macOS 15: Dolby Atmos passthrough possible for the first time
Small feature, big sound: Sequoia allows Apple to seamlessly pass audio through to surround systems via HDMI. Various apps are supported.
Good sound: home theater speakers.
(Image: Shutterstock.com / ronstik)
Home theater fans may be interested in a new function that beta testers have discovered in macOS 15 alias Sequoia: In the future, it will be possible to pass on unprocessed Dolby Atmos sounds to external devices via HDMI pass-through. The feature has already been released for various system apps. It is not yet clear whether other devices such as Apple TV will also be covered in the near future.
Settings currently still per app
Using HDMI pass-through, it is possible to send sounds from films, videos and corresponding audio productions directly to a home theater soundbar connected to the Mac via HDMI or a compatible receiver. This should be the case for most current devices. Apple is expected to publish a list of these, but a support document could not yet be found.
The currently supported apps include the Apple Music and TV app as well as QuickTime Player. There is not (yet) a switch in the system settings, instead the setting is made per app. It remains unclear whether there will also be an API for third-party developers. In addition to Dolby Atmos, Apple also supports other Dolby audio formats via HDMI pass-through. With a receiver or soundbar, you can then enjoy the sound as intended by the filmmakers, while the video is then forwarded to a TV or projector.
Will tvOS 18 be the next step?
There is hope that Apple will also implement the function in tvOS 18 for Apple TV devices. However, the feature is not yet available in the current beta version. It is conceivable that this will happen as part of the first public beta, which is expected later this month. macOS 15 alias Sequoia will also be available to all interested testers in the near future. Both updates will then reach the public in the fall.
Recently, more and more useful functions have been revealed in macOS 15 and Co. that Apple had not explicitly announced. These include, for example, a new keyboard shortcut for calling up context menus, which still does not exist despite the long macOS development time.
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