The best Dolby Atmos Xbox Series X games are capable of transforming your gaming experience due to the wonders of spatial audio. Dolby's technology has been leading the charge for the past few years, so it's by far one of the best ways to make the most of your gaming experience.
Luckily for Xbox owners, it’s been available on the platform since 2019. While not every game offers native Dolby Atmos support, those that do offer exceptional sound quality and provide a truly immersive experience to boot.
Dolby describes its Atmos tech as "the most significant development in cinema audio since surround-sound", and while that might be subject to some fierce debate between audiophiles, there’s no doubt that Atmos at least provides a convincing surround-sound solution to more people than ever before as it works on any pair of headphones.
Dolby Atmos Xbox Series X games
As gamers will testify, surround sound can be extremely beneficial whether you’re playing competitively or simply want to be fully engrossed in a game's fantastical world. Dolby Atmos attempts to facilitate this by making the sound feel like it’s coming from all around, as well as above, and the effect can often be amazing.
These Dolby Atmos Xbox Series X games show what the spatial audio format can do. If you're looking for a list of the best Xbox Series X games generally, we've got you covered in our linked guide. Otherwise, here's the best Xbox experiences currently going.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Call of Duty: Warzone has terrific sound design. There is an astonishing amount of detail crammed into the game’s audio, whether you’re reloading a magazine into one of Warzone’s many weapons or holding your breath as you line up that long-range sniper shot, every action sounds incredibly realistic.
Dolby Atmos provides an extra layer of fidelity to what is an already sumptuous sounding game, though. With players regularly dropping in from the skies and scurrying around on the floors below when you’re holed up in a building, Dolby Atmos can really help you determine the exact location of your enemy… before it’s too late. In a game where margins can often be razor thin, you’ll need every competitive advantage you can get.
Read our full Call of Duty: Warzone review
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
A truly magical Xbox Series S/X game, Ori and the Will of the Wisps has exceptional visuals and a heart wrenching story – but it doesn’t skimp on sound quality, either. Even though the game takes place entirely on a fixed 2D plane, Dolby Atmos does a wonderful job at separating subtle sounds to help immerse you in the labyrinth-like levels that are teeming with hostile creatures.
The game’s evocative orchestral soundtrack also benefits from the added clarity Dolby Atmos provides, with each stringed instrument really driving home the powerful crescendos during some of Ori’s more perilous moments. This isn't an experience you'll want to miss.
Forza Horizon 4
Racing at top speed through the British countryside is a spectacular sight in Forza Horizon 4 – but with Dolby Atmos support, driving sounds marvellous. You really get a sense of what it feels like to commandeer some of the game’s ludicrously expensive supercars: the engines create a cacophony of sound as you drive through a tunnel or careen wildly under a festival archway as the rain beats down.
Thanks to the game’s multiple camera angles, you can opt to shut yourself off from the cheering crowds in the co*ckpit view and enjoy Forza Horizon 4’s excellent, toe-tapping radio stations, or really listen close when using the bonnet camera as your car tyres rip up the asphalt. It’s a car enthusiast’s dream.
Read our full Forza Horizon 4 review
Resident Evil 2
Dolby Atmos makes the presence of Resident Evil 2’s marauding Mr. X all the more terrifying, along with the hordes of zombies you encounter. The heartstopping sound of Mr. X’s heavy footsteps approaching will be all too familiar to those who have played Capcom’s excellent remake, but with Dolby Atmos turned on, the threat can feel excruciatingly real as he quickly closes in.
There is a plus side to scaring yourself silly, though. Dolby’s spatial audio can help you pinpoint exactly where Mr. X is lurking before he unceremoniously barges through the nearest door to rip your throat out. It doesn’t make his presence any less unnerving, of course, but any advantage we can get to escape that towering freak, the better.
Read our full Resident Evil 2 review
Gears 5
Gears 5 is an excellent all-around showcase for Dolby Atmos’ spatial audio. You’ll explore expansive open areas like a frozen wasteland and battle it out in claustrophobic underground corridors, so there are plenty of environments and locales that have their own distinctive soundscapes.
Whether you're chainsawing through a sinewy locust or hear the bloodcurdling scream of a “juvie” before an imminent attack, Gears 5 delivers convincing spatial audio that’s well worth the Dolby Atmos license fee. It can also serve as a subtle competitive advantage in the game’s multiplayer mode, as it’s easier to detect when an enemy is hunkered down behind a barricade about to be skewered from behind.
Read our full Gears 5 review
How to get the most out of Dolby Atmos
Despite what you may have heard, Dolby Atmos works on any headphone, but you do need to purchase a license if you wish to use it, which costs $15 / £10.99 / AU$19. Some TVs like the LG OLED CX also support the Atmos via the TV’s inbuilt speaker; however, if you really want to get the most out of Dolby’s spatial audio, we advise choosing a quality pair of over-ear headphones or a Dolby Atmos surround sound setup if you really want to go all in.
