What is VoiceAttack?
VoiceAttack is a program for Windows computers. It listens to your voice and then follows short commands.
For example:
- A gamer can say “land shuttle”, and the game will run all the steps needed to land a spaceship.
- A user can say “open browser”, and the computer will start their internet browser.
You can find VoiceAttack at: https://voiceattack.com/Default.aspx.
It has a free trial and a paid version. The free trial lets you make one profile with up to 20 voice commands.
One gamer we worked with used only the free version of VoiceAttack while playing a PGA golf game on his PC. Instead of having to navigate through the camera menus with his joystick (positioned beneath his chin), he simply used his voice to select the camera angle he wanted. He then used his voice commands again to select his club. This made the process a lot faster for him, and he found the free version had everything he needed for this game.
How to Start
- Download the program from the website.
- Install it on your computer.
- Sometimes Windows may need extra software to run VoiceAttack. VoiceAttack will request this, if it is required.
- Create your first profile.
- Add a voice command – See image below;
A profile can be:
- For a specific game (for example, flying a spaceship).
- For general use on your computer (for example, opening apps, moving windows).
Example: A user sets “walk forward” as a voice command. In the game, this works the same as pressing the W key on the keyboard.
Do More with One Command
One of the strongest features of VoiceAttack is that it can join actions together. This means one voice command can do many things.
Example: Saying “battle ready” could:
- change your weapon,
- use a special skill,
- move the camera.
This helps in games where you must do many things quickly.
Learning Curve
- Setting up and learning to use VoiceAttack takes time.
- You need to know the game’s controls well.
- Too many voice commands can be hard to remember.
- In very fast games (like field or shooting games), voice may be slower than other forms of control.
Helpful for users who find it hard to use the keyboard or mouse.
VoiceAttack can be useful because;
- Commands can be spoken instead of typed.
- Repeated actions are easier and faster.
- It can also work alongside other assistive technologies. Example: With the Xbox Adaptive Game Controller (XAC) on a Windows computer.
Performance & Accuracy
VoiceAttack uses the speech features already built into Windows.
- Accuracy is high once you train it with your voice.
- It can understand different ways of saying the same thing. Example: “walk forward,” “move forward,” or just “forward” all do the same action.
- Commands happen almost instantly.
Good Points
- High accuracy after training.
- One command can do many actions.
- Different words can trigger the same action.
- Very fast response.
- Works with other assistive technologies.
- Active online support community.
- Free version is enough for many users.
Not So Good Points
- Background noise can cause errors. A good microphone helps.
- Setting up takes time and effort.
- Hard to remember many voice commands in fast games.
- Users’ voice must be clearly understood by the program.
- Works only on Windows.
Video Introduction
Watch this short video to see VoiceAttack in action: YouTube Video – VoiceAttack, An Introduction (7:23 minutes)