In 2019, Sony announced a totally new audio experience called 360 Reality Audio which allowed content creators to map sound sources with positional information. This means that creators could map choruses coming from behind the listener while vocals could be mapped to the front of the listener; which creates an even more immersive audio experience. Sony touts that the experience is akin to being in a music studio or live concert venue. To date, the technology has been implemented in over 4,000 songs from artists such as Alicia Keys, Lil Nas X and Zara Larsson.

At CES this year, Sony is doubling down on 360 Reality Audio by introducing a new piece of software called the 360 Reality Audio Creative Suite. This software makes creating 360 Reality Audio content even easier and comes with plugin software which is compatible with popular digital audio workstations. It will be coming at the end of the month from Audio Futures Inc, a subsidiary of Virtual Sonics, Inc.

Together with new software, Sony is also expanding its device ecosystem with new speakers compatible with 360 Reality Audio technology. Two new speakers, the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000 have been announced. These speakers are WiFi-enabled and will allow users to experience 360 Reality Audio enabled content by creating an immersive, room-filling experience with Sony’s unique Immersive Audio Enhancement algorithm. They are compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

We will be seeing more 360 Reality Audio enabled devices such as headphones, speakers and more in the near future as Sony is also working with other audio manufacturers to bring the technology to the masses. More specifically, the company is looking to license the technology for headphone personalization and even for use in Smartphones and vehicle entertainment systems.