Windows 11 adds super wideband stereo for Bluetooth LE Audio

Microsoft has announced the rollout of super wideband stereo support for Bluetooth LE Audio devices on Windows 11. The feature arrives with version 24H2 and is designed to drastically improve the quality of game chat and voice calls over wireless headphones and earbuds.

Previously, Bluetooth LE Audio on Windows only supported super wideband mono when using the microphone. That meant game audio and calls lost stereo detail as soon as the mic was activated. With the new update, Windows 11 users can now maintain high-quality stereo playback while using voice, eliminating the muffled mono sound typical of older Bluetooth Classic Audio profiles.

The change is particularly beneficial for gaming scenarios. For example, when joining multiplayer chat in a title like Forza Horizon 5, audio now stays crisp, spatial, and stereo, even while using the microphone. This resolves a long-standing drawback where switching to chat degraded sound fidelity.

Besides games, the feature also enables Spatial Audio in Microsoft Teams over Bluetooth for the first time. Until now, the feature required wired headsets.

Thanks to stereo support in LE Audio, voices in Teams calls can now be positioned across the stereo field, helping users follow conversations more naturally.

To access super wideband stereo, users need a Windows 11 PC with LE Audio support, a compatible Bluetooth headset or earbuds, the 24H2 update, and the latest Bluetooth drivers from the device manufacturer. Microsoft notes that many new PCs launching later this year will ship with this feature enabled by default.