VR For Your Ears: Dynamic 3D audio is key to the immersive experience by mathias johansson · illustration by eddie guy

Put on your virtual-reality headset and be transported to a distant planet, ducking the crossfire in a battle between alien species. Laser rifle shots whiz by your head; military shuttles hover before you; the frantic calls of comrades hail from all directions. ¶ Change the channel. ¶ Now you are courtside at a basketball game. You hear players trash- talking on the court in front of you and coaches yelling from the bench to your left. Turn your head and the sound spins with you; the announcers in the broadcast booth are in front of you, the court sounds behind. ¶ Change the channel. ¶ Now you're at the Gothenburg Concert Hall, whose acoustics are ranked among the best in the world. From your front-row seat, the 109-person orchestra before you simmers quietly at first, then roars to life, its sound enveloping you. Turn your head to the left to hear the violins more strongly; turn it to the right and hear the cellos and brass section a little above the rest.