Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be the first consoles to feature both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies, promising high-end high dynamic range (HDR) and powerful immersive audio.

Dolby posted an update on its website, noting that the next-generation Xbox console will launch with Dolby Atmos support, followed by Dolby Vision in 2021. This is quite exciting, especially considering that the Xbox Series X already offers 60 frames per second 4K resolution gaming and immersive ray tracing capabilities.

Dolby Vision is one of the more rigorous HDR standards, requiring a certain level of brightness and color reproduction. Dolby Atmos is also an audio format for immersive sound and is built on top of surround sound by having a physical or virtual system with overhead audio channels. With the recent introduction of the Dolby Atmos seeker system in movie theaters, this audio format can be considered one of the best for immersive sound.

Bringing all of this to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S means that games that support HDR will have "10x deeper black levels" and "40x brighter highlights." combined with 12-bit color depth, games that support basic HDR as well as as well as future Xbox games will look very impressive.

Dolby Atmos also ensures that gaming on the Xbox Series X and Series S will not only be a visual treat, but also an aural one, thanks to its high-end immersive sound.

However, there is a rather large caveat: you need to have a Dolby Vision and Atmos-compatible TV and sound system. Such hardware can be quite expensive. But it is good to know that if you have such Dolby-grade technology, you can take advantage of it on the Xbox console, which will be available on November 10.

As far as we know, the PS5 will not have Dolby Vision, which could be a big blow to the console in appealing to gamers with high-end TVs and monitors. On the audio side, however, Sony is offering its own take on 3D audio in the form of Tempest 3D AudioTech.

Sony's audio technology aims to deliver 3D sound not only with the optimized Pulse 3D wireless headset, but also with existing TV and speaker setups. Thus, the PS5 can provide high-end audio without having to rely on expensive sound-and-vision kits.

Overall, the next generation of game consoles will likely offer the most immersive gaming experience to date. While the leaps in graphic fidelity may not be as great as they once were, games are promising more detailed and realistic visual and auditory experiences.