GW2 Does support 7.1, I am running it in 7.2 on my reciver showing no audio upscaling 8 channels at 96khz(have to use for audyessy would love to have 192k work on it).
I do not play in stereo, the game inputs as LPCM multichannel, to do that you use your videocards on board sound card most modern ones have it, which is a very good option as it can decode and recode dtsmaster hd audio over hdmi.
A normal sound card will only do optical coaxial or toslink, which can do multichannel audio but will not be uncompressed. but for what you are doing it sounds like you want a pair of surround sound headphones, those are mostly virtual 7.1 and do not get that great of a signal, they will sound great though if you get a quality pair.
In response to having to run in stereo or loose audio, what audio card are you using and what kind of connection, is your audio quality lossless or lossey, i play this in full surround sound and do not experience loss of audio at all, you can hear wind blowing all around you and the vocals are more focused on the center channel as they should be but move to left and right channels as needed which is very noticeable in the conversation cutscreens when 1 person is on left talking and 1 on right. Arrows whiz by and gunshots echo. The screen shot provided if im standing at the middle of the room there is a faint blacksmith audio playing to the back right of you. which is in line with where it should be
Would you please elaborate on your set up as mine is all very modern and able to do LPCM I am wondering if that is the reason.
(edited by nuggant.8239)