In these instances, it would arguably be better to use a compressed format like Dolby Digital to deliver the surround sound. Or, as is often reported on the Stadia subreddit, some setups force users to choose between 5.1 LPCM audio and 4K HDR video. On the flip side, some home theater setups simply aren’t capable of transmitting the full 5.1 surround sound LPCM signal. For that same reason, LPCM is also arguably better for Stadia and cloud gaming as any compressed audio would need to be later decompressed, potentially introducing additional audio lag. From a sound quality perspective, LPCM is actually the best option currently available, as it is “lossless” because the audio doesn’t need to be compressed, unlike the Dolby formats (though whether or not you’ll notice a difference depends on your speaker quality and your ear for details). One limitation of Stadia’s current surround sound support is that it’s only capable of outputting via linear pulse code modulation (LPCM), one of the many audio formats capable of both 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound. Stadia Base allows for gameplay in up to 1080p with simple stereo sound, while the paid Stadia Pro subscription bumps up to a 4K maximum resolution, HDR colors, and even 5.1 surround sound – where supported by both your home theater setup and the game itself, of course. Since its launch, Stadia has offered two tiers to gamers. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in the case that they do ship. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. The latest update to the Stadia app for Android offers our first hints at Dolby surround sound coming soon to the streaming service.Ībout APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store.

Dolby 5.1 surround test