author: Michael Kulakowski
PS5 Will Launch Without Full Tempest 3D AudioTech Support
Sony has confirmed that to experience Tempest 3D AudioTech surround technology on the PS5, we need to get headphones. Heavily advertised surround feature, said to increase game immersion, will be available in TV speakers only in unspecified future.
In the latest PlayStation blog entry, Sony has clarified some information about company's Tempest 3D AudioTech surround sound technology, which has been one of PlayStation 5's most popular features from the outset. It turns out that on the day of the console's launch, only headset owners will benefit from its advantages, and not all of them at that (more on which later). Support for 3D sound (virtual surround sound) in TV speakers and home theatre systems is set to come at an unspecified point in time.
Fornow, PlayStation fans will only hear 3D audio in headphones. However, for many of them, this is a big problem. Tempest 3D audio will not be transmitted via HDMI cable. This means they won't be able to use the headphone ports on their TVs, monitors or connected amplifiers.
Since PlayStation 5 no longer has a separate Toslink output, audiophiles with expensive wired headsets are doomed to connect them to a mini jack input available in the gamepad. However, this will be too weak to provide optimum power to higher and even mid-range models. It's also unknown which headphones will actually be compatible with the console's surround sound.
So it's no wonder that Sony is strongly advertising its own Bluetooth headset, including a dedicated headset for PlayStation 5 called Pulse 3D, worth above 100 dollars, to provide the best entertainment experience, according to the manufacturer. For now, we know that support for Tempest 3D AudioTech will appear in selected games such as Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Astro's Playroom, Gran Turismo 7, Returnal, Destruction AllStars, Demon's Souls, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Horizon: Forbidden West and Resident Evil Village.