Sony spins spatial sounds for gamers

Sony’s Gaming Virtualizer by 360 Reality Audio, a new plug-in software application, enables the production of immersive spatial game sound for headphone users.

The software integrates with Wwise (Audiokinetic), a widely used cross-platform audio middleware, allowing game developers to create interactive and spatial audio across various platforms. With low load and latency, it efficiently generates natural spatial sound for headphone listening.

As 3D games increasingly support spatial sound, and more gamers prefer headphones, the demand for multi-channel audio has grown. However, rendering spatial sound on headphones in 3D games often requires significant processing power. Gaming Virtualizer optimises signal processing, reducing the load on game hardware and enabling high-quality spatial sound even on devices with limited processing capabilities, such as mobile devices.

Leveraging Sony’s expertise in spatial audio from 360 Reality Audio, the software delivers a low-latency, natural sound field. Gamers can discern sound positions, such as those from above or behind, with smooth audio transitions even during significant viewpoint shifts.

The program, developed in collaboration with Audiokinetic, enhances the sound design process by integrating with Wwise. It eliminates the need for separate audio adjustments for mobile and PC games, improving development efficiency. Developers can now spatialise specific sounds, like voices and effects, while processing ambient sounds differently, providing greater creative freedom in conveying the game’s audio landscape.

In the adventure game Principles Prologue by Colopl, sound design was implemented using the software to create realistic spatial sound fields. This allows players to experience detailed audio effects, such as footsteps, sounds from exposed electrical circuits, and cave reverberations.

Game developers in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China are currently testing the software for implementation in their upcoming titles.

“With the introduction of Gaming Virtualizer by 360 Reality Audio, the sense of positioning of the sound image has been improved, and changes in sound positioning can now be felt with less discomfort even when moving the viewpoint, etc,” said Taiki Watanabe, audio programmer of Colopl.

“It can be easily introduced into development environments that use the game engines Unity and Wwise, and another great feature is that it has a processing load that allows it to be used without any problems in mobile games.”

Keigo Ozaki, senior sound creator of GungHo Online Entertainment, said: “We are confident that by incorporating spatial sound into games, we can achieve a richer, more realistic sound expression.

“Because the Gaming Virtualizer by 360 Reality Audio technology does not depend on a specific equipment environment like a surround system, we believe that it will become a service that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people.”

Ryoji Makimura, acoustic research laboratory manager of Cygames, said: “There aren’t many users who own devices that output spatial sound through actual speakers, making it difficult to deliver a meticulously crafted audio experience to a large number of people.

“If we can deliver highly realistic spatial sound via headphones, regardless of platform, we believe a wider audience could enjoy the full experience, and that is why we validate this software.”

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