Valve has launched Steam Audio, a spatial audio solution for VR games and apps. The Steam Audio SDK is available free of charge, for use by teams of any size, without any royalty requirements. Steam Audio currently supports Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android and is not restricted to any particular VR device or to Steam.
Steam Audio adds physics-based sound propagation on top of HRTF-based binaural audio, so that sounds interact with and bounce off of the actual scene geometry, making the user feel like they are actually in the scene.
Functionality Includes:
- Binaural Rendering
- Occlusion
- Physics-Based Reverb
- Real-Time Sound Propagation
- Baked Reverb & Propagation
Putting It All Together
Steam Audio can apply binaural rendering to occlusion, reverb, and sound propagation effects, so you can get a strong sense of space and direction, even from reflected sounds, reverb entering a room through a doorway, and more.
You can download the tools now at Steam Audio on GitHub.
