Audio-visual pioneer Dolby announced earlier today that its technology would be available in console gaming. The Dolby Vision HDR technology and Dolby Atmos would launch on both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The company noted that Dolby Atmos would be available at launch while the Dolby Vision would arrive soon.
Dolby's latest announcement is a first in the gaming console industry. The company confirmed that Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S would support Dolby Vision for games next year. Some Xbox One X owners could claim that their console already supports Dolby Vision, however, it was only for media playback.
For the uninitiated, Dolby Vision is a kind of HDR that offers deeper black levels and better highlights. The technology is currently supported by a wide range of LD OLED TVs. According to the audio-visual company, Dolby Vision will provide "brightness, contrast, color, and depth that goes beyond even traditional HDR games" by offering "40x brighter highlights", "10x deeper black levels", and "up to 12-bit color depth".
Introducing the next level of gaming.
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the first consoles ever with gaming in Dolby Vision® (coming soon) and Dolby Atmos® (available at launch).
@Xbox, welcome to gaming in Dolby. https://t.co/5lkpVT8ntb — Dolby (@Dolby) September 10, 2020
Dolby Vision gaming has never been offered publicly on a gaming console before. However, it is possible to play some titles on PC in the 12-bit HDR format. Games like "Battlefield 1" and "Mass Effect Andromeda" have both received Dolby Vision PC support. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S owners will get instant access to Dolby Atmos courtesy of the one-time license fee carried over if the owner uses the same profile from the Xbox One family of gaming consoles. For those who do not own Dolby Atmos, it can be downloaded from Dolby Access. There is a free trial to try Dolby Atmos for headphones. Interested gamers can also purchase the technology for the $14.99 license fee. Dolby's latest announcement could be a massive blow to fans of Sony's PS5.
Xbox Series X and Series S are the first consoles to support Dolby Atmos (at launch) & Dolby Vision (coming soon) More here: https://t.co/9zKVWRHCwT Dolby Vision: "Beyond traditional HDR" with 40x brighter highlights, 10x deeper blacks and up to 12-bit color depth. pic.twitter.com/yPuD5J31Sa — Shinobi602 (@shinobi602) September 11, 2020
Sony has not yet confirmed if Dolby Vision support would be available to the PS5. Sony's next-generation gaming console will not support Dolby Atmos either. Instead, the PS5 will leverage its proprietary Tempest 3D audio format. Developed by Sony's in-house engineers, this audio support will presumably free Sony from paying third-party licensing fees.
In other Xbox news, Microsoft announced earlier this week the official prices of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. the all-digital next-gen console retails at $299 while its more powerful sibling retails at $499. A recent rumor claimed that Microsoft is selling its next-gen consoles at a loss.