Most people will likely opt for headphones due to the practicality and lower cost, and if you do go that route, we strongly recommend choosing a pair of open-back headphones as opposed to closed. Open-back headphones tend to provide a far superior soundstage than closed-backed pairs, which really helps bring spatial audio to life. You want the sound to feel as though it’s all around you, and not contained within your head, so to speak.
The Xbox Series X Dolby Atmos app also lets you choose between a variety of equalizer settings – and you can even create your own, too. This is a great tool for customizing the sound to your liking, particularly if you crave more bass or want to crank up the treble to help hear footsteps better. Once you’ve got your settings locked in, your games will never sound better.
Best Dolby Atmos equalizer setting
While picking the best Dolby Atmos equalizer purely comes down to personal preference, we have noticed one interesting quirk. The 'Movie' preset provides a significant sound boost over the other options, and focuses on creating a virtualized surround sound that's excellent for single-player titles. The 'Movie' EQ is also a winner if you're using a pair of headphones with high impedance, which require more power to drive at higher volumes.
While we found that using 'Movie' and 'Detailed' provided a rich, cinematic surround experience that trumped the other equalizers in terms of volume, if competitive games are all you play we'd opt for the 'Game' equalizer with performance turned on, as this equalizer prioritizes positional accuracy.It's also a more natural sound, which some may prefer overall.
These are the best Dolby Atmos movies and soundtracks
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The Xbox Series X offers a variety of sound options including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Windows Sonic sound. The console defaults to Windows Sonic, but if you want better surround sound, then we'd recommend switching to Dolby Atmos.
The Xbox Series X offers a variety of sound options including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Windows Sonic sound. The console defaults to Windows Sonic, but if you want better surround sound, then we'd recommend switching to Dolby Atmos.
The differences between the two are minimal but the experience could vary depending on the devices that the user owns. Dolby Atmos requires additional speakers for a complete experience while DTS:X does not. That does not mean that DTS can revive an old audio system or make very cheap headphones sound much better.
It provides convincing spatial audio that gives you an immersive experience with the sound. In other words, you will hear the sound with 360-degree pinpoint accuracy. It works with any headphones.
How does Atmos compare to surround sound? The biggest difference between Dolby Atmos and traditional surround sound is the use of channels. Audio over conventional surround sound is mostly referred to as 5.1 (five speakers, one subwoofer) or 7.1 (seven speakers, one subwoofer) channels.
Does Dolby Atmos Really Make a Difference? Dolby Atmos really makes a difference as it brings a higher sound quality and makes it seem like the sound is coming from all directions. It is the benchmark for theaters, so it makes a huge difference to your home setup.
Auto sometimes made my music / movies sound honky, with a slight bump in the mids. Movie and Voice modes have a weird mid scoop, which makes audio sound a bit "hollow" to me. Music seemed to be the best out of the bunch — and for every type of media, too.
Dolby Atmos is worth it for gaming because for a one-time $15 fee, you get advanced spatial audio that improves game immersion. Dolby Atmos works best with a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system. Dolby Atmos also offers a software version for headphones that will work with any headset, soundbar, or headphones.
When it comes to gaming, the debate is heated between Dolby Atmos and DTS. The short answer? Both will greatly improve your gameplay by providing more immersive 3D audio. However, most gamers believe that DTS is the best for gaming.
Is Dolby Atmos worth it for gaming? While most home entertainment setups that use the Atmos system focus on films and music, it's also great for creating a more immersive gaming experience. Whether you're an avid or casual gamer, the surround sound format can make games feel immersive.
There are a variety of audio settings that give players the freedom to customize their gaming experience. From Dolby Atmos, which creates rich and immersive soundscapes, to voice chat filters for communicating with team members, you can tweak and adjust the sound settings to your preferences.
Yes, Dolby Atmos for Headphones makes a difference, even with only two speakers at its disposal. You get a more expansive soundstage that makes your audio sound dynamic and alive.
Dolby Digital is the name for what has become a family of audio compression technologies. Dolby Atmos, on the other hand, has a superior listening experience in the way it creates a superior illusion.
In my opinion, yes it's worth it to upgrade to Dolby Atmos from your standard 5.1 home theater set up. To my ears, Atmos sounds fuller and clearer than regular 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. The sounds coming from the height channels really makes you feel like you're in the movies you're watching. You'll need a 5.1.
To get the best Atmos experience with your TV, you should send the audio output to a soundbar or AV receiver. For this, you will need an HDMI ARC connection and Dolby Digital Plus audio support. Most newer TVs will be fine, but anything before 2018 may have problems.
Avoid placing the Dolby Atmos enabled speakers higher than one-half the height of your wall. To avoid an unwanted proximity effect, make sure the speakers are at least 3 feet (0.9 meter) away from listening positions, ideally 5 feet (1.5 meters) or more.
