Microsoft shares details on the Dolby Atmos update for Xbox One

21 Dec 2016 | Rasmus Larsen |

Dolby Atmos support is coming soon to Xbox One and Xbox One S as well as Windows 10 PCs and tablets along with bitstream audio pass-through. Microsoft has shared more details on what to expect.

Dolby Atmos in games

What has been missing from all the best games to date? Object-based audio technology, or more specifically Dolby Atmos, if you ask Microsoft. That is why the company has partnered with Dolby to bring Atmos to its two major platforms. DTS:X will also be supported.

As announced in October 2016, Dolby Atmos will be supported on both the original Xbox One and the new Xbox One S. For both games and for movies.

- “At Team Xbox, we are all gamers first, and bringing Dolby Atmos support to Xbox One and Windows 10 gaming next year will bring you even further inside the action and sound of your favorite titles. A big thank you to the team at Dolby for their partnership; we’re excited to share more with the Xbox community next year,” said Mike Ybarra, Xbox’s Head of Platform Engineering.

Dolby Atmos “is sound so precise you can pinpoint exactly where Pharah is and avoid her wrath” in a game like Blizzard’s Overwatch, says Microsoft. However, while Microsoft is using Overwatch as an example it refrains from confirming Atmos support for this title once and for all.

- “Beyond its tactical advantages, Dolby Atmos also makes your experience of a game much more intense. You’ll feel like you’re inside the action as the voices, sounds and music move all around you” said Microsoft.

Of course, to enjoy Dolby Atmos sound you need content encoded in the format as well as an audio system or soundbar with Atmos support. Additionally, Microsoft says that “it will be possible to enable virtually any pair of headphones with the Dolby Atmos experience”.

Dolby Atmos in movies

Besides enabling Dolby Atmos in games, Microsoft will enable it for movies on Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Windows 10 PCs/tablets.

Alongside support for Dolby Atmos, Microsoft will be rolling out bitstream audio pass-through on Xbox One and Xbox One S. This will allow you to bitstream audio on Blu-ray discs and through streaming services.

The features are currently rolling out for Xbox Preview members to try.

Xbox Preview members can enable audio pass-through by following these steps:

Ensure your console is connected via HDMI to a device that supports decoding of Blu-ray audio formats.

Make sure you have the latest Blu-ray player by checking the “Updates” tab under “My Games & Apps.”

Enable “Let my receiver decode audio (beta)” under the “Disc & Blu-ray” settings page.

Insert your favorite DVD or Blu-ray disc.

Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and bitstream audio will be rolling out to everyone with an update next year. Microsoft has not confirmed exact timing but since it works for preview members it cannot be far away.

- Source: Microsoft