Should you enable HRTF in Valorant audio settings?

Riot Games has delivered continuous upgrades that have honed the overall gaming experience, shaping Valorant into its current form. One of the most notable additions to the sound design was the Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) audio, which was made available in the first half of 2021 with the 2.06 update.

While the HRTF function might sound a little complicated at first, it simply refers to the phenomenon of how the ear receives directional audio from a point in space. The introduction of HRTF directional audio not only provides a much more immersive audio experience but also allows players to pick up the audio cues precisely.

How significant is the impact of this HRTF sound, and are there any practical advantages to enabling it? Read through the following section to understand the same.

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Valorant players will have a better experience through the HRTF function

The HRTF feature primarily provides in-game audio, particularly footsteps, sounds of reloading, dropping weapons, and more in a simulated surround sound. Through this enhancement (spatialization) of the acoustic field, you will be able to improve your ability to zero in on the foes' location by using the smallest audio cues.

Being able to effectively detect opponent footsteps, ability usage, and other audio cues, and convey this information to the rest of the team has the potential to change the course of a round. This becomes even more prominent while playing the Competitive mode when your rank is on the line, and a lot depends on the teamwork and tactical gameplay.

However, you can generally still determine the source of the sound even if you disable this feature. However, in this instance, your perception of the origin of the sound may not be precise and can cause confusion.

In short, HRTF will undoubtedly assist you in keeping track of the smallest audio details. Thus, it is recommended that you should enable this option from the settings menu.

Nevertheless, it may not be to everyone's liking, and you always have the option of disabling it if you wish to do so. Moreover, it is advisable to give this feature a long rope before disabling it, as it might take you a while before you get accustomed to the HRTF audio in Valorant.

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Steps to enable HRTF in Valorant

It is worthwhile to try out the HRTF option, which may be enabled within the game by following the procedure outlined below:

Step 1: Launch Valorant and access the in-game settings. Click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the screen and select the settings option from the menu.

Step 2: Select the "Audio" option and click on the Sounds subsection. A long list of settings will appear on your screen.

Check the tickbox beside the HRTF to enable it (Image via Riot Games)

Step 3: Finally, enable the "HRTF" setting by ticking the box next to it.

Once enabled, you can hop into a deathmatch and test it out.

It is important to disable any other external spatial audio improvements, such as Windows Sonic, that you may have previously activated on your PC. This will provide the best possible experience with the HRTF setting in Valorant.