A Comparative Analysis of Speaker and Headphone-Based Immersive Audio in VR and Gaming Applications

Precise and accurate audio spatialization is crucial for gaming and Virtual Reality (VR) applications, as it is an essential aspect of the immersion experienced by users. When the audio of a virtual environment is synchronized with its visual sources and localized accurately, users are more likely to feel deeply engaged and suspend their disbelief. Audio Middleware software is commonly used in cooperation with game engines to meet the audio requirements of virtual environments created by game developers. This research paper presents a comparative analysis of speaker-and headphone-based immersive audio systems within the context of VR. The research findings indicate that, despite the headphone-based system offering more accurate audio localization and a higher ‘perceived audio quality’, the speaker-based system resulted in a greater sense of ‘immersion.’