People who are responsible for attracting audiences are ready to do all the magic to stay relevant in an age when tech giants create VR headsets that not only provide the best experience for the eyes but also successfully convince the mind that you’re physically there (wherever “there” is, but especially in gaming). So yes, in this context, sound has become a secret weapon to immerse people without a VR headset. We will take a close look at two cases: when simple audio is used in a smart way, and when complex sound effects are used in complex ways.
Sounds Become Part of a Game in Gaming World
It’s enough to do a quick search about the growth of the gaming industry, and tech advancements will pop up as the main reason why people play more and more these days, regardless of their age. Of course, this is partially true, as enhanced graphics make a significant impact on arcade games, for instance. But this world is vast, and the smart use of audio can be the best way for immersion.
Some of the smallest sound effects can be found in games like poker or baccarat, and it’s part of the game design. Moreover baccarat and similar games often feature subtle lounge music or ambient background sounds that blend into the gameplay. That gentle jazz or calm ambient loop you hear at an online Baccarat table is deliberately chosen to keep players relaxed and focused. The psychological logic is straightforward: a soothing auditory backdrop helps players concentrate on strategy while maintaining a pleasant atmosphere. Casinos (both virtual and real) have long known that slower, softer music encourages deliberate, prolonged play.
The immersive-yet-calm audio design differs markedly from the louder, more animated soundscapes of other casino games. For example, slot machines bombard players with celebratory jingles and rapid sound effects to create excitement and urgency. In contrast, games like Baccarat use understated sound cues: the soft shuffle of cards, the quiet clink of chips, and mellow background melodies. These sounds are meant to recede into the subconscious, supporting concentration rather than stealing the spotlight. The result is an audio environment that keeps you immersed and oriented, without the adrenaline-jacking fanfare. In the gaming world, sound truly becomes part of the game that shapes mood, pace, and psychology, proving that sometimes the most immersive audio experience is the one you hardly notice.
Cinematic Immersion
If you’ve ever jumped in your seat because a movie’s sound made you feel like something whooshed right past your ear, you’ve tasted the power of 3D audio in cinema. Modern films and streaming shows increasingly use formats like Dolby Atmos (and its competitors) to extend sound beyond traditional channels. Unlike old-school stereo (two channels left and right) or even standard 5.1 surround, today’s immersive film audio places you inside the action, as if you’re in the scene. This is achieved with object-based audio technology: sound engineers can position each sound “object” anywhere in a three-dimensional space, including above the listener, rather than tying sounds to fixed speaker channels. The effect is a far more realistic soundscape as rain falling feels like it’s pattering all around you, and a crowd’s chatter comes from the exact direction of those on screen.
Expert opinions from the audio industry underscore how revolutionary this is compared to legacy sound. Guillaume Le Nost of L-Acoustics points out that traditional stereo has “serious shortcomings” in creating a convincing sonic image for everyone in an audience; only those in the perfect center spot get the full effect. Immersive audio, by contrast, can place “the listener inside of the sound,” making the experience much more consistent and lifelike for all.
To visualize the difference, consider the evolution of cinema sound in the following comparison:
| Format | Audio Experience | Usage and Adoption |
| Stereo (2.0) | Two channels (left/right). Sound panorama exists mostly in a line between two speakers. Immersion is low, as sound can only come from those two directions. | Standard for basic TV broadcasts and older content. Still common in music listening (headphones) and small-scale media. |
| Surround (5.1/7.1) | Multi-channel. More immersive than stereo, but sounds are tied to speaker positions. | Became the cinema/home theater norm in the late 20th century. Effective but now giving way to object-based systems. |
| Spatial 3D Audio (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X) | Object-based audio with speakers around and above the listener (e.g. ceiling speakers). Creates a “bubble” of sound, listeners feel surrounded on all sides and overhead. | Growing rapidly in theaters and streaming. Over 4,400 theaters worldwide support Dolby Atmos as of 2024 , and it’s now common on major streaming platforms with headphones or soundbars that simulate height channels. |
Concerts and Live Events
Traditional concert audio projects a mix toward the crowd from stage speakers and some surround arrays, which can leave those farther away or off-center with a less-than-ideal experience. 3D audio technology is changing that. For example, the brand-new Sphere venue in Las Vegas has installed the world’s largest beamforming audio system to deliver personalized sound to every seat. The dome-shaped auditorium houses around 1,600 to 1,800 specialized speaker panels hidden behind the 160,000-square-foot LED screen. Using advanced algorithms, these panels output targeted waves of sound that can be steered with pinpoint precision.
This is the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas. It’s a new high-tech concert venue that uses spatial audio (via thousands of hidden speakers) to give every audience member a truly immersive sound experience. Image: Here Under Creative Common Licence.
Early reports from artists and fans highlight how transformative this is. U2’s lead guitarist The Edge, after previewing the Sphere’s system, noted that the audio “resolution and fidelity” were designed in from the start, making the show feel like something entirely new. Audience members have described the Sphere’s sound as “taking a bath in the audio”—incredibly crisp and encompassing in a way traditional live shows aren’t.
Crucially, immersive audio in live events has a real psychological impact on the audience. When you feel the music surrounding you, you tend to lose yourself more in the moment. The concert becomes a multi-sensory experience. Researchers and sound engineers suggest this heightened realism can increase emotional responses – the chills, the euphoria – that make live performances so powerful. It’s telling that even in an era of hi-tech visuals and AR effects, many producers say spatial audio is what truly “plunges” the audience into the show.
So, Do We Overuse Audio?
This is a very logical question to ask when everyone is talking about the advantages of immersive audio or the role of sound effects that equally immerse audiences in digital and offline activities. We don’t have exact data for a Yes or No answer, but we can at least say that we shouldn’t overuse audio, no matter how advantageous or advanced it is.
Look, we talked about digital gaming and mentioned how platforms use sound effects to design their games, but this is not an absolute truth for every platform—even within the same category. If a casino adds sound effects to a baccarat game, they certainly avoid it in poker, because players wouldn’t tolerate it. Moreover, this is a textbook rule for poker players: no distractions around the table (or the screen).
Do you think, after this, gaming platforms would try to immerse poker players with music? Absolutely not. The same goes for other examples. Even in cinema, not all movies can be watched with heightened adrenaline.
So, good audio is always desirable, but what is the definition of good here? That’s a question for event organizers and producers to ask their audiences.
