Windows 10 and Xbox One to get support for DTS:X spatial sound

By Arif Bacchus Published January 30, 2019

windows 10 october update — Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the best ways to spice up the audio quality on your Windows 10 PC or Xbox One console is with Dolby Atmos, but you soon could have another option. Support for the DTS:X spatial sound standard is reportedly coming, promising for enhanced and immersive audio experiences when gaming or watching videos.

Recommended Videos

The news comes via a tweet from Steven Wilssens, a lead program manager at Microsoft. Responding to a positive comment made about Dolby Atmos, he explains that DTS:X spatial sound will be “coming to PC and Xbox in the coming weeks.” He also suggests that the audio standard will be available for Windows Insiders to beta test first, and then make its way over to Xbox. “After testing, the feature will then make its way to everyone else on retail builds,” Wilssens explains.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Currently, there is a DTS:X Ultra app listed in the Microsoft Store. Though it promises to allow consumers to DTS:X Ultra audio effects, it can’t be downloaded, according to a report from Windows Latest. The presence suggests that an official release could be coming soon and that testing could have previously been done internally at Microsoft.

A website dedicated to DTS:X details that the audio codec “places sound where it would occur naturally in space, creating the most lifelike, multi-dimensional audio experience ever.”

A subsequent tweet from Wilssens also adds that Microsoft will be improving on Dobly Atmos on Windows 10 and Xbox. “We have some great enhancements coming to Dolby Atmos on PC and Xbox One. Including enablement enhancements (PC & XB1), laptop speakers (PC), customization (PC & x XB1), and Dolby Atmos upmixing for legacy channel based content with home receivers (Xbox),” he explained.

Microsoft originally added support for Dolby Atmos in Windows 10 and Xbox One in 2017. The standard creates a more immersive audio experience, and you need Dolby Atmos-ready A/V receiver and speakers to make the most out of it, though headphones work as well.

It is not clear if Microsoft is planning to release support for DTS:X spatial sound as part of the incoming April 2019 update. You can, instead, expect Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox Insiders to test out and report bugs on the new support for DTS:X spatial sound before it sees a rollout to everyone else.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

Computing

Another frustrating reason to upgrade to Windows 11

A person looking frustrated at a laptop while sitting at a table.

As if you didn't already need plenty of reasons to finally upgrade to Windows 11, here's yet another.

The latest Windows 10 update, version KB5048239, isn't just failing to install -- it's actually updating successfully over and over again. This is the update that Microsoft first released in November 2024 on 21H2 and 22H2. As TechRadar reports, the software giant is rereleasing it again this month.

Computing

Windows 11 can now run on unsupported systems, but there’s a catch

A laptop sits on a desk with a Windows 11 wallpaper.

Microsoft is now allowing users to update to Windows 11 on older, unsupported hardware, including systems that don’t meet the operating system’s strict hardware requirements.

While the company initially set these requirements — including the need for a TPM 2.0 chip and specific processor models — to ensure performance, reliability, and security, it has now provided a manual installation option for those who want to use Windows 11 on unsupported machines.

Computing

Microsoft won’t back down on Windows 11’s biggest hurdle

The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft has reaffirmed that it will not lower the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, solidifying the need for a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and a compatible CPU. This decision leaves many older PCs ineligible for the upgrade. Microsoft emphasizes that these standards are vital for improved security and performance.

As per a recent blog post titled “TPM 2.0 – a necessity for a secure and future-proof Windows 11,” Microsoft reaffirmed its decision not to relax Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements. TPM 2.0 is a hardware-based security feature that protects sensitive data and ensures secure boot processes. Microsoft argues that such measures are nonnegotiable as the company continues to address rising cybersecurity threats. The minimum requirements include a list of approved CPUs, starting from AMD Ryzen 2000 and Intel 8th Gen processors, that offer advanced security features and better performance efficiency.