Microsoft has used 2016 to bring its Xbox One console fully up to date, with the launch of the HDR-capable, 4K Blu-ray player-equipped Xbox One S – but it hasn’t finished just yet.
Participants in the Xbox One Preview Program have been gifted support for Dolby Atmos sound – the super surround sound experience that creates a “3D’ soundscape.
Atmos expands the previous 5.1 and 7.1 setups to include numerous speakers which are placed around a room, and on the ceiling, to create an all-enveloping sound experience – and now it looks like Xbox One and Xbox One S owners will be able to take advantage of the technology.
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Larry Hryb, otherwise known as Microsoft’s Major Nelson, tweeted the news on Monday, revealing the feature will work as part of a Blu-ray bitstream pass-through:
https://twitter.com/statuses/808419843598712832
Originally promised back in October, the new Atmos feature can be activated under Blu-ray disc options, where a new “let my receiver decode audio (beta)” selection should be available.
Of course, in order to take advantage of the new audio support, you’ll need a the right speaker setup, which means having an AV receiver capable of decoding Atmos sound and enough speakers to playback the overhead audio.
You can find out more about the technology by reading our ‘What is Dolby Atmos‘ guide, but for most Xbox owners yet to upgrade their speaker setup, the new audio support won’t make a difference to your gaming experience.
It’s unclear when the Atmos support will roll out to all consoles, but stay tuned for the latest as we’re expecting further details to emerge soon.
WATCH: Xbox One S review
Let us know if you’re looking forward to Atmos support in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.