Sound quality on mobile devices is letting mobile gamers down, according to Dolby's director of gaming.
Spencer Hooks describes sound quality on mobile phones and tablets as "typically subpar" and bemoans game-makers for working only in mono "or at best stereo."
"When we look at the mobile gaming market, we can see that gameplay and graphics have really outpaced sound," he told Droid Report in an interview, going on to argue that sound can make a device seem much bigger than its screensize.
Surround sound phones
"Our vision is that games on mobile move from mono to full 5.1 surround sound and that they fully leverage the powerful audio processing that is resident on devices," he said, hinting at more Dolby-infused smartphones in the near future.
The company is working on integrating surround sound into more devices, and showing mobile game developers how to use audio tech on handsets to their advantage.
Echoing sentiments heard around the tech-sphere, he added, "The power of mobile devices is growing at such a fast a rate that it's only a matter of time until they catch up to game consoles – even with the massive power of the new generation of consoles."
