You might expect a sci-fi game to use strange sounds, but Saros takes that idea a little further.
Housemarque, the studio behind Returnal, has shared new details about the sound design of its PlayStation 5 action game. The team used everything from old floppy disks to cooking sounds to create the world of Carcosa.
And those sounds aren’t just there to make the game feel creepy. They’re also designed to help players survive.
In an official PlayStation Blog post, the audio team explained how it combined unusual recordings with PS5 technology to make every battle easier to follow.
Some of Saros’ Sounds Come From Unexpected Places
Creating the sounds of an alien planet isn’t as simple as recording a few explosions.
The developers wanted Carcosa to feel unfamiliar while still giving players enough audio clues to understand what’s happening. That led to some creative experiments. For example, the sound of one of the game’s mechanical enemies was partly created using recordings of floppy disks.
The ocean in an area called the Yellow Shore came from even stranger sources: marinated chicken, food frying in a pan, and walnuts moving around a bowl. Those recordings were changed and processed until they sounded like something from another world.
It’s a fun reminder that game sound design often starts with ordinary things. A sound you hear during a boss fight might have begun as something sitting in someone’s kitchen.
Enemies Have Their Own Sounds
In Saros, players face different types of enemies, including organic creatures, machines, and more mysterious cosmic threats. Housemarque wanted each group to have its own sound.
That way, players could learn to recognize certain enemies without always needing to look directly at them. The team also experimented with different ways to create voices.
Recordings of a didgeridoo, a traditional wind instrument, helped shape the sound of the game’s mysterious Yellow King and the corruption spreading across Carcosa.
For cosmic enemies, the developers used techniques that included Mongolian throat singing and other vocal recordings. These sounds help give different enemies their own personality.
But they also serve a practical purpose. When several enemies attack at once, recognizing a sound quickly could give players a better chance of reacting in time.
3D Audio Helps Players Understand the Battlefield
One of Housemarque’s biggest goals was to make sound useful during combat. Saros can fill the screen with enemies, projectiles, and visual effects. With so much happening, it can be difficult to keep track of every threat.
That’s where PS5’s 3D audio comes in. The system is designed to help players hear where enemies and attacks are coming from, including above, behind, or outside the visible screen.
Housemarque also worked on making important sounds stand out during busy fights. Instead of letting every explosion, enemy, and projectile compete at the same volume, the game gives priority to sounds that matter most.
For example, an enemy preparing a dangerous attack may be easier to hear than something happening farther away. The goal is to make combat feel intense without turning the audio into a confusing mess.
Your DualSense Controller Gives You Extra Clues
Sound isn’t the only way Saros communicates with players. Housemarque also uses the PS5 DualSense controller’s haptic feedback to provide information during gameplay.
One interesting example involves weapon ammunition. As a weapon starts running low, the controller’s vibration changes.
That gives players another way to notice they’re running out of ammo without constantly checking the screen. It’s a small feature, but it could be useful during the game’s faster battles.
The developers also designed feedback for weapon handling, movement, and other important moments. By combining audio and controller vibrations, Housemarque wants players to feel more connected to what’s happening on screen.
More Audio Options for Different Players
Housemarque has also added settings that let players change how the game sounds.
These include options to make dialogue clearer, adjust sound effects, and reduce high-pitched ringing. Players can also change music levels separately for combat and exploration.
Bass and treble controls offer more ways to adjust the sound for different headphones or speakers. There are also dynamic range settings, which can help players balance loud and quiet sounds depending on their setup.
These options matter because not everyone plays games with the same equipment or hearing preferences. Giving players more control can make the experience more comfortable and accessible.
A Different Kind of Detail
Saros is built around fast action, but Housemarque’s latest behind-the-scenes look shows how much work goes into the details players might not immediately notice.
Whether it’s an enemy sound made from a floppy disk or a controller vibration that warns you about low ammo, each piece is meant to make the game easier to understand and more immersive.
It’s the kind of work that can make a difference during a difficult battle. And now, the next time you hear something strange on Carcosa, you might wonder whether it started life as a kitchen recording.