Housemarque shared on the PlayStation Blog details about the audio design of Saros, the new IP the studio is developing for PS5. The team explains that it faced a clear challenge from the start: carrying forward the distinctive audio identity of Returnal without simply reinventing the wheel.
The team's guiding principle was "Refinement, not Reinvention." With this approach, Housemarque maintained its gameplay-first design philosophy, emphasis on strong and satisfying player feedback, immersive soundscapes, and full use of PS5 features like Tempest 3D Audio and DualSense haptics.
At the same time, Saros is a completely new intellectual property with its own characters, story, and tone. Because of that, every piece of audio content needed to feel unique and help establish the identity of Carcosa, the game's central setting.
The studio continues sharing behind-the-scenes insights on Saros as the 2026 launch approaches.
