An Apparatus and Associated Methods in the Field of Virtual Reality

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code,
• the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
• in respect of virtual reality content captured of a scene for presentation to a user in a virtual reality space for viewing in virtual reality, the virtual reality content comprising spatial audio captured by at least one audio capture device located at an audio capture location in the scene, the spatial audio comprising audio from the scene with directional information defining one or more directions towards sources of one or more sounds of the audio from the audio capture location,
• based on a virtual location of a user in the virtual reality space relative to a virtual audio capture location in the virtual reality space that corresponds to the audio capture location in the scene;
• provide for audible presentation of the spatial audio when the virtual location is within a threshold distance of the virtual audio capture location with a spatial audio effect such that the one or more sounds are perceived to originate from one or more directions in the virtual reality space corresponding to the directional information;
• and
• provide for audible presentation of the spatial audio when the virtual location is beyond the threshold distance from the virtual audio capture location such that at least a subset of the one or more sounds are audibly presented without the spatial audio effect and with an ambient audio effect such that said sounds are perceived without a specific direction of origin.

A method comprising, in respect of virtual reality content captured of a scene for presentation to a user in a virtual reality space for viewing in virtual reality, the virtual reality content comprising spatial audio captured by at least one audio capture device located at an audio capture location in the scene, the spatial audio comprising audio from the scene with directional information defining one or more directions towards sources of one or more sounds of the audio from the audio capture location,

• based on a virtual location of a user in the virtual reality space relative to a virtual audio capture location in the virtual reality space that corresponds to the audio capture location in the scene;
• providing for audible presentation of the spatial audio when the virtual location is within a threshold distance of the virtual audio capture location with the spatial audio effect such that the one or more sounds are perceived to originate from one or more directions in the virtual reality space in corresponding to the directional information;
• and
• providing for audible presentation of the spatial audio when the virtual location is beyond the threshold distance from the virtual audio capture location such that at least a subset of the one or more sounds are audibly presented without the spatial audio effect and with an ambient audio effect such that said sounds are perceived without a specific direction of origin.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following:

• in respect of virtual reality content captured of a scene for presentation to a user in a virtual reality space for viewing in virtual reality, the virtual reality content comprising spatial audio captured by at least one audio capture device located at an audio capture location in the scene, the spatial audio comprising audio from the scene with directional information defining one or more directions towards sources of one or more sounds of the audio from the audio capture location,
• based on a virtual location of a user in the virtual reality space relative to a virtual audio capture location in the virtual reality space that corresponds to the audio capture location in the scene;
• providing for audible presentation of the spatial audio when the virtual location is within a threshold distance of the virtual audio capture location with the spatial audio effect such that the one or more sounds are perceived to originate from one or more directions in the virtual reality space in corresponding to the directional information;
• and
• providing for audible presentation of the spatial audio when the virtual location is beyond the threshold distance from the virtual audio capture location such that at least a subset of the one or more sounds are audibly presented without the spatial audio effect and with an ambient audio effect such that said sounds are perceived without a specific direction of origin.