A new discussion opened up in the Xbox One reddit page about the upcoming audio headset adapter that’s expected to be released in March. We had Albert Penello, Microsoft director of product planning for the Xbox One, tell us more about what’s happening and what we can expect in terms of getting surround sound support for the audio adapter.
The audio adapter only supports stereo sound as of right now, and if you’re wondering why, here’s what Albert Panello had to say, “Keep in mind, when you’re dealing with only two speakers, [and] we chose higher quality stereo vs a virtual surround, since the advantage of surround isn’t obvious until you get into very high-end discreet speaker headphones”.
That’s not specifically bad news for some users, because Albert Panello did tell us what is happening in Microsoft headquarters. “We are discussing some sort of virtual surround, but I think the high quality Stereo sound (the Bass on our headset is amazing), plus great chat, and the adapter for $80 is a pretty great product.”
Now, discussing the idea of having surround sound does not mean we might see it in the near future, but Panello still gives users some hope. He says, “yes, it’s possible. It’s a [software] feature not a limitation of the [hardware]”. What that basically means is that even if the adapter does get released with no surround sound support, a small software update will do the trick.
GameInformer contacted Microsoft and were able to get a comment about future audio improvements. A representative emailed them saying, “we’re always listening to what our customers want, and yes, we have many updates in the pipeline to continue to evolve our audio capabilities. We’ll have more details to share in the future.”
That’s the latest news we have on getting surround sound support in the upcoming audio adapter, we will update our readers with the latest information once more information reaches the surface of the web.
The headset itself will retail for $79.99, and those who require the adapter only will only have to pay $24.99.
Do you look forward to having surround sound in the upcoming audio adapter? Comment below, we’d love to hear what you have to say!
