Games that Support 3D Audio
In the mid-to-late 90s, 3D audio was a new technology. Sound card manufacturers including Aureal and Creative Labs created 3D positional audio technology for their respective hardware and many games manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon.
3D audio relied not only a sound card that had hardware support for one of the new 3D sound standards, but also games needed to be written to use one or more of the 3D audio APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). The first audio API to arrive was Microsoft's DirectSound3D, but this was improved upon by Aureal with their A3D 1.0.
Up to mid-1999, A3D 1.0 had become the most widely used. Creative fought back with the introduction of the Environmental Audio eXtensions API, or EAX, which was a subset of the Microsoft DirectSound3D API. EAX was picked up and supported by some of Creative's competitors including QSound and ESS. In May 1999, Aureal launched its A3D 2.0 API - an engine that uses geometry models to render how sounds are actually manifest in the real world. It also provides for occlusion effects which simulate how things sound when they move behind environmental barriers. Early A3D 2.0 cards included the Turtle Beach Montego and Diamond Monster Sound MX300.
Creative's EAX was first supported by their E-Mu 10K1 chipset, which includes all of their Sound Blaster Live! line-up [except those that had the cost-reduced E-Mu 10K1X chipset] and later on, their Audigy line. Other audio chipset manufacturers including Guillemot, ESS and VLSI also added support for EAX in 1999.
This page lists the 250 PC games that provided support for 3D audio.
In the table below:A3D is Aureal 3D (101 titles support v1.0, 77 support v2.0, and 9 support v3.0)
EAX is from Creative Labs (137 titles support v1.0 and 8 support v2.0)
DS3D is Microsoft DirectSound 3D (173 titles support this)
IAS is Extreme Audio Reality's (EAR) IAS, aka Interactive Around-Sound (11 titles support this)
| Game Title (Publisher) | A3D 1.0 | A3D 2.0 | A3D 3.0 | EAX | EAX 2.0 | DS3D | EarSound IAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abomination (Hothouse) | X | X | |||||
| Actua Ice Hockey 2 (Gremlin) | X | X | |||||
| Aeon Flux (GT Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Alien: Resurrection (Fox) | X | X | |||||
| Alien vs Predator (Fox) | X | X | |||||
| Allegiance (Microsoft) | X | ||||||
| Alpha Centauri (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Amen: The Awakening (Cavedog) | X | X | X | ||||
| Anachronox (Eidos Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Asteroids 3D (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Atlantis (Genetic1 Entertainment) | X | ||||||
| B-17 Flying Fortress: The Mighty Eighth (Hasbro) | X | ||||||
| Baldur's Gate (Interplay) | X | X | |||||
| Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (Interplay) | X | X | |||||
| Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn (Interplay) | X | X | X | ||||
| Battlecruiser 3020AD (3000AD) | X | ||||||
| Battlecruiser: Strike Pack (3000AD) | X | ||||||
| Battlezone (Activision) | X | X | X | ||||
| Battlezone Mission Pack: The Red Odyssey (evolve) | X | ||||||
| Battlezone 2 (Activision) | X | X | X | ||||
| Big Air (Accolade) | X | ||||||
| Big Brother (MediaX) | X | X | |||||
| Black & White (Lionhead Studios) | X | X | X | ||||
| Blade (Rebel Acts) | X | X | |||||
| Blood II: The Chosen (Monolith) | X | X | X | ||||
| Blood II MIssion Pack: Nightmare Levels (Monolith) | X | X | X | ||||
| Blood II Mission Pack: Revelations (Tequila Software) | X | X | X | ||||
| Boss Rally (Boss Games) | X | ||||||
| Bug Riders (GT Interactive) | X | ||||||
| Carmageddon: Death Race 2000 (SCI) | X | X | |||||
| Carnivores: IceAge (Action) | X | X | X | ||||
