To date, most of the buzz surrounding the PS5 and Xbox Series X has focused on the stunning 8K graphics and silky smooth frame rates that both models bring to the front room But graphics are only part of the package For true immersion, next-generation consoles need next-generation sound

According to a Wired interview last year, PS5 head Mark Cerny was disappointed by the lack of innovation in this area and wants to make significant strides in the audio arena the PS5 will feature 3D audio, which will allow characters to be positioned in a scene The sound will be based on where the character is in the scene

If they are being shot at from the right, the PS5 will instruct the speakers to produce a sound, which will be perceived as coming from the right direction Allegedly, no external surround system is needed for this, and it can all be accomplished with a dedicated audio chip, like a graphics card

However, the Xbox Series X seems to be bringing serious technology to the audio world to keep pace with the PS5 At this year's Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, Microsoft has scheduled a presentation titled "Building Audio Gateways Into Immersive Worlds With Spatial Sound" It will include: [Learn from the audio designers of "Borderlands 3" and "Gears of War 5" how a collaboration between Microsoft, Dolby, and middleware partners revolutionized spatial sound, turning headphones into multi-dimensional gateways into other worlds Learn how

"Participants will delve into the audio design pipeline (Project Acoustics) and its relationship to dedicated hardware acceleration in the new generation of Xbox consoles

Indeed, the next generation Xbox seems set to support the "spacial sound" mentioned in the description With the word "multidimensional" being thrown around, we wonder if Microsoft and Dolby will introduce something similar to the PS5's 3D audio experience to the Xbox Series X, projecting sound to create the illusion of directionality

Amid the excitement over the console's graphics capabilities, it is encouraging that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are enhancing the audio game Directional sound without having to spend hundreds of dollars on a surround sound system is a feather in the cap for both Sony and Microsoft, and will go a long way toward improving the sensory experience for users [As controllers become more intuitive and sound improves over generations, tactile and auditory senses will become just as important as visual The scent of victory

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