Audio Video News

Dolby today announced that Dolby Atmos is coming to Xbox One in 2017, making it the first game console to support the object-based surround-sound format for games.

Windows 10 will also receive an Atmos upgrade next year, although specific launch dates were not announced.

In a blog posted earlier today, Spencer Hooks, director of gaming at Dolby Laboratories, wrote:

“Justice rains from above!”

If you play Overwatch, that sentence may give you nightmares. It’s Pharah’s catch phrase as she hangs in the air and lets loose a barrage of rockets that destroy everything in their path. Pharah’s attack is so effective in part because you may not be able to tell where it’s coming from.

But I have a secret weapon to defend against Pharah’s barrage: Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos is sound so precise you can pinpoint exactly where Pharah is and avoid her wrath. And the great news is that starting next year, Dolby Atmos will be coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs and tablets.

With Dolby Atmos, sound moves precisely all around and above you. You can hear where your allies and enemies are in three-dimensional space. Snipers on the roof? You’ll hear them over your left shoulder and know where to aim to take them out. The same goes for an attacker with a jet pack hovering behind you.

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.

Xbox will be the first game console to feature Dolby Atmos and game developers are excited about using the new capabilities to make their games richer and more engaging. Atmos support for the Blu-ray app on Xbox is already available in Preview and will be released to GA soon—and we’re very excited now to offer Atmos support to games on Xbox One and Windows 10.

Xbox also announced that Blu-ray Bitstream pass-through, which includes Dolby Atmos support on Xbox One and Xbox One S, is rolling out to Xbox Preview members this week. The feature enables Xbox consoles to pass Blu-ray audio to an Atmos-equipped AV receiver.

For more information, visit xbox.com.