The Xbox Series X and PS5 are both excellent game consoles, but that hasn't stopped online fanboys from debating which is the best. Well, with new updates hitting both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, it seems the technological advantage remains in Microsoft's corner.

In an Xbox News post, Microsoft announced that Dolby Vision support is now available for both Xbox Series models; the PS5 supports HDR, but the inclusion of Dolby Vision gives the Xbox a slight edge in color and pop. [At this time, over 100 "next generation" HDR titles have been or will be optimized for Dolby Vision. In addition, classic titles mastered in HDR10 will also benefit from Dolby Vision. Older titles that benefit from the Auto HDR implementation, which adds HDR in software, will also benefit from Dolby Vision. [Dolby Vision is a HDR (High Dynamic Range) format that adds color and depth to standard definition content; HDR is a free and open standard, but Dolby Vision is owned by Dolby.

The main difference between HDR10 and Dolby Vision is the amount of potential color each can provide.

Standard definition content, such as what the OLED in the upcoming Nintendo Switch can output, supports 8-bit color depth. This means that it can produce 16 million colors; HDR is 10 bits, and the number of available colors jumps to over 2 billion. Dolby Vision, on the other hand, is 12 bits and can potentially output 68.7 billion colors.

According to the Display Ninja article, 12-bit panels do not yet exist, and at this time Dolby Vision is downsampling to 10 bits. What this means is that Dolby Vision offers only a negligible improvement over HDR10, even on the Best TV list of TVs costing more than $2,500.

However, Dolby Vision does support dynamic metadata, which allows the image to be adjusted as frames are read. Dolby Vision can also distinguish specular highlights better than HDR, preventing bright objects from appearing washed out; this video by HDTVTest is a great comparison of the two on an Xbox Series X and LG C1 OLED TV. However, HDTVTest's video was created in August, before the latest update, and Dolby Vision is having problems outputting at 4K.

Microsoft touts that Dolby Vision support will take Xbox gameplay to the next level, but in reality, it will not be noticeably different from previous HDR implementations. At the very least, Dolby Vision supports Raytracing, automatic low-latency mode, variable refresh rate (VRR), and 120 fps gameplay.

To check if your TV supports Dolby Vision, go to the Settings menu on the Xbox Series X and select General, then TV and Display Options, then 4K TV Details. You may need to enable Dolby Vision output in the TV settings or use a specific HDMI input that supports Dolby Vision content from the console.

Most mid- to high-end TVs from 2020 onward support Dolby Vision; a handful of 2019 TVs, such as the LG C9, also support Dolby Vision. If you are unsure if your TV supports Dolby Vision, or if you are considering upgrading to a set that does, please see our TV reviews, which include support for HDR formats (including Dolby Vision) in the product specifications.

Oddly, Sony has not implemented Dolby Vision, opting for an open HDR standard; the PS5 also does not support Dolby Atmos audio and uses its own 3D audio.