Dolby Atmos Sound Coming To Xbox One: Why It Matters To You

The folks at Dolby Laboratories have made public their plan to release Dolby Atmos Sound on Xbox One and Windows 10. While they've not yet been exact when it comes to timing and availability, they have been clear that this audio system is meant specifically for gaming. Dolby Atmos works with certified Dolby Atmos speaker systems as well as (virtually) any set of headphones.

"With Dolby Atmos, sound moves precisely all around and above you," said Spencer Hooks, Director of Gaming, Dolby Laboratories. "You can hear where your allies and enemies are in three-dimensional space." If entirely precise, this new system will offer a true tactical advantage over previous solutions with less realistic single-source sound.

Hooks said that users will be able to experience the Dolby Atmos sound system in their home theater – with Dolby Atmos enabled speakers. Of course not everyone has their own home theater. And not everyone has their own set of speakers specifically certified by Dolby.

As such, this system is prepared to "enable virtually any pair of headphones with the Dolby Atmos experience." We'll go ahead an assume this means any pair of headphones from the past few years that weren't purchased for their aesthetic appeal alone. It's important to note that Dolby means headphones, not a single-sided headphone headset – that'll be key to this tech.

Dolby also suggested this week that they're pushing this tech to Xbox One and Windows 10's entertainment features – movie-playing and such. This means movies Blu-ray disc or streaming video with Dolby Atmos sound will benefit from the added Dolby Atmos boost just as soon as the update arrives.

SOURCE: Xbox Official