Microsoft begins testing Dolby Vision on Xbox Series X/S

By Giovanni Colantonio Published May 14, 2021

The Xbox Series X/S will be the first consoles to support Dolby Vision gaming. The program will roll out to Xbox Insiders starting this week.

Dolby Vision is meant to give games a significant graphical boost with “full-spectrum visuals.” It offers games upgrades like brighter highlights, sharper contrast, and more vibrancy, as well as more visibility in both light and dark situations. According to Dolby, it’s an automatic process. Players do not have to adjust brightness sliders to tweak their screen. Instead, the best picture will always display by default.

The program will begin testing on Xbox Series X/S this week via the Xbox Insider Alpha ring. Dolby plans to collect feedback during the trial in preparation for a full release, which it says is “coming soon.” Xbox will be the first console to support both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Get ready to transform your gaming experience with full-spectrum visuals! Rolling out to Xbox Insiders this week: Dolby Vision for gaming on Xbox Series X|S. pic.twitter.com/iU2RktHvPG

— Larry Hryb, Gamer Emeritus 📱⌨️🖱️🎮 (@majornelson) May 14, 2021

Xbox Insiders will need to make sure their Dolby Vision-enabled TV is updated with the latest firmware to enable it. Dolby notes that the feature won’t be available on every TV and may require a future firmware update.

As part of the program, Xbox Series X/S will get a new enhancement that allows for more accurate HDR gaming when connected to a Dolby Vision-enabled TV. Dolby says that it and Microsoft are working closely with TV manufacturers to make sure the feature is available on as many TVs as possible by the time it rolls out widely.

It’s a big step for Microsoft, which continues to double down on the Series X’s technological capabilities. In our Xbox Series X review, we said: “It’s an insanely powerful system that, once the company’s internal teams begin to showcase its power, could wow the gaming world.”

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Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

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