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PS5 - Dolby Atmos (BETA) Impressions

I keep having this issue. Anyway to fix?
Not that I've found. Especially in the Naughty Dog games, for some reason the separate audio options for home theater and headphones are just gone from the menu.

I tested Last of Us Part 1 and there was literally not even a TV audio option as I think it's defaulting to my PS5's internal surround sound settings.
 

gamer82

Member
can i ask whats the best sound settings for last of us 2, i have a beam 2 and 2x sl1

i applied the dolby via the beta update but what other settings should i select for the game to get the best sound i can from my setup. thanks
 
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can i ask wahts the ebst sound settings for last of us 2, i have a beam 2 and 2x sl1

i applied the dolby via the beta update but what other settings should i select for the game to get best sound i can from my setup. thanks
Mess around with the audio options in the game. The majority of my time with the game I've always used the studio reference audio option. But I don't think it lets you select that when you have atmos enabled.
 
Tested a few more games last night.

1. Ghost of Tsushima

So far it's still the best game out of Sony's first party library for this 3D audio. It already sounded great but this now it sounds even more filling. I used it as reference to calibrate the decibel levels on each of my surround speakers.

2. Days Gone

I played this for about 30 - 45 minutes or so. Nothing incredible was happening but definitely added more of a 3D space to the world. One cutscene I watched took place in a cabin and the audio certainly boomed a little bit more than it would have on regular PCM. It basically sounded like the sound was reflecting off the interior walls and ceiling which didn't exactly sound great but it is what it is. But again I've noticed that this 3D audio implementation doesn't allow the user to lock dialogue to the center channel speaker and it's very annoying hearing voices come out of left, right and center all at once.

I didn't get a thunderstorm though unfortunately and I have a feeling that the audio for that specifically will sound better than any other game.

3. The Last of Us Part 1

Now you would think that Naughty Dog would have the best version of this 3D audio because they are wizards and there soundscapes usually sound better than any other game the majority of the time. It doesn't seem to be the case here especially since the back environment audio is very quiet when setting the game to max dynamic range. Now of course I could change the settings and make the dynamic range more narrow which I may try later on but I don't prefer that at all in any game and my system is perfectly capable to using the maximum setting. This game also features an even worse case of dialogue coming from front channels along with the center and you can almost hear it overlapping with an echo, super annoying. I did however get some also height channel water drops falling from the interior roof of the Pittsburgh hotel into the water below men, now that sounded fucking awesome.

4. Cyberpunk 2077

Pretty decent implantation. All sounds are very evenly spaced throughout the environment. When V talks the sound seems like it plays from every speaker like you're inside his head which is honestly pretty cool. Other NPC's voices can be a bit loud though in conversations. But other than that walking around the city sounds great especially with Chinese announcements echoing through the streets.

And last but certainly not least...

5. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Seriously, wow and wow. I thought this would sound like it always does which is pretty great but oh man this sounds awesome with Atmos turned on! It definitely doesn't support Atmos itself natively but CoD always used Dolby Digital for mastering their audio. The soundscape is greatly enhanced. From enemy ships zooming by you, getting shot at in a cockpit of a Jackal, the audio of other soldiers and crewmates to the wind swept cliffs of Mars. The audio is outstanding now and I was not expecting it. It made the game I love even better.

It's seeming like more and more that they will really have to refine this to make these games sound better in the future. It is only a Beta after all so hopefully that happens.

Edit: Forgot I played some more.
 
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When using Dolby Atmos with 2 speakers, should I still get 3D Audio (as with Tempest), or will it just be the stereo (Front L and Front R) channels?
 

skneogaf

Member
I signed up for beta firmware on Sony website, how long will I need to wait for accepting?

I have 7.2.4 dolby atmos/dts X speaker setup with speakers in the proper placement so I'm eager to hear the difference between playstation 3d audio and pc/xbox 3d audio as playstation is using tempest and pc/xbox is using sonic wave for it's actual base positioning.
 
