It’s been a big week for Microsoft’s Xbox division as official pricing and a release date has now been unveiled for Series S and X. November is shaping up to be a big month as the next-generation of gaming consoles come to fruition. Today, we’re learning even more details about the Xbox Series S and X, in particular that these consoles will be the first of their kind to offer Dolby Vision HDR support for gaming. Dolby officially made this announcement this morning as additional details came to light about plans for upcoming 2021 titles. Full details can be found below on today’s announcement.
More Xbox Series X details emerge today
Dolby has officially unveiled some new details for Microsoft’s next-generation gaming console. Specifically, both Xbox Series X and S will arrive with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision HDR gaming support. This will be the first time a gaming console has packed this kind of technology and serves as a potential leg-up on the competition for Microsoft.
In case you’re not familiar, Dolby Vision promises to deliver upgraded performance in comparison to previous-generation devices. Specifically, it will bring 40-times brighter highlights, noticeably darker black levels, and up to 12-bits of color depth.
Dolby explains the impact of this inclusion and how it will shape Xbox Series X and S:
When you play in Dolby Vision, you unlock the most realistic and lifelike visuals the game has to offer, with brightness, contrast, color, and depth that goes beyond even traditional HDR games. Experience the world the way it was meant to be seen. A leap beyond surround sound, Dolby Atmos puts you in the middle of the action by precisely placing each sound all around you in three-dimensional space, so you can quickly pinpoint its location in the game — before it’s too late.
Looking ahead
So what does this mean going forward? Xbox One X was meant to support Dolby Vision at one time, as it was in the Microsoft Insider testing program, but it never made it out. There are select titles, like Battlefield 1, which support HDR gaming, but adoption has been slow outside of a few franchises.
Nothing breeds adoption like the advent of a new generation of consoles, so there’s hope for gamers that more titles will embrace this technology.
Of course, Sony has yet to show its cards on what its next-generation console will deliver on this front. It’s only safe to assume that the next few months will deliver plenty of details on the upcoming consoles from Microsoft and Sony.
FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
