Spatial sound blows your favorite songs into a whole new dimension
Android 13 Beta 1 is here, and while it’s packed with new features and enhancements coming to all devices later this year, it’s also tailored for Pixels. Based on some code found in today’s update, Google’s latest smartphones get a fancy new audio feature that can help it compete against Apple’s latest efforts.
As discovered by Esper.ios Mishaal Rahman, Beta 1 comes with a spatializer effect on tow, ready for the Pixel 6 Pro. Rahman also found a shared library file for spatial audio in the “soundfx” folder included in today’s update. Both of these discoveries appear to confirm spatial audio support coming to Google’s latest devices, possibly with the arrival of Android 13 later this year.
It’s just the latest noise around Google and spatial sound. A year ago, we heard our first rumors about upcoming Pixel Buds that could potentially support the feature, giving all your favorite songs an extra immersion. In March, a new report summarized all of the company’s recent audio-related acquisitions, all of which seem to point in the direction of some kind of advanced audio hardware.
It is not entirely clear whether this upgrade will require certain headphones – such as. the rumored Pixel Buds revision – or whether it will work with any equipment you have lying around. Nor is it the first time the Pixel 6 has received a major audio upgrade since launch. Adaptive Sound arrived just a few weeks after the phones hit store shelves.
While today’s Android 13 beta may not provide spatial audio support yet, there are plenty of other features worth checking out. If you’re curious, signing up for Google’s beta program will only take you a few steps.
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