Valve recently acquired Impulsonic, a little-known audio technology company that created physics-based audio spatialization software for game developers.
Impulsonic’s current product, Phonon 3D, is a software utility that lets developers add binaural 3D audio to their 3D environments and VR experiences. Phonon 3D’s binaural 3D audio algorithm complements the head tracking information from VR HMDs to enhance the 3D audio experience.
3D audio is a big part of virtual reality experiences, and companies are taking the issue seriously. The idea of immersive audio was a central theme at the ITA’s Immersed conference in 2015, and it continues to be just as important today. Without a realistic sound profile, the immersive feeling of VR experiences falls flat. Impulsonic built Phonon 3D to make it easier for developers to incorporate 3D audio profiles.