Dolby Atmos is an improvement on what came before and a leap forward from surround sound. It's ultimately designed to put you in the center of it all when watching movies or listening to music to give you the most immersive sound possible.
Expert-Verified Answer. The sound is deeper and more precise with Dolby Atmos than with conventional Surround 7.1 systems due to the addition of overhead sound and superior calibration software.
It is important to note that Dolby Atmos is an object-specific audio system. This means it enhances the sound of objects more vividly instead of improving the overall sound quality.
While each has its advantages, Dolby Atmos is ultimately comes out on top. Sure, DTS:X has a higher bit rate, no need for height channels, and even allows users to isolate certain sound objects like voices or sound effects. But Dolby Atmos has far more support in the home theater and cinema, and for a good reason, too.
In a nutshell, Dolby Atmos creates the effect of watching a movie at a cinema or listening to music at a live concert — the sound comes from all around you (center, left, right, above and behind) — and Spatial Audio adds another layer that makes you feel like you're in movie or moving around at the concert.
To make the most out of your next-gen console, a Dolby Vision-enabled display is worth the investment. Dolby Vision offers outstanding brightness, colors, contrast, and epic levels of detail.
WAV, MP3, or OGG? As a general rule, if you are limited on audio file size, the best audio format to use in sound design for video game development is OGG VORBIS. However, the truly best solution is to use a “middleware” programs such as FMOD or WWISE which can help you process high-quality audio files like .
Set playback Default Format to 24Bits, 48000 Hz this is generally good for most media (games, movies, music) which is sampled at 44.1 kHz, while video DVDs use 48 kHz. Increasing Sample Rate without having a source that's sampled at a higher rate won't improve sound quality, in fact, it might degrade it.
Partly, this reasoning arises because DTS surround sound is usually encoded at a higher data rate than Dolby Digital and its lineup of associated formats.
The benefit of Dolby Atmos in a home theater is its versatility. Dolby Atmos can be played back on virtually any speaker configuration—it maxes out at 34 speakers though. Again, the more speakers you have, the more precise each audio object's placement.
Download Dolby Access on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows 10/11 PC to set up Dolby Atmos on your soundbar, TV, or home theater — or start your free trial of Dolby Atmos for Headphones.
Dolby Atmos – While using considerably less power than the display, using Dolby Atmos may also consume more battery. Consider disabling this option to prolong your battery life.
The one surefire way to confirm Dolby Atmos is working is to check the information panel on the front of your AV receiver or your soundbar (if it has one, or perhaps an on-screen display). It should display the kind of audio signal it's currently working with.
While traditional music playback can sound relatively flat, even with multiple audio channels, Dolby Atmos' music feels more like being in a room with a live performance.
All you need to do is to click the “Setup” button and follow the on-screen instructions. Next, go to Settings > System > Sound > Output > Device properties > Spatial sound > choose Dolby Atmos for Headphones or Dolby Atmos for Home Theater from the drop-down list.
Download Dolby Access on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows 10/11 PC to set up Dolby Atmos on your soundbar, TV, or home theater — or start your free trial of Dolby Atmos for Headphones.
The required frame rate for a Dolby Atmos music mix is 24 fps. Logic Pro automatically sets the frame rate to 24 fps when you create a new Dolby Atmos project or when you change the Spatial Audio parameter in the Audio project settings to Dolby Atmos.
Dolby Atmos sound can transform the PC and console gaming experience. Valhalla's mix, by comparison, sounds spartan, thin, less precise with both its ambient and specific location effects, less dynamic, less immediate and less immersive. That's not to say its audio isn't serviceable; it absolutely is.
Depending on your situation surround sound may add immersion for your game but it could also hinder your performance. If you play more competitive titles sticking with stereo sound is the best way to go.
The vast majority of those playing on video game consoles should be fine with a stereo headset. Those playing a competitive game in ranked matches should aim for 7.1.
Dolby Atmos is supported on Xbox Series X|S. Since the Xbox OS is Windows 10 Core (like PC), Microsoft Spatial Sound is supported as a platform level solution for spatial sound. The Dolby Atmos renderer is integrated into the OS layer, supporting output over HDMI or Dolby Atmos for Headphone endpoints.
Dolby Atmos is worth it for gaming because for a one-time $15 fee, you get advanced spatial audio that improves game immersion. Dolby Atmos works best with a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system. Dolby Atmos also offers a software version for headphones that will work with any headset, soundbar, or headphones.
It's worth investing in if you plan on setting up a home theater or want to take your entertainment to the next level. Whether you're watching movies, playing video games, listening to music or recording, upgrading to Dolby Atmos can elevate your audio experience.
Gaming headsets are available in all shapes and sizes, but Dolby Atmos is widely respected for its sound quality. Dolby Atmos guarantees audio of good quality, so you can really experience in-game sounds.
To make the most out of your next-gen console, a Dolby Vision-enabled display is worth the investment. Dolby Vision offers outstanding brightness, colors, contrast, and epic levels of detail.
Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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