I signed up for beta firmware on Sony website, how long will I need to wait for accepting?

I have 7.2.4 dolby atmos/dts X speaker setup with speakers in the proper placement so I'm eager to hear the difference between playstation 3d audio and pc/xbox 3d audio as playstation is using tempest and pc/xbox is using sonic wave for it's actual base positioning.
It's very hard to get in. Sony most likely won't send you a code. Hopefully someone on here can though.
 

hussar16

Member
Of course they were going to fuck this up!

I have a proper 5.1.4 Atmos home theatre, the Series X Atmos audio is world's above the standard 5.1 PCM I've been getting on the PS5. I have low expectations for this implementation.
How does the series x make atmos if the game doesn't support it
 

Justin9mm

Member
My SX goes into my TV and e-arc's the sound to my amp. Possibly that's why? It's the only way i can do it though as my amp haven't got any 2.1 ports.
My amp is HDMI 2.1, Series X and PS5 both go in the amp's HDMI 2.1 ports and TV goes to amp through e-ARC. Maybe it's a newer feature with the newer spec models. Even when I switch between consoles, my amp actually displays PS5 and Xbox for those inputs automatically which I did not input into the amp. Also to note, my amp is also connected via Ethernet and does periodically update itself.
 
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Justin9mm

Member
How does the series x make atmos if the game doesn't support it
It doesn't, the series X / AVR uses whatever codec is supported such as standard 5.1 PCM digital surround or whatever similar codec it is. But a lot newer AAA games are Atmos supported.
 
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hussar16

Member
It doesn't, the series X / AVR uses whatever codec is supported such as standard 5.1 PCM digital surround or whatever similar codec it is. But a lot newer AAA games are Atmos supported.
I just see lots of people talk about series x having better sound implmanation
 

squidilix

Member
That's working for a classic 5.1 installation ? My AVR doesnt know Atmos, but I never buying a new AVR without Dolby Pro Logic II Music (and all the new AVR don't have DPLII Music)
 
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skneogaf

Member
Interesting video using a Trinnov av receiver and its audio viewer to show us a visual representation of the dolby atmos on ps5.

It definitely isn't dynamic which I didn't think it would be but it really could and should be!


 
Could be placebo but on my Penrose headset I prefer atmos over linear pcm in the Witcher 3. It's definitely louder in pcm but when atmos is activated it's more atmospheric I'll do more testing with other games but I was under the impression atmos doesn't work on headphones maybe it's working because of the beta 🤔
 

YCoCg

Member
Interesting video using a Trinnov av receiver and its audio viewer to show us a visual representation of the dolby atmos on ps5.
I guess further down the line this could encourage more devs to do stuff with the Tempest Audio stuff, before it only worked for headphones so I'd imagine not many devs would put that much effort into it but now with it being used to generate a Dolby Atmos set up with relative ease with no lag it could push more to spend some extra time on it.
 

Pedro Motta

Member
Interesting video using a Trinnov av receiver and its audio viewer to show us a visual representation of the dolby atmos on ps5.

It definitely isn't dynamic which I didn't think it would be but it really could and should be!



Great video, thanks for sharing. Really cool to see how Dolby Atmos on the PS5 is working "for free" even with games that weren't designed for it. Let's see in the future if devs really make proper Atmos mixes.
 

Kerotan

Member
High guys just wondering if I only use Headphones or TV built in speakers does it really matter if a blu Ray supports only Dolby digital or atmos?

I have a Sony bravia x90k and I'm debating which LOTR blu ray I get as one supports Atmos the other just DD. The price difference is quite big.
 
High guys just wondering if I only use Headphones or TV built in speakers does it really matter if a blu Ray supports only Dolby digital or atmos?

I have a Sony bravia x90k and I'm debating which LOTR blu ray I get as one supports Atmos the other just DD. The price difference is quite big.
Yes, if the blu-ray only supports Dolby Digital then it does not support Atmos.

