Dolby Atmos' latest competitor is not what I anticipated

Abstract

Apple launched ASAF (Apple Spatial Audio Format) at WWDC, promising to ship “actually immersive audio experiences.”
ASAF depends on the Apple Positional Audio Codec (APAC), which nonetheless helps Dolby Atmos.
ASAF enhances realism with dynamic audio changes primarily based on motion, not simply bodily location.

Dolby Atmos is without doubt one of the hottest, and arguably the most effective, spatial audio formats on the planet. Google and Samsung lately teamed as much as create its competitor to Dolby Atmos known as Eclipsa Audio, and now Apple desires to construct upon Dolby Atmos too with its personal spatial audio format.

Throughout its latest WWDC keynote, Apple did not waste any time. It showcased its new Liquid Glass design, enhancements to iPadOS, updates to CarPlay, and new options for iOS, together with Call Screening and Hold Assist. Nevertheless, one factor Apple did not point out throughout its hour-and-a-half-long keynote was its new spatial audio format, aptly named Apple Spatial Audio Format (ASAF).

ASAF was launched in a developer session throughout WWDC (by way of FlatpanelsHD), with Apple stating it is designed to ship “actually immersive audio experiences” for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, macOS, and visionOS. Nevertheless, in contrast to Elicpsa Audio, ASAF is not a rival to Dolby Atmos — but.

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What’s Dolby Atmos and ASAF?

ASAF is delivered by way of Apple’s APAC audio codec, which nonetheless helps Dolby Atmos

Pocket-lint / Apple

If you happen to’re unfamiliar with the precise ins and outs of Dolby Atmos, it is a spatial audio format that creates a sensible and immersive 3D sound expertise. It is supported on quite a few streaming platforms, together with Disney+ and Netflix, and plenty of modern-day TVs include Dolby Atmos assist.

The first distinction between Dolby Atmos sound and common encompass sound (corresponding to 5.1) is that Atmos creates a 3D spatial expertise, making it really feel as if the sound is coming from throughout you at completely different heights, slightly than simply from left, proper, or middle.

So what does ASAF need to do with this? As Flatpanels HD experiences, ASAF is basically Apple’s model of Dolby Atmos, and it is designed to create an immersive 3D sound surroundings. ASAF has two foremost parts you ought to be conscious of. The primary is ASAF itself, utilized by builders in audio and video manufacturing to place audio components in a 3D area. The second is APAC (Apple Positional Audio Codec), the codec accountable for delivering ASAF to customers.

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Whereas not sufficient to make me buy a Imaginative and prescient Professional, distinctive experiences like this are what’s bought me on blended actuality.

ASAF actually excels with the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, enabling sound to flow into in a sensible 3D area round you, by understanding the digital surroundings you are in. It responds to actions, corresponding to turning your head, and dynamically adjusts components like quantity, echo, and reverb. The principle distinction between Dolby Atmos and ASAF is that Dolby Atmos assumes you are sitting in a single spot in your lounge or in a movie show, whereas ASAF has the flexibility to adapt sound to your actions in actual time, making a extra immersive expertise.

ASAF is barely supported on Apple units, so it will likely be troublesome for it to ever totally substitute Dolby Atmos.

Whereas ASAF might be performed on all of Apple’s platforms, like iOS or macOS, it will likely be skilled finest with visionOS attributable to its concentrate on augmented actuality experiences.

Apple stated at WWDC 2025 that the brand new APAC codec will likely be required for all Immersive Video titles going ahead. Nevertheless, creators can nonetheless use Dolby Atmos inside the APAC codec, that means that ASAF is not exactly a Dolby Atmos rival simply but, as it could actually nonetheless be used at the side of it on Apple units to ship compelling audio experiences. Nevertheless, I would not be shocked if Apple’s endgame right here is to make ASAF a real different to Dolby Atmos sooner or later.

ASAF is barely supported on Apple units, so it will likely be troublesome for it to ever totally substitute Dolby Atmos. With that in thoughts, don’t fret about Dolby Atmos going anyplace anytime quickly, due to its broad assist for a spread of various units.