"Did you hear that?": Investigating localized spatial audio effects on enhancing immersive and affective user experiences in virtual reality
This study examines the effects of software-based localised audio enhancement in VR on spatial audio, immersion, and affective responses. Sixty-eight participants took part in a VR game (Job Simulator) and reported improved sound quality, immersion, and localization under enhanced audio conditions. Physiological measures revealed significant effects on emotional valence, highlighting enhanced audio as a cost-effective way to improve auditory involvement and emotional engagement in VR without additional hardware.
Authors
- Daniel Weiss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2851-1040)
- Christine Erie
- James P. Hughes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5034-3157)
- Joseph Butera
- Mark H. Harpster
- Phillip Brown (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3775-8101)
- Ifigeneia Mavridou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3800-6531)
- Sophia Cox
- Charles Nduka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-0502)
- Ryan Copt
- Ellen Seiss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9778-9076)
- Giuseppe Ugazio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6912-806X)
- David López (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3544-618X)
Institutions
- University of Geneva (CH)
- Tilburg University (NL)
- Emteq (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Bournemouth University (GB)
Publication Details
- Published
- 2025-03-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1109/vrw66409.2025.00284
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Multisensory perception and integration
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.12