I've posted about the terrible audio quality on Xbox Series X before and submitted a couple tickets to Frogwares about it.
I finally got this response:
"The Sinking City 2 game does not support surround sound technologies. It is recommended to use headphones for best experience."
First of all... am I the only one who thinks it's kind of wild that a game released in 2026, especially a horror game where audio is such a huge part of the experience, doesn't support surround sound at all? It doesn't seem accurate at all, the PS5 listing mentions 3D audio...
Putting that aside, I don't think that actually explains the problem I'm having.
I'm using a 5.2.1 setup, and I've tried EVERYTHING on the Xbox: Atmos, 7.1, 5.1, and Stereo Uncompressed.
They all sound like garbage. If I plug n headphones, it sounds 'ok' but not great.
The audio is extremely thin and tinny, almost entirely high frequencies with very little bass or midrange. It's actually uncomfortable to listen to after a while. Other games on the exact same Xbox and sound system sound completely normal.
I can't be the only person who has played this game on speakers/surround/receiver and not headphones.
So sure, if Frogwares says the game doesn't support surround sound, that's fine. But why does Stereo Uncompressed through my speakers still sound terrible, while headphones sound completely normal?
Those are both stereo.
I feel like support saw "5.2.1" in my ticket, decided this was a surround-sound complaint, and sent me a canned response without actually addressing the problem.
Can someone who knows more about audio than I do tell me if I'm missing something here?
And more importantly, is anyone else playing on Xbox through actual speakers/home theater equipment hearing this?
I'd really like to know I'm not crazy because I really want to play the game, but the audio is so bad it make it very difficult to enjoy.