Spatial audio encompasses all techniques used to position and move sounds in 3D space around a listener. It's fundamental to game audio, where convincing sound placement enhances immersion and gameplay.
Approaches to spatial audio:
- Stereo panning — basic left/right positioning
- Surround sound (5.1, 7.1) — discrete speaker channels
- Ambisonics — full-sphere sound field representation
- Binaural — HRTF-based 3D audio for headphones
- Object-based (Dolby Atmos, Sony 360RA) — individual sound objects with metadata
In game audio: Spatial audio is handled by the game engine's audio system or dedicated middleware. Sound sources are placed in the 3D world and rendered based on the listener's position and orientation. Features like occlusion (sound blocked by walls), diffraction (sound bending around corners), and distance attenuation make the audio world feel believable.