As far as I know only 4K blu-rays have Atmos support. And it should say it on the box.

It'll definitely sound different, the question is, will you notice the difference yourself?
 
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Methos#1975

Member
Yes, if the blu-ray only supports Dolby Digital then it does not support Atmos.

As far as I know only 4K blu-rays have Atmos support. And it should say it on the box.

It'll definitely sound different, the question is, will you notice the difference yourself?
There are actually quite a few films on Bluray that include Atmos, it's not limited to 4k UHD Blurays
 
There are actually quite a few films on Bluray that include Atmos, it's not limited to 4k UHD Blurays
Interesting, are they new blu-rays that release at the same time as the 4K versions?

Or are they older blu-rays that came out right before 4K took off?
 
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Kerotan

Member
Yes, if the blu-ray only supports Dolby Digital then it does not support Atmos.

As far as I know only 4K blu-rays have Atmos support. And it should say it on the box.

It'll definitely sound different, the question is, will you notice the difference yourself?
Thanks. So it Will sound different but it's not going to be some crazy improvement because you'd need a surround sound system for that.
 
Anyone have any updates on how Atmos is working out for you?

While playing Horizon Forbidden West last night I noticed that voices don't seem to be locked to the center channel which bugs the shit out of me because it creates an echo. It seems they come out of the front left and right speakers as well all at the same time. It's unfortunate there's no way to change this. Some games sound much better but less filling in PCM because of this.

Would speaker crossover frequency mitigate this at all?
 

skneogaf

Member
Anyone have any updates on how Atmos is working out for you?

While playing Horizon Forbidden West last night I noticed that voices don't seem to be locked to the center channel which bugs the shit out of me because it creates an echo. It seems they come out of the front left and right speakers as well all at the same time. It's unfortunate there's no way to change this. Some games sound much better but less filling in PCM because of this.

Would speaker crossover frequency mitigate this at all?

What kind of system do you have? Have you calibrated it?

Crossover is purely for bass so that won't help you.
 
What kind of system do you have? Have you calibrated it?

Crossover is purely for bass so that won't help you.
I have a 7.1.2 system with all Klipsch speakers.

I'm in a small room but echo and strange overlap is never a problem with PCM.

I think it's just a matter of Atmos attempting to fill a 3D space so the voices come from in front of you which includes the front left and right speakers as opposed to only center channel. Not really sure though as I'm not an expert.
 

peronmls

Member
Dolby Atmos is basically a Dolby Pro Logic III? Maybe a successor to it. I had to look up the difference between 2D and 3D Surround Sound. Is it added processing again because they describe it as interpreting 2D with this 3D technology to get height channels. I wonder if this can be done with a physical setup to simulate the height instead of processing it. I wish I could hear it, but they don't have those sound demoing stores anymore like they used to.
 
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A.Romero

Member
Dolby Atmos is basically a Dolby Pro Logic III? Maybe a successor to it. I had to look up the difference between 2D and 3D Surround Sound. Is it added processing again because they describe it as interpreting 2D with this 3D technology to get height channels. I wonder if this can be done with a physical setup to simulate the height instead of processing it. I wish I could hear it, but they don't have those sound demoing stores anymore like they used to.
Not sure on PS5 but Dolby Atmos is not interpreting and using algorithms to fill up the space. The tracks are mastered with actual height channels.

Not sure if they are mastering games with height channels to be used with Tempest and then converted to Atmos or just simulating it.
 

Tqaulity

Member
Anyone have any updates on how Atmos is working out for you?

While playing Horizon Forbidden West last night I noticed that voices don't seem to be locked to the center channel which bugs the shit out of me because it creates an echo. It seems they come out of the front left and right speakers as well all at the same time. It's unfortunate there's no way to change this. Some games sound much better but less filling in PCM because of this.

Would speaker crossover frequency mitigate this at all?
I don't have the echo problem you mentioned but I will say that not having the vocals come out in the center channel is a game dependent mixing issue that I've heard on a bunch of games on various platforms over the years.

