The Role Sound Plays in Games: A Thematic Literature Study on Immersion, Inclusivity and Accessibility in Game Sound Research

As technologies and the sophistication of games evolve, so do the possibilities to immerse players in multi-sensorial experiences for different purposes and in different ways. The design and development of the auditory components of video games play an increasingly relevant immersive and inclusionary role within (and outside of) games. Sounds enable a deeper and more meaningful immersion, but also facilitate inclusion of and accessibility to people with different physical and psychological abilities. Sounds also provide a vehicle to challenge or overcome gender or even heritage stereotypes. Recognizing this potential, designers have often explored different means to facilitate accessibility, inclusion or sometimes intentionally challenging auditory experiences to users as, for example, seen in recent game releases where designers created a perceived mismatch between a character's voice and gender for inclusion beyond immersion. The present study aims to identify and thematically review relevant academic literature (47 studies), summarizing the perceived role of game sound design, its impact on immersion, and the way sound design enables (or hampers) inclusivity and accessibility within games. Our findings indicate that although there is research on how audio-related technology enhances immersion in games, studies about its use for increasingly relevant inclusive purposes (in terms of accessibility and social aspects like gender) are relatively scarce.