Microsoft’s Xbox Series S and X consoles now support Dolby Vision HDR for games in addition to Dolby Atmos audio, the companies announced. Dolby Atmos audio has been available on the consoles since their launch in late 2020; Dolby Vision for gaming is being rolled out now, and players with compatible TVs can already access the enhanced visuals.
What Dolby Vision adds to gameplay
Dolby Vision is a dynamic HDR imaging format that increases peak brightness, deepens black levels and expands color detail for more vivid scenes. Dolby describes the improvement as offering up to 40 times brighter highlights and ten times deeper blacks, which can make environments such as dense forests or futuristic cityscapes appear more lifelike.
The expanded contrast and clarity can also affect gameplay: players may find it easier to spot opponents hiding in shadowed areas or to detect visual clues in both brightly lit and dark scenes.
Games and audio improvements
According to Xbox, more than 100 games will support Dolby Vision. Upcoming titles such as Halo Infinite are expected to take advantage of the image enhancements alongside Dolby Atmos, which provides three-dimensional audio and improved spatial perspective for in-game sounds and effects. In certain conditions, Dolby Atmos can outperform traditional surround formats.
The Dolby audio enhancement aims to increase immersion by giving players a stronger sense of the game space through improved directional and spatial cues.
Compatibility and requirements
To experience Dolby Vision for games, players need a TV that supports Dolby Vision and must enable next-gen game settings on the TV, such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). Many TVs from 2020 and 2021, as well as a selection of older models that explicitly support the format, include the necessary next-gen game modes for Dolby Vision gameplay.
Support for existing HDR titles
Xbox says its collaboration with Dolby includes updating how existing HDR and Auto HDR titles are presented. The companies worked together to enable Dolby Vision to enhance older games that use HDR10 or Auto HDR when played on Dolby Vision–capable televisions, extending the visual benefits beyond newly developed titles.
Previous Dolby integrations
The partnership between Dolby and Microsoft is not new: earlier Xbox consoles already offered Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, but until now Dolby Vision on Xbox has been limited to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video rather than games.