In general in terms of how Atmos is working out, I will say some of the later releases this year where devs actually were able to master for Atmos sound absolutely amazing!! Particular callouts include SpiderMan 2, Alan Wake 2, and COD MWIII. The height channels are used to great affect and are more prominent than many games that released earlier in the PS5 life cycle. Good times are coming!
 
I don't have the echo problem you mentioned but I will say that not having the vocals come out in the center channel is a game dependent mixing issue that I've heard on a bunch of games on various platforms over the years.

In general in terms of how Atmos is working out, I will say some of the later releases this year where devs actually were able to master for Atmos sound absolutely amazing!! Particular callouts include SpiderMan 2, Alan Wake 2, and COD MWIII. The height channels are used to great affect and are more prominent than many games that released earlier in the PS5 life cycle. Good times are coming!
Yes this could be the main problem, have you tried Horizon Forbidden West or Ghost of Tsushima with Atmos? Because the echo was noticeable to me in both of these games.

I'll have to play some more Spiderman 2 and see, I beat it and I don't think I had any noticeable complaints with the audio. So it may have to do with the mastering like you're saying.
 

soulbait

Member
Yes this could be the main problem, have you tried Horizon Forbidden West or Ghost of Tsushima with Atmos? Because the echo was noticeable to me in both of these games.

I'll have to play some more Spiderman 2 and see, I beat it and I don't think I had any noticeable complaints with the audio. So it may have to do with the mastering like you're saying.

What AV Receiver do you have? I know on my Onkyo there is a setting that makes the atmos channels have a slight reverb effect to make them more noticable. Maybe you have something like that enabled and don't know it?
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Since this is a thread about Atmos....

I was using an eARC soundbar with Atmos and DTS-X support. Unfortunately I got so sick and tired of the noticeable lag on my Xbox Series X (running it through the soundbar was NOT an option since I would have lose VRR and 4K120) so I decided to go back to a dedicated 5.1.2 setup.

I bought these 5.1.2. speakers for over half off, which will do just fine for my apartment:

And this receiver for $299:

Now, I will run my PS5 and XSX through the receiver. Supposedly there is no audio delay on the XSX using Atmos when passed directly through the receiver. I also have the option to use DTS-X.
 
What AV Receiver do you have? I know on my Onkyo there is a setting that makes the atmos channels have a slight reverb effect to make them more noticable. Maybe you have something like that enabled and don't know it?
I'll have to check the model but it's one of the newer Yamaha's that's HDMI 2.1 compatible.
 

Garibaldi

Member
I'll have to check the model but it's one of the newer Yamaha's that's HDMI 2.1 compatible.
Bit late to this but I think I'm getting the same issue on my Yamaha 2700H. Playing FF16, Atmos enabled and the voices are echoing about the environment. Switch back to Linear PCM and it's back to fully isolated in the center channel. I'll have to have a bit more look into it.
 
Bit late to this but I think I'm getting the same issue on my Yamaha 2700H. Playing FF16, Atmos enabled and the voices are echoing about the environment. Switch back to Linear PCM and it's back to fully isolated in the center channel. I'll have to have a bit more look into it.
Oh nice, I'm always around so let me know if you have questions or notice other things. But yea that's the first thing I noticed. It has something to do with it being 3D I think.

LPCM usually sounds much better for voices. And I've noticed that the voices don't echo in movies the same way, so it's a problem with games.
 

Garibaldi

Member
Oh nice, I'm always around so let me know if you have questions or notice other things. But yea that's the first thing I noticed. It has something to do with it being 3D I think.

LPCM usually sounds much better for voices. And I've noticed that the voices don't echo in movies the same way, so it's a problem with games.
Yeah I had a bit more play about. It seems isolated to FF16 on my end, must just be the way the processing of it's audio works out.

Tried a few other titles and they were fine, even FF7R was fine weirdly. All my UHD Blu-rays are fine too.
 
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