Earlier today Sony's Mark Cerny gave PlayStation fans their first in-depth introduction to the PS5. While the PS5 presentation was focused mainly on hardware specifications, Cerny did also discuss certain new features. One such feature is the PS5's new Tempest 3D Audio Tech. Sony believes its 3D audio technology could be a game changer and a major differentiation between the PS5 and the Xbox Series X.
Cerny started his discussion of 3D audio by telling viewers what Sony's priorities were when approaching the feature for the PS5. The goals start with "Great Audio for All." Goal number two is "Hundreds of Advanced Sound Sources" as in adding dimensionality to all potential game sounds and not just a portion of them. The final goal is "Presence and Locality," which is a primary focus of the feature.
The idea of presence and locality ties into bringing the player closer to the game, which is the entire idea of adding 3D audio in the first place. Presence implies putting the player into the game world. Locality implies directional sound so that players understand what direction sounds are coming from. Cerny uses the original Dead Space as an example of needing to know where an enemy is coming from instantly.
Sony's answer is using HRTFs, head-related transfer functions, which calculates how the human ear processes 3D audio. Sony is developing its own hardware technology for the PS5, called the Tempest 3D Audio Tech, that converts or recreates these HRTFs that create 3D audio.
The PS5 will launch with a test for users, allowing them to select from five different HRTF patterns. Each will offer a unique pattern from which PS5 users will be able to choose the setting that best fits them. Cerny admits that this is just the first phase of what will be a "multi-year, multi-step process." It won't be finished at launch, but it will be substantial nonetheless.
Tempest 3D Audio Tech is one example of how Sony is innovating with the PlayStation 5. Of course, innovation isn't the only thing Sony is bringing to the table with its new console. Today Mark Cerny also revealed the PS5's hardware specifications and it's impressive to say the lease. The way Sony is building its SSD into the PS5 is particularly exciting, with Cerny promising 100x faster loading times compared to the PS4. Of course, what that means in an actual game remains to be seen.
The PS5 remains planned for release in winter 2020.