Fortnite spatial audio is getting special attention from Epic Games, but exactly what is spatial audio in Fortnite? Here’s what you need to know.
Epic Games has detailed some improvements coming to Fortnite spatial audio. This certainly sounds impressive, but exactly what is spatial audio in Fortnite? Surviving in a battle royale game is all about being able to trust your senses, with sight and hearing being key elements to earning those Chicken Dinners and Victory Royales. With only one life in these elimination-type games, it can be very frustrating to get shot in back because audio cues failed you. Audio in Fortnite could be better, and so Epic Games is now working to improve game sound in many different ways.
Fortnite spatial audio is what players depend on to survive, with audio cues signaling when a player is walking nearby, or where gunfire is coming from. Being able to accurately pinpoint the locations of these sounds is crucial when trying to stay alive and avoid danger.
During Fortnite Season 6, Epic Games is aiming to offer more contrast between the noises coming above and below the player. Footstep noise should be easier to track. Also, if an enemy comes gliding in, you should have a better idea of where they are coming from. This will stop players using the glider to get the easy drop on an unsuspecting victim, which is a common problem now that rifts are in the game.
Throughout Season 6, Epic Games is also hoping to implement a system that adds audio tells for in-air movements, including falling, and using a bouncer or shockwave grenade.
In some cases, sound doesn’t play at all. Obviously, this is no good, even in a “beta” game like Fortnite. Epic Games has acknowledged this problem, and blames the “chaotic nature of the game” for “important cues fail[ing] to play or [getting] lost in the mix.” The developer is working to identify why this is happening.
[ via Epic Games]
