Valorant eSports gaming is growing at an all-time high, with numerous young gamers joining the competitive MMR queue system. Riot Games further supports such activity by organizing year-round Valorant Campus Championships, Summer Championships & Challengers Series. Behind such success of the game lies its essence of being a fun-to-play character-based 5v5 FPS tactical shooter and the inclusion of valorant HRTF audio settings.
What are Valorant HRTF Audio Settings?
By featuring newer valorant agents, valorant maps, and routine bug fixes, valorant developers are proceeding in the right direction. They’re receptive to the needs of its massive global audience, who revels in its agent-based authentic gameplay and appreciates novelty.
One such novel feature that many users may not be aware of is the presence of HRTF Valorant Audio. Its addition makes the game feel more realistic regarding the audio feedback a player obtains while playing.
HRTF means Head-Related Transfer Function, and it dictates how sound is perceived via the ears from a source.
HRTF Valorant – Better Valorant Gameplay Experience?
When a sound originates from a source, it moves in the form of waves in every direction. This phenomenon can also be visualized as an expanding sphere that goes in all eighteen directions.
The HRTF Audio settings in Valorant use this outcome similarly to how human ears process the sound into a comprehensible audio response by delivering the sound’s position and direction. Moreover, the HRTF Audio supports offering the depth of the sound to make its different sources individually distinguishable.
Enabling such a feature in the character-based tactical First-Person-Shooter like Valorant elevates the playing experience up a notch. By enabling this option in the game settings, a player can listen to 3D audio feedback from the game. Players can expect to hear the directional sources of valorant sounds clearly like agent footsteps, guns reload, spike plants, etc.
All-in-all, it contributes significantly to make the gameplay feel more realistic as players can accurately pinpoint the origin of the sound.
Also Read: Valorant Minimap Settings – Radiant & Pro Guide!
Enable Valorant HRTF Audio Settings
Using the HRTF Valorant settings is as simple as enabling its toggle option found in the game’s Audio Settings Menu. Read on to learn how to turn on HRTF while disabling conflicts with the system’s integrated or dedicated audio drivers.
Note: We recommend that you please turn off any currently enabled 3D Audio Settings within your system before proceeding. Doing so will allow you to experience the HRTF audio as intended by the developers.
Disable Windows 3D Audio on Windows 10
- Access the Start Menu on your Windows system and type in ‘Sound Settings.’
- Your search results should display the Open Windows Sound Settings Panel. Please open it.
- Please hover your mouse over Default Audio Output Device under Playback, right-click it.
- Access the Properties of the default playback device and Select the Audio Output Device.
- Use the option labeled as Turn Off or Disable 3D Audio Enhancements. (Selecting the Disable All Audio Enhancements option will also be ideal)
Disable Spatial Audio on Windows 11
Windows 11 offers spatial sound settings that allow users to hear the audio playback via a live 3D effect. However, this setting may conflict with the HRTF Audio setting in Valorant, so we’ll proceed to disable it.
- Access the Start Menu on your Windows system and type in ‘Sound Settings.’
- Navigate to the subsection titled Sound and then access Advanced > All Sound Devices.
- Select your Default Output Device and find Enhance Audio & Spatial Sound options.
- Disable Enhance Audio toggle & Select Off for Spatial Sound.
Note: Most Windows 11 systems may enable Windows Sonic For Headphones under Spatial Sounds by default. Please switch it to Off mode before running the Valorant Game.
Steps to Turn On Valorant HRTF Audio Settings
After ensuring every audio enhancement option is disabled on your Windows system, follow the steps listed below:
- Launch Valorant game using VALORANT.EXE from the desktop.
- After landing on the home screen of Valorant, press the Esc button to access Settings Menu.
- From the available Settings listed horizontally, navigate to the Audio menu.
- Scroll down until you locate the Enable HRTF option and toggle it by ticking the empty box.
- Return to the Main Screen of Valorant game, and play any game mode of your choice.
Note: Valorant players who initially enable HRTF settings may not instantly feel the difference. However, after playing a few standard valorant rounds or a few minutes into the Deathmatch mode, you may be able to notice the difference.
Hi-Res HRTF Valorant Audio for Pro eSports Gaming
Implementing HRTF settings in Valorant has certainly been received well as it’s helping to enhance the gaming experience across different valorant maps. The use of this option shines on maps like Haven, Ascent, Icebox, and Breeze, where eSports players have made snap decisions upon hearing minor gun sounds across distant locations.
Read More: How To Play Valorant on Fullscreen – Guide!