Panasonic may unveil its new Final Fantasy XIV-themed SoundSlayer soundbar at CES 2021.

Developed with Square Enix, which includes the game's sound team, SoundSlayer not only comes with Final Fantasy XIV stickers, but also supports Dolby Atmos and features three playback modes designed for the game.

The first, Role-Playing Game mode, optimizes sound output specifically for RPGs and Final Fantasy XIV. Then there is the First-Person Shooter mode, which emphasizes sound cues such as enemy footsteps. Finally, the Voice mode brings dialogue to the forefront. Panasonic recommends this mode for adventure games, but it would also be ideal for dialogue-heavy RPGs.

The soundbar itself is an all-in-one 2.1 system with a built-in subwoofer. There are no upward-facing speakers, as is common with Dolby Atmos soundbars, but it also supports DTS: Virtual X, allowing SoundSlayer to digitally approximate surround sound effects

. [This alone should be sufficient for a growing variety of games that support Atmos, such as "Cyberpunk 2077" and "Call of Duty: Warzone. [At 17 x 2 x 5.3 inches, the SoundSlayer is not as compact as the LG QP5 Éclair, but it's close; it also has HDMI, HDMI-ARC, and optical connectivity ports, giving you flexibility in how you connect, whether you are using a gaming PC or a console like the PS5

However, it is not a very large unit.

Just don't expect the volume or impact that a larger, wider soundbar would have. Besides the downward-firing subwoofer, the SoundSlayer has only one full-range driver and one tweeter, and no dedicated center channel, so it is probably best used in smaller rooms.

That said, some may like the SoundSlayer's compact design, and it is nice to see a soundbar so focused on gaming performance. Panasonic has not announced pricing or availability for the Final Fantasy XIV version, but you can purchase the plain black version on Amazon for $294. It comes with the same three gaming modes as the special edition, but without the decals.