Dolby Atmos Coming to GoW 4 and Crackdown 3 on Xbox One

Audio lovers rejoice! Dolby Atmos, the sound innovation is set to make its gaming debut on the Xbox One with compatibility set to be added for Gears of War 4 and Crackdown 3.

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is an innovation in sound technology which allows for realistic sound production in a 360-degree

bubble. The 5.1.2 system allows for sound to be projected above or below the user. The intention is for a significantly more immersive experience. TechRadar has reported that the sound system will be available on Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles.

What is the point of this?

The innovation allows for you to effectively hear sounds coming from above or below you. Imagine a chopper flying overhead or a monster about to jump up from the ground. The Dolby Atmos system will allow for this to sound a lot more realistic. In regards to games to introduce this with, Gears of War 4 and Crackdown 3 are some excellent choices. The high-octane gun totting action with enemies and targets above and below should be the perfect showcase.

Microsoft has had access to the Dolby Atmos system for quite some time, this will, however, be the first effective use within a game on the Xbox One. Microsoft does so love to occasionally shake things up. While they may not be the first to bring this to gaming, its a case of better late than never!

Sounds great! Is there a catch?

Yes. There is. Due to licensing of the Dolby Atmos technology, headphone users will be required to pay a $14.99 ‘fee’ to unlock this technology. Speaker users will not be affected as the assumption is that compatible speaker systems will automatically be licensed. It is not thought that specialist headphones will be required for Dolby Atmos to be compatible. So it’s not a catch really, more of a legal problem.

Is there any point to this technology?

Sound can be a contentious subject. If you were to give someone the choice between better looking or better sounding, particularly with game, very rarely would the former win. Therefore when it comes to games, ‘sound quality’ usually isn’t a high priority. With the increasing development of VR, however, game immersion is becoming big business. The idea of the Dolby Atmos system is to increase your ‘realism’ factor. As such, truly 360 sound experiences will only add to what is becoming a growing market. It likely will not be perfect. I find that such novelties end up being over-used.  However, anything that bridges the gap between games and reality is hot stuff for game developers and console manufacturers.

Think of it this way, when you die and someone is teabagging you, you will effectively hear the dipping from above… how nice.