Xbox Series XIS Now Supports Dolby Vision Gaming - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 October 2021 / 1,757 Views
Microsoft and Dolby have announced the Xbox Series X|S consoles now supports Dolby Vision gaming for those who own a Dolby Vision-enabled TV.
There are over 100 next-generation HDR titles optimized for Xbox Series X|S that support Dolby Vision with more on the way. Thousands of classic HDR10 and Auto HDR games will also see improved picture quality using Dolby Vision.
Read the details below:
Dolby Vision gaming now available on Series X|S
Starting today, gamers with compatible Dolby Vision-enabled TVs will be able to enjoy full-spectrum visuals with the rollout of Dolby Vision gaming on Xbox Series X|S. With Dolby Vision, epic worlds – such as lush rainforests or neon futuristic cities – are brought to life in more vivid color. Dolby Vision deepens your immersion into the experience by enabling you to see an enemy hiding in the shadows or spot hidden clues through expanded contrast and better clarity in both bright and dark scenes.
To ensure a growing library of games are available, Dolby and Xbox are working together closely with developers to provide the tools they need so their titles can take full advantage of Dolby Vision. They can do this through built-in features within the Xbox platform or they can choose to implement the technology directly into a game’s engine.
There are more than 100 next-gen HDR titles optimized for Series X|S that will feature Dolby Vision, and in the future you’ll see more games like Halo Infinite taking full advantage of Dolby Vision.
Get the complete Dolby experience with Dolby Atmos by downloading Dolby Access today. Pair with Xbox headphones for the ultimate spatial sound experience.
Xbox Series X|S will deliver improved visual experience to thousands of classic games
In addition to this curated set of Xbox Series X|S optimized titles, we also wanted to ensure the robust library of games previously released in HDR or Auto HDR would benefit as well. This led us to work with Dolby to bring new visual enhancement capabilities that utilize Dolby Vision technology to deliver an improved visual experience for thousands of existing HDR10 and Auto HDR games. When you are connected to a Dolby Vision enabled TV and Dolby Vision is enabled on Xbox Series X|S, the consoles will automatically enhance your existing games to deliver a rich, immersive experience unrivaled by any other game console.
How Series X|S and Dolby Vision make your gaming experience better
Dolby Vision takes gaming to the next level through incredible brightness, color, contrast, and detail. Games in Dolby Vision automatically map to any display that supports Dolby Vision, delivering players the benefit of seeing the best possible picture available. Dolby Vision is also compatible with next-generation features available on Xbox Series X|S such as DirectX Raytracing, automatic low-latency mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and up to 120FPS depending on the capabilities of your TV*.
*Microsoft and Dolby are working closely with TV manufacturers to update firmware support for Dolby Vision capabilities at 120 Hz where possible
Optimizing Dolby Vision gaming with your TV
To ensure the best possible Dolby Vision gaming experience, you’ll need two things: a Dolby Vision-enabled television; and you’ll need to enable your television’s next-gen gaming settings, such as automatic low-latency mode (ALLM) or variable refresh rate (VRR). Many 2020 and 2021 TVs, along with a select number of older TV models that support Dolby Vision, have unlocked next-gen gaming features designed for gaming in Dolby Vision.
Microsoft and Dolby have been working closely with TV manufacturers to make Dolby Vision gaming as seamless and automatic for as many Dolby Vision-enabled TVs as possible. Players with TV models that have not been optimized to unlock Dolby Vision with next-gen gaming settings may experience latency issues during gameplay. Check with your TV manufacturer if a firmware update is or will be available to reduce latency. If the issue persists, you can disable Dolby Vision gaming on your console.
Check to see if your display supports Dolby Vision
To check if your display supports Dolby Vision, press the Xbox button to open the guide. Then go to Settings > General > TV & display options > 4K TV details.
Enable Dolby Vision on Xbox Series X|S
For the best Dolby Vision experience, we recommend using automatic low-latency mode (ALLM). To enable Dolby Vision, press the Xbox button to open the guide. Then press Settings > General > TV & display options > Video Modes > Dolby Vision for Gaming
Note: Make sure your Xbox and TV are running the latest firmware for the best gaming experience. For a list of the latest Dolby Vision supported TVs go to: dolby.com/experience/xbox
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Bringing Dolby Vision to backwards compatible titles via autoHDR is nothing short of amazing.
Well, it depends on what benefit we're actually getting from it. But, in theory at least, I agree.
HDR is overrated, I play both on a 100inch projector screen with no HDR, and on a panasonic 55inch HDR10, and I prefer the projector, image is softer, easier on the eyes, less strain, I can play for much longer on the projector.
Also many games do not proper HDR, some, example, the last of us remaster, look worse in HDR, like the colors and dark areas are wrong.
Some TV's "support" by software it while severely limited by brightness, or no actual 10 bit panel, so you hardly notice the difference. That there are other very important factors in image quality other than dynamic range, so that might also lead you to prefer one screen over another. That said, it might be worth checking your setup to make sure you've got it set up properly, and that you're not being killed by HDCP 2.2 or one of the above constraints. Maybe try watching something HDR natively on the TV (if it is a smart TV) and see.
You may also note that projectors can't really call itself HDR. Not that they can't have incredible range (they can!), it's just that the standards which a TV must meet to describe itself as HDR are not applicable to projectors (at what range? what size? what screen material?) . If you've got a good projector in a dark room you could easily outmatch the dynamic range of a regular self-described HDR TV set.
Another thing to note is that in games (as opposed to movies, especially the cinema experience) I think we have become accustomed to hyper-bright washed out images. Perhaps having deeper colours might mean more strain, but I personally don't have trouble with strain (yet). Not necessarily brighter or more colourful (after all, if you wanted colour you could just whack up the saturation!), but more accurate. The art which will all have been mastered with professional very wide-gamut RGB will look much closer to how the artist created and inteded it to look. I think Red Dead Redemption is a great example if you toggle autoHDR on and off you can feel even more of the atmosphere.
Hum :) That's weird. My TV was already popping up "Dolby Vision" every time I started a game (and it was on the TV side for sure). I guess my TV shows this if it detects HDR altogether (no need to be Dolby Vision specific)... In any case, my TV supports it for sure ahah so good!
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