SteelSeries acquires gaming-audio software Nahimic

SteelSeries is aiming to beef up its audio tools. And to make that happen, it is acquiring gaming-audio engineering company A-Volute. The two companies did not disclose the details of the deal, which they expect to close by the end of spring. This acquisition enables SteelSeries to add more features to its popular SteelSeries Engine audio software platform for gamers. And that may help it sell more gaming headsets, which is one of its core products.

A-Volute chief executive officer Tuyen Pham and his team have spent years developing the Nahimic audio technologies for gaming. Nahimic’s processing algorithms break down and present an audio signal in a way that provides the most clarity and data to the player. And companies like MSI and Gigabyte already implement Nahimic into some of their products.

“With our award-winning innovations that have redefined the gaming audio experience, and our best-in-class SteelSeries Engine software, bringing A-Volute into the SteelSeries family seemed like a natural fit,” SteelSeries chief executive Ehtisham Rabbani said. “And we are extremely excited about partnering with Tuyen and his team. With their excellence in audio software, they’ll help us improve gamers’ audio experiences even further.”

A-Volute also developed tools like the Sonic Mapper that shows the direction a sound is coming from. This can give players a distinct advantage in competitive games. And that kind of tech can now help set SteelSeries Engine software apart from its competition.

“We are incredibly excited to be joining the SteelSeries team,” said Pham. “Our focus has always been to create outstanding audio experiences, and we could not think of a better partner than SteelSeries.”

SteelSeries sells headsets like the Arctis, but that is a crowded market due to its high margins. A deal like this could help keep SteelSeries competitive.