Get started with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on Xbox Series X

Presented by Dolby

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S would be the first consoles to support both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.  This is exciting news, for the first-time, developers can deliver the full range of depth of content as it was created in the studio. Higher dynamic range, and deeper immersion brings full authenticity to the games we'll see in these next-generation consoles.

A quick review for those of you not familiar with Dolby Atmos, it’s a spatial audio technology that places the sounds of the game all around you with three-dimensional precision, overhead, behind and below. 

Dolby Atmos game mixes are created using the middleware you use today, requiring at most a new plugin to expand your master channel count to 12. With the addition of overhead monitors, you’re now free from the constraints of a horizontal mix. Plus, Dolby Atmos allows you the ability to mix once and have it fold down gracefully for any playback environment including TV, sound bars or headphones.

Also, by providing precision in a 360-degree sphere around the player, audio teams find more room to add spectacle, drama, and subtlety. No longer do your audio elements have to compete for space.  And, representing height is no longer deep science. Simply pan objects to the overhead channels, and there you have it. Planes fly overhead, overpasses “whoosh” as you race under, reflections and ambience take on a whole new level of realism now that you don’t have to simulate height.

As a sound designer, Dolby Atmos allows you to create a fuller and more realistic environment for your players, making them feel like they’re in the middle of the environment you so painstakingly created. 

Audio teams have remarked that they are able to deliver a better experience using Atmos, and Microsoft's support of Dolby Vision on next generation consoles promises to do the same for art and graphics teams. Dolby Vision brings your game's landscape to life with vivid realism — with brightness, contrast, color, and detail that goes beyond even traditional HDR games.  It’s a better picture for the player and less work for your team.

Dolby Vision combines two powerful technologies, high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut, providing 40x brighter highlights, 10x deeper black levels and up to 12-bit color depth.

Integrating the Dolby Vision SDK into your game not only unlocks the next-generation imaging on your Dolby Vision displays, it also allows you to deliver a consistent and optimized look across all Dolby Vision, HDR10 and SDR displays with a single authoring pipeline.

For more information on how to get started with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision for your Xbox and PC games please visit developer.dolby.com or contact us at [email protected].