux, according to its site | It is not presented as a game-focused live gameplay testing tool. |
| Unreal color-blind simulation material | Testing within an Unreal project | Engine-specific post-process material; the project states Unreal Engine 4.16.1 or later | Requires integration into the project and does not provide Chroma’s engine-independent screen-level approach. |
| @bjornlu/colorblind | Web tools, image pipelines, or custom developer utilities | Zero-dependency JavaScript simulation library for npm or browser-CDN use, according to its repository | It is a library to implement, not a ready-made whole-screen game overlay. |
Choose an engine-native method when you need repeatable test scenes, per-camera or per-UI control, automated screenshots, or a debug toggle inside development builds. A screen overlay is more convenient for broad inspection of an existing game; an integrated implementation offers finer control over what is rendered and when. Electronic Arts also publishes an example of a tunable in-game approach in its Tunable Colorblindness Solution.
Quick Recap
A practical validation workflow
- Run a developer-side simulation such as Chroma during exploratory QA and record the scene, game state, display mode, and issue screenshot.
- Reproduce each concern without relying on the filter. Identify the information the player needs and the exact moment it must be understood.
- Review whether color is the only cue; add or strengthen non-color signals where the information is essential.
- Test revised scenes and interfaces across relevant gameplay states, lighting conditions, and display settings.
- Include players with different color-vision deficiencies, severities, display setups, and gaming habits. Use their feedback to find problems a filter cannot model.
- Repeat checks after changes to art, UI, lighting, or post-processing, since those changes can reintroduce color-dependent failures.
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