Traditional audio, even 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, is flat. It only provides audible cues in a 2D environment (left/right, front/back). Spatial audio creates the illusion of sounds coming directly from an object in a three-dimensional space. Think of it this way: in the real world, when you hear an airplane fly over you, the sound doesn’t come from around you but from above. The sound changes as the airplane moves away from you or climbs higher into the sky. While surround sound attempts to capture it, the sound changes as it moves and still comes from fixed speakers, limiting what the sound engineer can accomplish.

Spatial audio delivered through headphones creates a more immersive sound experience than fixed speakers. Spatial sound can take advantage of the headphones’ sound space to deliver sound from any point in space. Further, that point can be engineered to change dynamically with an object’s movements on a screen through anchoring persistence.

For the gamer, this creates a broader field of awareness than the visuals alone. A sound coming from an unseen source — such as behind a wall or camouflaged in the terrain — provides advanced warning of impending danger and allows the gamer to pinpoint its location with much greater accuracy. Whether seen or unseen, anchoring and persistence make it possible for sound to move with objects, giving the gamer the same cues and awareness they would have in a real-life situation.

These features help the game designer tell their story more interactively. Not only does the player move through the visual space of the game, but they also move through the auditory space. Sound cues make the game more realistic, adding to the experience of play.

Let’s look at some of the features of enhanced audio.

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