Best Soundbars for Gaming

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The TVs on our list all excel at the visual presentation with the next-gen gaming consoles — but if you really want to take your immersive audio to the next level, then you’ll need a high-performance soundbar capable of presenting the height-channels for all those games encoded with Dolby Atmos. Fortunately, all of the premium soundbars on this list have Dolby Atmos built-in, so these are compatible with this exciting new 3D surround-sound format. Plus, they all feature the newer version of ARC (or “eARC”). As long as your TV features the newer eARC HDMI port, it will allow true Dolby Atmos when you connect it with any of the premium soundbars below. Here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars for gaming.

Watch our comparison for a complete overview of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max

$2,499.95

Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos Soundbar

$699.00

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar

At the top of our list for gamers is the Sennheiser AMBEO. If you want the absolute best audio fidelity for your cinematic video games, the AMBEO produces one of the most realistic 3D experiences we have ever heard coming out of a single soundbar.

  • Powered by 13 High-End Speakers
  • Deep 30Hz Bass
  • Convenient All-In-One Design

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max

$2,499.95

The Sennheiser AMBEO offers a few added bonuses as well. If you like keeping your home entertainment area clean and simple without any compromise to the high-end sound then this will be a great option for you. It has the most minimalistic setup and it presents 5.1.4 channels of Dolby Atmos with deep low-end frequency content for video games — without a subwoofer.

While there is an output to connect a sub, you don’t really need to buy one for this. The AMBEO is capable of reproducing extreme bass as low as 30Hz that will go all the way up to 20kHz. The AMBEO harnesses its power from 13 high-end speaker drivers in a sleek all-in-one design. 6 built-in long-throw woofers re-produce deep 30Hz bass, and 5 high-end tweeters cover your room with high-fidelity sound, while 2 top-firing drivers present the sense of vertical elevation in your sound field — all directly from the unit.

Sennheiser AMBEO image

There are advanced room calibration controls using the latest virtualization technology so you can personalize your gaming experience with studio-grade features too. There’s also a high-quality microphone included that will capture the unique acoustic properties of your room for a spacious 3D experience that’s immersive and tailored-made.

If you want the best performance available for video games, cinema, and music in an all-in-one sophisticated piece of equipment, the immersive Dolby Atmos sound coming out of the AMBEO is hard to beat. When you compare it to other high-performance systems that require additional speakers to present this level of immersion and detail, the Sennheiser AMBEO re-creates the studio-grade experience of a complete surround sound installation for less than $2,500. For the money, it’s one of the best soundbars for video games we’ve ever tested.

To learn more about AMBEO, watch our Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Review.

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max

$2,499.95
BUY NOW WATCH OUR REVIEW

Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos Soundbar

The Arc is our “best overall value” recommendation for several key reasons. For gamers, it sets a new standard as the most expandable system of any Atmos soundbar on the market. This one offers the potential to cover your whole house with premium cinematic sounds in any room of your house with the most immersive soundstage available.

  • 11 Speaker Dolby Atmos Enabled
  • Sonos TruePlay Tuning
  • Dialog with Clarity and Detail

Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos Soundbar

$699.00

Up next, we have the Sonos Arc. This one is our “best overall value” recommendation for several key reasons. For gamers, it sets a new standard as the most expandable system of any Atmos soundbar on the market. This one offers the potential to cover your whole house with premium cinematic sounds in any room of your house with the most immersive soundstage available. Simply add more Sonos speakers and you’re done.

You can add the Sonos Sub Wireless Subwoofer, and a pair of rear speakers using the Sonos One SL, and the Arc’s surround channel drivers automatically adjust to extend the bass drivers accordingly. For even better performance, we recommend adding the Sonos Fives for Final Price$549.00 /each. For only , we think the Sonos Sub presents the best sounding bass at this price-point & its seamless integration into the Sonos ecosystem makes it a no-brainer. The 5.1.2 Entertainment Set with Sonos Arc & Sub can be bundled for Final Price$1,648.00 . Or, just go all out with the complete Sonos Arc Surround Sound Set for less than $2,500. Either way, the premium sound that comes out of this highly expandable Dolby Atmos system is the only one that offers you this much immersion for video games. Plus, this one has the added bonus of letting you cover your whole house with the cinematic sounds from video games, movies, and music into as many rooms as you wish. Simply add more Sonos speakers as needed. To learn more about the Arc, watch the Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos Soundbar Review.

Sonos Arc Dolby Atmos Soundbar

$699.00
BUY NOW WATCH OUR REVIEW

JBL Bar 9.1 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer

If you like first-person shooters, and you’re on a budget, the JBL Bar 9.1 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is a high-performance soundbar that delivers the most bang-for-your-buck. It’s a complete all-in-one Dolby Atmos system that brings the cinematic surround-sound experience hiding in your games to life.

  • HDMI eARC
  • Musical & Thrilling JBL Sound
  • 4-Piece Bundled Kit

The JBL Bar 9.1 includes a wireless sub plus two detachable rear surround-sound speakers that are also completely wireless and rechargeable. Rear surrounds are usually optional add-ons in many other systems, so this really makes JBL Bar 9.1 stand out in terms of the value you get. Just place the two detachable surround speakers behind you and enjoy the cinematic 9.1 experience of Atmos all around your room. Four up-firing speakers will bounce the sound up to the ceiling and back down to you for a thrilling 3D experience. The wireless sub is no slouch either. We were really impressed with the low-end impact coming from this sub when we played Star Wars: Squadrons. The rush of lasers zipping by with explosions above and behind us was an exhilarating experience you just have to see for yourself!

With 9 channels of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound plus a single channel for the sub-bass frequencies, you get all of this for less than $1,000. At this price point, we like that there are no extra wires or extra power connections needed. We think JBL Bar 9.1 presents the most convenient all-in-one solution for gamers for the money — and with JBL sound quality that will thrill you.
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Overall Recommendation

The product life-cycle for a single console generation typically lasts about seven years. If you’re already making the investment in one of these next-gen consoles, you might as well do it right. You’ll be with that system for a very long time.

Whether you’re on team Sony or team Microsoft, a high-performance Dolby Atmos soundbar will help you squeeze every last drop of performance from these very powerful gaming consoles. Immersive Dolby Atmos 3D sound is a great way to dive into the game, and give yourself a slight competitive edge.

Choose any of the high-performance soundbars on this list, and you will experience the best immersion for gaming, available.

When you buy from Audio Advice, we’re also including an exclusive “Tips & Tricks - How to set up your specific soundbar" video, available only to Audio Advice customers. These videos will give you some additional key tricks, including how to get the best sound for gaming in your room, and a few other tips.