Wwise adds support for Dolby Atmos

Audiokinetic has updated its Wwise audio middleware software with compatibility with Dolby’s Atmos technology.

Atmos allows developers to position object-based audio anywhere within a 3D space – vertically, as well as the traditional horizontal positioning offered by conventional surround sound setups.

The system was introduced to cinema chains in 2012 and has since been used in a number of movies.

Support for Atmos has been rolled into the existing versions of Wwise 2015.1, and the first games to use the technology will ship “soon”, according to Audiokinetic.

“Dolby Atmos allows sound designers to take the best techniques of their existing pipelines, and add the benefits of the 3D world that their games are using,” explained Audiokinetic CTO Martin Dufour.

“No longer will they need to flatten their sound design into a plane, they can use the true object position data from the game to move key sounds around the entire world space, truly immersing the player in the world they’ve created.”