| Carnivores 2 (Action) | X | X | X | ||||
| Civilization: Call to Power (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Clusterball (daydream) | X | ||||||
| Crime Cities (Techland) | X | X | X | ||||
| Croc 2 (Fox) | X | X | |||||
| Crusaders of Might & Magic (3DO) | X | X | X | ||||
| Crusher (Techland) | X | ||||||
| Crystal Space (Crystal) | X | X | X | ||||
| Daikatana (Ion Storm) | X | X | X | ||||
| Darkstar (TE Software) | X | ||||||
| Dark Reign 2 (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Dark Side of the Moon (SouthPeak) | X | ||||||
| Dark Vengeance (GT Interactive) | X | X | |||||
| Deep Fighter (Ubi Soft) | X | ||||||
| Deer Hunter 3 (Interplay) | X | ||||||
| Descent 3 (Interplay) | X | X | X | ||||
| Descent 3: Mercenary (Interplay) | X | X | X | ||||
| Descent 3: Sol Ascent (Interplay) | X | X | X | ||||
| Descent 4 (Volition) | X | X | X | ||||
| Descent Freespace: The Great War (Interplay) | X | X | X | ||||
| Descent Freespace: Silent Threat (Interplay) | X | ||||||
| Descent Freespace 2 (Volition) | X | X | X | ||||
| Deathkarz (Melbourne House) | X | ||||||
| Deus Ex (Ion Storm) | X | X | X | ||||
| Diablo 2 (Blizzard Entertainment) | X | X | X | ||||
| Die Hard 2 Trilogy: Viva Las Vegas (Fox) | X | ||||||
| Dirt Track Racing (Ratbag) | X | X | X | ||||
| Dragon Castle (Mist Keep) | X | X | |||||
| Drakan: Order of the Flame (Psygnosis) | X | X | X | ||||
| Dreamland Project, The (Bethesda Softworks) | X | ||||||
| Driver (GT Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Duke Nukem Forever (3D Realms) | X | X | X | ||||
| Dungeon Keeper II (Bullfrog) | X | X | X | ||||
| DXHexen (Joel Hunter) | X | ||||||
| Everquest (Verant Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Everquest: Ruins of Kunark (Verant) | X | X | X | ||||
| Evolva: Scout (Computer Artworks) | X | X | |||||
| Expendable (Rage Software) | X | X | X | ||||
| Expert Pool (Psygnosis) | X | ||||||
| Extreme Biker (Deibus Software) | X | ||||||
| Extreme Wing Chun VR (Zen Tao) | X | X | X | ||||
| F1 Racing Simulation (Ubi Soft) | X | ||||||
| FIFA '99 (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Final Fantasy VIII (Squaresoft) | X | X | X | ||||
| Fire Zone (Techland) | X | ||||||
| FMOD (Firelight) | X | X | X | ||||
| Football Manager 2000 (Bullfrog) | X | ||||||
| Formula 1 '98 (Psygnosis) | X | X | |||||
| Full Auto (Microsoft) | X | X | |||||
| Future Beat 3D (Techland) | X | X | X | ||||
| Future Beat 3D Pro (Techland) | X | ||||||
| G-Police 1 (Psygnosis) | X | ||||||
| Gabriel Knight: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (Sierra Online) | X | ||||||
| Giants: Citizen Kabuto (Planet Moon) | X | X | |||||
| Golgotha (Crack Dot Com) | X | ||||||
| Gothic (Piranha Bytes) | X | X | X | ||||
| GP500 (Infogrames) | X | X | X | ||||
| Gravity (7 Shades) | X | ||||||
| Gulf War: Operation Desert Hammer (3DO) | X | X | X | ||||
| Gunship! (MicroProse) | X | ||||||
| Half-Life (Sierra Online) | X | X | X | ||||
| Half-Life: Opposing Force (Gearbox) | X | X | X | ||||
| Halo (Bungie Software) | X | ||||||
| Hardwar (The Software Refinery) | X | X | |||||
| Heavy Gear (Activision) | X | X | X | ||||
| Heavy Gear 2 (Activision) | X | X | X | ||||
| Heavy Metal: F.A.A.K. 2 (Ritual Entertainment) | X | X | X | ||||
| Heretic 2 (Raven Software) | X | X | X | X | |||
| High Heat Baseball 2000 (3DO) | X | X | |||||
| Hired Guns (Psygnosis) | X | X | X | ||||
| Hostile Waters (Rage) | X | X | X | ||||
| Hype: The Time Quest (Ubi Soft) | X | ||||||
| Hyperblade (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Incoming (Rage Software) | X | X | |||||
| Incoming Expansion Pack: Subversion (Instant Access) | X | X | |||||
| Incoming Forces (Rage Software) | X | ||||||
| Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Interstate '76: Arsenal (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Interstate '82 (Activision) | X | X | X | ||||
| Isabelle (Belisa) | X | X | |||||
| Jagged Alliance 2 (Talonsoft) | X | ||||||
| Jagged Alliance 2: Unfinished Business (Talonsoft) | X | ||||||
| Jedi Knight: Ambush at Altyr 5 (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Jedi Knight: Pathways to the Force (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| JHexen (Raven Software) | X | ||||||
| Klingon Academy (Interplay) | X | ||||||
| Lander (Psygnosis) | X | X | X | ||||
| Legend of the Blademasters (Ronin Entertainment) | X | X | X | ||||
| Machines (Acclaim) | X | ||||||
| Madden NFL 2000 (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Martian Gothic: Unification (Take 2) | X | X | X | ||||
| Max Payne (Gathering of Developers) | X | X | X | ||||
| MDK (Interplay) | X | ||||||
| MDK 2 (Interplay) | X | X | X | ||||
| Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Messiah (Shiny Entertainment) | X | X | X | ||||
| MIA: Missing in Action (Simis) | X | ||||||
| Midnight GT (Rage Software) | X | ||||||
| Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor (3DO) | X | X | X | ||||
| Might and Magic VIII (3DO) | X | X | X | ||||
| Miles Sound System (RAD Game Tools) | X | X | X | X | |||
| Mobil 1 Rally Championship (Europress) | X | ||||||
| Monaco Grand Prix Racing Simulation 2 (Ubi Soft) | X | ||||||
| Mortyr (Interactive Magic) | X | X | X | ||||
| Motoracer 2 (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Motorhead (Gremlin) | X | X | X | X | |||
| Myth II: Soulblighter (Bungie) | X | X | X | ||||
| NASCAR Legends (Papyrus) | X | X | |||||
| NASCAR Racing 3 (Papyrus) | X | X | |||||
| NASCAR Revolution (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Navy Seals (Yosemite) | X | X | X | ||||
| Need for Speed III (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Need for Speed: High Stakes (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Neverwinter Nights (Bioware) | X | X | X | ||||
| NHL 2000 (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| No One Lives Forever (Monolith) | X | X | X | ||||
| Nocturne (Terminal Reality) | X | X | |||||
| Offroad (Rage Software) | X | X | |||||
| Oni (Eidos Interactive) | X | ||||||
| Outcast (Infogrames) | X | X | |||||
| Outlaws (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Overboard! (Psygnosis) | X | ||||||
| Panzer Elite (Psygnosis) | X | ||||||
| Planescape: Torment (Interplay) | X | X | |||||
| Planet of the Apes (Fox) | X | ||||||
| Populous: The Beginning (Bullfrog) | X | X | |||||
| Powerslide (GT Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Premier League Stars III (Bullfrog) | X | ||||||
| Prince of Persia 3D (Broderbund) | X | X | X | ||||
| Quake II (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Quake II Mission Pack (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Quake III Arena (id Software) | X | ||||||
| Rage Rally (Rage Software) | X | X | |||||
| Rainbow Six (Red Storm Entertainment) | X | ||||||
| Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear (Red Storm Entertainment) | X | X | |||||
| Rally 2000 (Europress) | X | X | X | X | |||
| Rally Masters (Gremlin) | X | X | X | ||||
| Rayman 2 (Ubi Soft) | X | ||||||
| Re-Volt (Acclaim) | X | X | X | ||||
| Recoil (Electronic Arts) | X | ||||||
| Redline (Accolade) | X | X | |||||
| Redline Racer (Ubi Soft) | X | X | X | ||||
| Requiem: Avenging Angel (3DO) | X | X | X | ||||
| Resident Evil 2 (Capcom) | X | X | |||||
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein (Activision) | X | ||||||
| Revenant (Eidos Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Rollcage (Psygnosis) | X | X | |||||
