Sony Corporation has introduced “Gaming Virtualiser by 360 Reality Audio,” a new plug-in software designed to enhance the creation of spatial game sound for developers. The software, which integrates seamlessly with the widely-used audio middleware Wwise® from Audiokinetic Inc., enables developers to produce spatial game sound specifically tailored for headphone use, ensuring low latency and minimal hardware load.

Meeting the Growing Demand for Spatial Sound in Gaming

As the popularity of 3D games featuring spatial sound continues to rise, more gamers are opting for headphones to fully immerse themselves in the gaming experience. Recognizing this shift, Sony’s new software leverages its proprietary 360 Reality Audio technology, originally developed for immersive music experiences, to create natural and realistic spatial sound fields for gaming. This innovation is particularly significant for mobile and PC gaming, where processing power is often limited.

Key Features of the Gaming Virtualiser

1. Optimized Signal Processing:
The “Gaming Virtualiser by 360 Reality Audio” is designed to deliver spatial sound via headphones with high efficiency, reducing the processing load on gaming hardware. This ensures that even on mobile devices, players can enjoy an immersive audio experience with clear sound positioning from all directions.

2. Integration with Wwise:
Developers using Wwise for game sound design can now incorporate the “Gaming Virtualiser” to streamline the creation of spatial sound for multiple platforms. The plug-in allows for individualized sound adjustments, providing greater flexibility in how sounds are spatialized within the game environment.

3. Validation by Leading Game Developers:
The software is currently being tested by game developers in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Notable developers include COLOPL, Inc., Cygames, Inc., GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc., Niantic, Inc., and SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. In COLOPL’s adventure game “PRINCIPLES PROLOGUE,” for example, the software has been implemented to create a realistic sound environment, enhancing the gaming experience with precise sound positioning.

Taiki Watanabe, Audio Programmer at COLOPL, Inc., highlighted the improved sound positioning achieved with the new software. “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,” Watanabe stated.

Keigo Ozaki, Senior Sound Creator at GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc., expressed confidence in the software’s potential to deliver a richer sound experience. “Because the ‘Gaming Virtualiser 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 at Cygames, Inc., noted the significance of offering high-quality spatial sound via headphones, “If we can deliver highly realistic spatial sound via headphones, regardless of platform, we believe a wider audience could enjoy the full experience.”