Sony have talked about the PS5’s 3D audio engine, Tempest, quite bit in the lead-up to the console’s launch. Alongside the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, 3D audio is supposed to be part of the PS5’s push for greater immersion in games- and given how many developers are pledging support for it, they certainly seem to be on-board with it as well.
We recently spoke in an interview with Christophe Gandon, managing director of games at Virtuos, and when asked about the PS5’s Tempest engine, he, too, was optimistic about it, saying that it will increase immersion. He did, however, add that the goal for developers will still be to provide audio that suits the gameplay rather than audio that is realistic.
“Generally speaking, Tempest will increase audio immersion in games,” Gandon said. “This will open up new ways to design and play games, particularly when it comes to FPS and stealth games. For game developers like us, the ultimate goal isn’t necessarily full audio realism though, but instead to design sound that suits the gameplay best. More realistic games don’t necessarily make for more immersive games.”
Sony recent announced that the Tempest Engine’s 3D audio wouldn’t support TV surround sound systems and will work only with compatible headphones at launch, though TV surround sound support would be coming soon. Read more on that through here.
Our full interview with Gandon will be going live soon, so stay tuned for the whole thing.