Xbox One does not support surround sound for devices connected via HDMI in

UPDATE: Xbox One does actually include surround sound support for devices connected via HDMI In, Xbox corporate vice president Marc Whitten has clarified, despite Microsoft’s support site stating otherwise.

In an update on Twitter, Whitten said, “Its [sic] actually in the system at launch — just in beta right now. Turn it on!”

Why, then, does Microsoft’s support state otherwise? “Good catch,” added Whitten, “I will get them to change the text to include the beta option. Thanks for sending.”

“You can enable [surround sound] in the settings,” added Xbox marketing director Albert Penello. “We found some bugs on certain [set top boxes], so it’s in ‘beta'”.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Xbox One does not support digital surround sound input through HDMI, meaning that signals from cable or set top boxes connected via the Xbox One’s HDMI In port will not output surround sound.

In an update on its Xbox Support site, Microsoft confirmed that “the Xbox One console does not support digital surround sound input over HDMI. If your cable or satellite box is sending audio data through your Xbox One over HDMI, only stereo sound will be received.

“For surround sound, you’ll need to consider an alternative configuration.”

That ‘alternative configuration’, I guess, is sticking to your current AV setup.

The Xbox One can still produce surround sound for Blu-rays, DVDs and games played on the console, but will not output surround sound for any other device connected to the console via the HDMI In port.

The news will come as a disappointment to AV enthusiasts hoping to run their TV configuration through the Xbox One, and a surprise given the platform holder’s push for the console to be seen as an all-in-one entertainment box.

It isn’t known whether surround sound input can or will be added to the console via a future firmware update.

Source: support.xbox.com