Xbox Series X/S Adds Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Features

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The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launched with promise of support for Dolby Vision gaming, along with Dolby Atmos out of the box. The day has finally come, with Dolby Vision gaming being available on Xbox Series X/S starting today.

Dolby Vision gaming has been a long time coming for Xbox Series X users. This service is a standardized version of high-dynamic-range (HDR) technology—making darks darker, and lights lighter—that can only be utilized by Dolby Vision capable TVs. In the same vain, Dolby Atmos is an audio-enhancing technology that allows for more precise surround-sound capabilities, although it is not exclusive to certain pieces of hardware. Xbox confirmed during the reveal of the Xbox Series X/S that Dolby Vision gaming support was coming, though it would not be ready for when the consoles launched almost a year ago.

A new post on the Xbox Wire rings in the arrival of Dolby Vision gaming on Xbox Series X/S consoles. Katie Slattery, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, wrote the article which details the features coming with Dolby Vision gaming. They describe some of the improvements that come with Dolby Vision like a richer, fuller set of colors, and wider contrast, helping visibility in both dark and light scenes. Furthermore, they note that Xbox has been working with developers so that they can take full advantage of Dolby Vision in their games, with over 100 currently optimized Xbox Series X/S games that will feature the service, and thousands of older titles receiving image enhancements as well.

As far as what Xbox users must do to take advantage of Dolby Vision, there are a few important things. First, users must make sure they have a Dolby Vision compatible TV. Most recent TVs have this feature included, along with other special gaming tools like automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) or variable refresh rate (VRR). Once these are activated, and the Xbox console is adequately updated, the console will take care of the rest, automatically enabling the Dolby Vision software whenever it is applicable. Depending on the specifications of the TV, Dolby Atmos can take advantage of some of the Xbox Series X's powerful features like DirectX Raytracing and 120 FPS frame rates.

While the ongoing future support is a welcome sign for Dolby Vision, what is even better are the enhancements that old games will be receiving too. A highlight of the Xbox Series X is just how backwards compatible it is, with thousands of titles throughout Xbox's history being playable on the console. To limit the visual improvements to just the console's future would have been a huge missed opportunity to improve on titles, that in some cases, could definitely use a graphical face lift. Now games both old and new can reap the benefits of Dolby Vision on Xbox Series X and it is definitely an awesome sight to see.