Xbox is about to get better with the arrival of Dolby Atmos 3D sound support and Blu-Ray Bitstream in 2017. The Xbox One and Xbox One S will be the first consoles to feature Atmos support in games, while Blu-Ray Bitstream will become available to Xbox Preview members.
The Power of Dolby Atmos 3D Sound
ArsTechnica revealed that the Dolby Atmos support on the Xbox One will feature a more immersive 360-degree 3D audio experience, which was previously limited only to a number of PC games and Blu-Ray players. Included in the Atmos support for Xbox is the Dolby Bitstream pass-through which will showcase audio data over HDMI untouched to a TV or receiver for decoding.
In the past, PlayStation 4 already had Dolby Bitstream pass-through, although it lacked a 4K Blu-Ray drive. The Xbox One S, on the contrary, has a 4K Blu-Ray drive, which allows the feature to provide a more dynamic effect, albeit late.
Major Nelson wrote that with Dolby Atmos, Xbox one and PC players will discover a new kind of dynamic sound quality that will help in gaming. In "Overwatch," players can pinpoint the location of some enemies because of the precise surround sound.
Sound will move accurately around and above the player, so they can determine where allies and enemies may be in the three-dimensional area. Gamers will immerse in the action more as the sounds, voices and music move around them.
Mike Ybarra, Xbox Head of Platform Engineering, said that they prioritize their gamers, which is why they are delivering Dolby Atmos support to Xbox One and Windows 10 gaming that will bring them further into the action and sound of their favorite titles.
How to Use Bitstream
Xbox Preview users can use the Bitstream feature earlier than the slated 2017 launch for the general public. Microsoft advised Xbox Preview members to connect their console via HDMI to a device that supports Blu-Ray audio format decoding.
Users should have the latest Blu-Ray player. They can check via the Updates tab below My Games & Apps. Next, they should enable the receiver to decode audio (beta), found below the Disc & Blu-Ray settings page. Afterwards, they can insert the DVD or Blu-Ray disc to enjoy the new high quality audio.