Dolby Atmos is the most exciting format available to those looking to get an awesome home theatre system setup. The Xbox Series X has native support which will allow those with Atmos-enabled AV receivers and soundbars to take advantage of immersive 3D audio when playing games. What about the PS5, why is Dolby Atmos not on the PS5?
The PlayStation 5 does not currently support Dolby Atmos. We do not have a reason for this other than the fact that the PS5 has a 3D audio engine built into it. Is it better? That is hard to say as it has yet to be fully released, but it is going to be released soon.
The real question we need to ask is the tempest 3D engine part of the PS5 because Sony couldn’t / wouldn’t pay for the Dolby Atmos license on PS5? While we do not have an exact answer, we do have a partial one.
Does Microsoft Have Dolby Atmos Exclusivity?
This rumour was floating around for quite some time and it is still not fully debunked. Did Microsoft purchase an exclusivity deal with Dolby to make Atmos only available on Xbox? A deleted post on the Xbox blog did confirm that Microsoft had a two year deal with Dolby to make Atmos available on Xbox only.
The deleted article is obviously gone now and there was no reason given as to why it was deleted but it does raise eyebrows. This means that Dolby Atmos on the PS5 may eventually be possible but will it be needed? Is the Tempest engine a viable competitor to the format that may actually be better than Atmos?
Dolby ended up releasing a statement to try and debunk these rumors by saying “Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are not console exclusive and we look forward to working with Microsoft and all our partners to make Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos widely available to gamers.”.
I am no lawyer but I am sure there are enough holes in this statement to accommodate a timed exclusivity. Even if it isn’t, this isn’t a statement under oath, Dolby do not have to be honest here if it the truth could be detrimental to them or Microsoft.
Will Dolby Atmos Be Supported On PS5 Eventually?
It seems as though there is a possibility that Dolby Atmos will be supported for gaming on the PlayStation 5 at some point. It doesn’t mean that it is needed though. The license is sure to cost Sony some money. If the Tempest 3D engine that they have developed for the sole purpose of providing advanced 3D audio for gaming works the way they say it will, PS5 gamers will not need Dolby Atmos.
Things like this always come down to demand. If Dolby Atmos is better on Xbox than Tempest is on PS5, gamers are sure to make Sony aware that this is something they want and we are sure to see it happen down the road.
For now, let us see how the launch of the tempest engine for all audio devices goes. We may be begging for Atmos in a few months or completely forgetting it even exists. Exciting times are ahead for the audiophiles.
