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What is DTS Headphone:X 2.0?

We had a chance to ask Matt Yaney, Director of Product Management at DTS's parent company, Xperi, about what exactly DTS Headphone:X 2.0 is, and what it means for Arctis Pro.

What is the objective of DTS Headphone:X 2.0?

I’ve been playing games since I was little and have watched them weave into the fabric of society. I desire to live and breathe the games I play. I want to hear exactly where my enemies are. I want to get lost listening to the crashing waves as I stand on the shore and watch the in-game sunrise. I want to feel powerful as I rush to get units from my factory off to the fight. I want to have audio that helps me survive and thrive in games. This is the DNA of Headphone:X 2.0, our latest generation of audio technology designed specifically for gaming.

That’s a bit of a dream. Why are you the one to bring this dream to reality?

I run the gaming initiative for DTS with a focus on bringing premium audio to gamers worldwide through gaming headphones, PCs and mobile devices. It is an amazing opportunity to combine two of my loves, audio and games. Starting back in 1995, I designed video games for a living, beginning with the PS1. Over the next 15 years, I built games on a wide range of platforms including the PC, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, PS1, phones and tablets. After a game that I was a designer on was inducted into GDC’s video game Hall of Fame, I stopped trying to build single great games and began focusing on how to better all games. In my role, I’m lucky to be surrounded by leading experts in audio creation, reproduction and optimization for different platforms. Collectively, we bring hundreds of years’ experience which enables us to deliver great technologies that when paired with Arctis Pro headphones deliver a magical audio experience.

What exactly is DTS Headphone:X 2.0?

DTS Headphone:X technology takes a game’s audio from objects or multichannel streams and re-creates them so it no longer is simply basic stereo, but a world of immersive 3D audio all around you. Spiritually, our three-prong focus is on increased gameplay advantage, increased audio clarity, and support for the future way games will send audio. Wanting to have our cake and eat it too, countless hours have gone into building the latest version of DTS Headphone:X technology to deliver the best possible experience for gamers. New features include enhanced bass rendering and audio clarity, as well as proximity cues, so when games send audio objects to DTS Headphone:X 2.0, the renderer uses near field and far field technology to convince your brain that a shot came right past your ear, was a few feet away, or a half a map away. Also new is Hi-Res audio support that lets audio with a lossless high sample rate be processed by DTS Headphone:X 2.0 technology without losing any of the Hi-Res signal.

Are there applications for DTS Headphone:X 2.0 in the VR/AR space?

There are absolutely applications in the VR/AR space for DTS Headphone:X 2.0. Any experience that relies on believable and immersive audio benefits from this technology. Whether the application is gaming, immersive 360 or simply watching virtual cinema, the ability to create a realistic environment that makes you believe you are truly in the experience is key to the success of these experiences From everyone at DTS, we truly wish you enjoy your gaming experience with DTS Headphone:X 2.0 technology in your SteelSeries Arctis Pro headphones!

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