Acoustic Portals

Acoustic portals are defined openings, such as doorways and windows, through which sound travels between connected spaces in a virtual environment. They let an audio engine model how a sound in one room leaks into the next, with the size and position of the opening shaping how much energy passes and from what apparent direction.

Using portals, designers can make a sound heard through a door appear to come from that doorway and grow fuller as the listener steps through. This produces convincing transitions between rooms and supports gameplay by giving players directional cues about sources they cannot yet see.^[1]