The Xbox Series X won’t have an optical audio port

20 March 2020
Quite an interesting development, considering current Xbox One consoles do have S/PDIF.

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  • j
  • jim
  • u44
  • 15 Jan 2021

Anonymous, 20 Mar 2020Same old Microsoft! Same mistakes! Oh, and as backwards com... morebetter backward compatibility compared to sony, which bhaibis garbage.

you can streamxbox from pc to use your higher quaility headphones. that's hiw i rtun my sennheisers

    • T
    • TC
    • 4q5
    • 17 Sep 2020

    I game on a projector, the sound goes to my receiver and the video to the projector separately, as someone else said not sure if there are splitters that will handle anything close to the new 4k standards and if they do the will be EXPENSIVE. Glad I read this, I would have been pissed as hell to find out I couldn't play games on my projector.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • j@a
      • 25 Jun 2020

      Techically-competent, 20 Mar 2020It's cheap to buy an HDMI-SPDIF splitter, I used to use one... moreGood luck finding a splitter. Most don't support 4k and if they do they do not support HDR (HDMI 2.1) and if they do, they dont support HDCP 2.2.

        • D
        • Dazza
        • gA9
        • 15 Apr 2020

        So, what's the best solution? I too have pledged allegiance to this brand from day 1 (looks like more fool me)I too have used SPDIF to dac / amp to my very expensive (not a brag I saved for a looooooong time) headphones and I want to be able to use them!

          • T
          • Techically-competent
          • rRT
          • 20 Mar 2020

          Pissed of xbox fan, 20 Mar 2020If no SDIF (TOSLINK) audio output then I dont want one, i h... moreIt's cheap to buy an HDMI-SPDIF splitter, I used to use one for the Wii-U before I replaced my SPDIF headset because SPDIF is a garbage interface.

            • p
            • paul
            • naP
            • 20 Mar 2020

            Laes, 20 Mar 2020Sorry, but S/PDIF is outdated. It can't handle ANY of the n... moreSorry,

            Adding more speakers does not improve the quality of the sound.
            Dolby Atmos , Aura 3d etc
            Dolby Vision, Hdr10, HDr+

            All marketing names to make the consument buy new stuff.

              • P
              • Pissed of xbox fan
              • ixr
              • 20 Mar 2020

              If no SDIF (TOSLINK) audio output then I dont want one, i have 300 quid headset that works fine on the one x, if it cannot be used on the XSX then stuff them.

                Anonymous, 20 Mar 2020Same old Microsoft! Same mistakes! Oh, and as backwards com... moreWhy the mistake? The bandwidth has been surpassed by HDMI. There is actually limited need to include it. Add to that the fact that only a tiny percentage of owners will have used it, and it's an easy omission. As for BC, they have around 4000 titles that will work in the Xbox Series X, so I think they have it covered well. And, performance may also improve in those titles.

                  Anonymous, 20 Mar 2020wtf is a "Seagate Storage Expansion Card" and why does it s... moreI assume you have not watched any video online. It is proprietary, Seagate make them. Sony also have limits, and it has to be a certified drive, to use it. I actually prefer the Xbox solution. Hopefully they won't make it obscenely expensive.

                    • L
                    • Laes
                    • SXA
                    • 20 Mar 2020

                    Sorry, but S/PDIF is outdated. It can't handle ANY of the new audio formats (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro 3D) and is therefore not suitable for achieving the goal: better audio.

                      Well if the finaly implement USB DAC functionality that even PS4 or standard "washing machine" supports, than nobody cares, if some needs optical, there are cheapo USB->optical devices.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • S2T
                        • 20 Mar 2020

                        paco2x, 20 Mar 2020The optical audio port or S/PDIF is kind of outdated and th... moreNope not for us with a stereo amp with built in dac.

                          imparanoic, 20 Mar 2020yes, proprietary external ssd drive designed for xbox serie... moreI am sure there will come plenty of adapters or enclosures where u can just drop in any NVMe SSD and connect to XBOX.

                            • K
                            • KoningSlakkie
                            • x@h
                            • 20 Mar 2020

                            Stema, 20 Mar 2020You can just connect the console to your tv and there you h... moreNot having DTS or Dolby Passtrough

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • 4eq
                              • 20 Mar 2020

                              The sound bars are crying

                                Anonymous, 20 Mar 2020wtf is a "Seagate Storage Expansion Card" and why does it s... moreyes, proprietary external ssd drive designed for xbox series s and forthcoming xbox series s

                                  paco2x, 20 Mar 2020The optical audio port or S/PDIF is kind of outdated and th... morewhile is outdated, can be useful for certain things, such as second audio output for high resolution wireless audio transmitter, as all TVs or Home Cinema amps use bluetooth 4.2 which is 25 year old technology and bitrate is low at 330kbps.

                                  nowadays, you can get high bitrate wireless audio such as aptx hd and ldac, highest bitrate is at 990kbps

                                    • S
                                    • Stema
                                    • n2N
                                    • 20 Mar 2020

                                    You can just connect the console to your tv and there you have your spdif. If your ht handles video as well you anyway connect your hdmi to it so what's the downside?

                                      Anonymous, 20 Mar 2020wtf is a "Seagate Storage Expansion Card" and why does it s... moreIs an Exclusive external NVMe ssd and yes, it is.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • pwB
                                        • 20 Mar 2020

                                        wtf is a "Seagate Storage Expansion Card" and why does it sound like a device with a proprietary connector so you have to buy it specifically for the console