"Did you hear that?": Investigating localized spatial audio effects on enhancing immersive and affective user experiences in virtual reality

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

This study examines the effects of software-based localised audio enhancement in VR on spatial audio, immersion, and affective responses. Sixty-eight participants took part in a VR game (Job Simulator) and reported improved sound quality, immersion, and localization under enhanced audio conditions. Physiological measures revealed significant effects on emotional valence, highlighting enhanced audio as a cost-effective way to improve auditory involvement and emotional engagement in VR without additional hardware.