News about Sony’s next-gen console missing a big audio feature at launch emerged recently.
With just over a month until the official arrival of the much-awaited PlayStation 5, the company has begun to open up more. New details and footage regarding the hardware capabilities have continued to emerge over the last two weeks, including the revelation that the fan noise remains quiet after prolonged use, but the system also remains cool.
PS fans should be happy with that piece of news considering the PS4 has been sometimes compared to a jet engine for how loud it can get.
However, besides all the new stuff put under the hood of the PS5, one big audio feature won’t be available at launch. Here is what you need to know.
No Virtual Surround Sound
Senior director of PSVR, eSports, Peripherals Marketing and Licensing Isabelle Tomatis talked recently about how the PS5 intends to immerse payers inside of their beloved games. One element that the next-gen console will use to give this is via its Tempest 3D AudioTech.
And of course, one of the greatest ways to leverage that sleek tech is via headphones, presenting sounds as though players are acting through them from different directions to match what is viewed on a screen.
Luckily, PS5 users have many options to take advantage of 3D audio. Tomatis announced that 3D audio is compatible with headphones that users have already via the 3.5mm headset jack in the DualSense controller or the USB connector in the console.
Sony also confirmed that the Pulse 3D wireless headset was fully developed to take advantage of the system’s capabilities.
However, as great as those things seem to be, Tomatis offered an update on virtual surround sound, too, for those who would instead use the TV speakers. The feature won’t make the cut at launch.
But, we can expect the feature to be later released as a future update. Unfortunately, no timetable was provided as to when we can expect it.