| Russian Front, The (Borderline) | X | X | X | ||||
| Sacrifice (Interplay) | X | X | |||||
| Sanity (Monolith) | X | X | X | ||||
| Shipwreckers! (Psygnosis) | X | ||||||
| Shattered Reality (KO Interactive) | X | X | |||||
| Shogo: Mobile Armor Division (Monolith) | X | X | X | ||||
| Siege (Telstar) | X | ||||||
| Sim City 3000 (Maxis) | X | X | |||||
| SimCopter (Maxis) | X | ||||||
| Simon the Sorcerer 3D (HeadFirst Productions) | X | X | |||||
| Sim Theme Park (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| SiN (Activision) | X | X | X | X | |||
| SiN Mission Pack: Wages of SiN (2015) | X | X | X | ||||
| Sinistar Unleashed (THQ) | X | X | X | ||||
| Slave Zero (Accolade) | X | X | X | ||||
| Soldier of Fortune (Raven Software) | X | X | X | ||||
| South Park (Acclaim) | X | ||||||
| Space Circus (Infogrames) | X | ||||||
| Speed Thrill (Techland) | X | ||||||
| Speedway GP (Techland) | X | ||||||
| Spirit of Speed (Hasbro) | X | X | |||||
| Starfleet Academy (Interplay) | X | ||||||
| Starfleet Academy: Chekov's Lost Missions (Interplay) | X | ||||||
| Starsiege (Sierra Online) | X | X | X | ||||
| Starsiege Tribes (Sierra Online) | X | X | X | ||||
| Starsiege Tribes 2 (Sierra Online) | X | ||||||
| Star Lancer (Digital Anvil) | X | ||||||
| Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Fallen (GT Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Star Trek TNG: Klingon Honor Guard (MicroProse) | X | ||||||
| Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (Raven Software) | X | X | X | ||||
| Star Wars Episode One: Obi Wan (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Star Wars Episode One: Phantom Menace (LucasArts) | X | X | X | ||||
| Star Wars Episode One: Racer (LucasArts) | X | ||||||
| Star Wars: Force Commander (LucasArts) | X | X | X | ||||
| Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance (LucasArts) | X | X | |||||
| Summoner (Volition) | X | X | X | ||||
| System Shock 2 (Looking Glass) | X | X | X | ||||
| Tarzan (Disney) | X | X | |||||
| Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood in Arms (Sierra Online) | X | X | X | ||||
| Team Fortress Classic (Sierra Online) | X | X | X | ||||
| Terminus (Vicarious Visions) | X | X | |||||
| Test Drive 6 (Infogrames) | X | X | |||||
| Test Drive Cycles (Infogrames) | X | X | |||||
| Test Drive Le Mans (Infogrames) | X | ||||||
| Thief: The Dark Project (Looking Glass) | X | X | X | ||||
| Thief 2: The Metal Age (Looking Glass) | X | X | X | ||||
| Thief Gold (Eidos Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| TigerShark (GT Interactive) | X | ||||||
| Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (Eidos Interactive) | X | ||||||
| Tread Marks (Longbow) | X | X | |||||
| Trespasser: Jurassic Park (DreamWorks) | X | X | X | ||||
| Triple Play 2000 (Electronic Arts) | X | X | |||||
| Turok II: Seeds of Evil (Acclaim) | X | ||||||
| Typhoon Eurofighter (Rage Software) | X | X | |||||
| Ultima: Ascension (Origin) | X | X | |||||
| Unreal (Epic Megagames) | X | X | X | X | |||
| Unreal 2 (Legend Entertainment) | X | X | X | ||||
| Unreal Tournament (Epic Megagames) | X | X | X | ||||
| Uprising 2: Lead and Destroy (3DO) | X | X | X | ||||
| Urban Chaos (Eidos Interactive) | X | ||||||
| Virtua Commando (Techland) | X | ||||||
| Virtua Rally (Techland) | X | ||||||
| War Birds (Interactive Magic) | X | X | |||||
| Wargasm (Digital Image Design) | X | X | X | ||||
| Warzone 2100 (Eidos Interactive) | X | X | |||||
| Wheel of Time, The (GT Interactive) | X | X | X | ||||
| Wild Metal Country (Gremlin) | X | X | X | ||||
| Wizardry 8 (Sir-Tech) | X | ||||||
| X-Com: Alliance (MicroProse) | X | X | X | ||||
| Zero Gravity Fighter Combat (Aegis Simulations) | X |