The new Xbox wireless headset comes with free Dolby Atmos

Xbox owners are getting a new wireless headset option from Microsoft today, as the company confirmed it has revamped the original model. The new Xbox wireless headset is essentially the same hardware but it comes with several new features.

If you’re already using the original, the new model might not be enough of a change to warrant the upgrade but it sounds like a pretty decent pickup for anyone who’s either using a wired headset or something else entirely. No matter what platform you play games on, a good headset is key if you want the ability to chat with friends or teammates and not sound like a garbled mess.

But you don’t just want your voice to sound good, you want your game audio to sound good too. Microsoft is promising both with this new headset, with an updated microphone and improved audio features to make the most of your game sessions. Design-wise, the headset style hasn’t changed too much. The physical design is exactly the same except for the color. Instead of the green accents, the entire headset is a sleek black. Microsoft says this was intended so the headset fits in with any setup.

The new Xbox wireless headset offers Dolby Atmos at no additional charge

One of the big improvements of this new headset model is that it comes with Dolby Atmos for free. The older version of the headset did support Dolby Atmos. Accessing it was not free though. Now, it’s included.

Additionally, the headset also still supports Windows Sonic and DTS Headphone:X. Enabling any of these spatial audio options will make your games more immersive. How immersive maybe depends on how into your games you get. If you have a tendency to really hone in on the game while you play, then you’ll likely get lost in the game audio, and that’s a good thing.

The mic has been improved as well. You’ve probably had that one friend in chat who’s hard to hear or constantly has stuff playing in the background. The point is, you don’t want to be that person. With this new headset, Microsoft says the mic now has an enhanced auto-mute function on top of better noise isolation. So your voice comes through more clearly and prevents your teammates from hearing any unwanted sounds.

Battery life is now up to 20 hours

Battery life with wireless gaming headsets is always a constant struggle but it doesn’t have to be. The new Xbox wireless headset lasts longer than the previous model so you can charge it less, and focus more on playing games. While the battery life hasn’t increased by an astronomical amount, it now goes for up to 20 hours on one charge. Any extra battery life is a good thing to have. That’s more true for anyone who’s had their headset die on them in the middle of a session.

The headset retails for $109.99 and it’s available directly from Microsoft.