Spatialized audio in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey

In the beta of iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, Apple has quietly included a new audio feature called "Spatialize Stereo" which takes any non-Dolby stereo track and creates a virtual spatial audio environment for it. The addition was discovered by a Reddit user,

It is worth reiterating that Spatialize Stereo is different from Spatial Audio, which Apple added to Apple Music earlier this week. Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support creates a three-dimensional experience by moving sound around you.

Spatialized stereo, meanwhile, appears to be an attempt by Apple to simulate the effect of having sound coming to you from different directions in a virtual environment.

It doesn't use Dolby Atmos, but on the other hand it works with pretty much any content, even if you need AirPods Pro or AirPods Max headphones to access it. Here's how it works in the latest iOS 15 beta:

1. Collega i tuoi AirPods Pro o AirPods Max al tuo iPhone o iPad.
2. Play non-Dolby audio content on your iOS device.
3. Open the  Control Center.
4. Long press on  volume bar.
5. Tap the button  Spatialize Stereo  to enable it.

The same option can be found in macOS Monterey in the Control Center audio panel. In terms of sound quality, the experience can be choppy, but at least it allows users to enjoy some of the benefits of spatialized sound in whatever they hear, and not just in content that officially supports spatial audio.

If you have had the opportunity to compare the two modes, leave us your opinion in the comments.