Porsche is bringing Dolby Atmos audio to its in-car hi-fis, but there’s a catch

If you’re in the lucky position of being able to place an order for a new Porsche, then we have some exciting news. The German automotive giant is completely revising its PCM system (Porsche Communication Management) as part of its model year change.

And, as part of the update, it’s introducing support for Dolby Atmos audio.

The rollout does come with a couple of caveats, though. It will only be available on 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne. This covers most of the bases, but not some of the smaller sports cars in Porsche’s portfolio, nor is there any mention of the recently revised Macan.

Also, the cars will need to be fitted with either a premium or high-end audio system from Porsche’s brand partners – Bose and Burmester.

The PCM update introduces new hardware, so the user experience should be better, with Porsche claiming it will be more responsive. You’ll also have access to a whole range of third-party apps, which you can use natively in Porsche’s new App Center.

And this brings us to the second caveat. To experience Dolby Atmos you will need a Tidal subscription and to stream natively using the Tidal app found within the PCM system.

We have spoken to Porsche and it has confirmed that you won’t be able to experience it through CarPlay, Android Auto or a wired USB-connection using the Tidal app your smartphone.

The good news is that it sounds like Tidal will be the first of many compatible apps.

A Porsche spokesperson told us, “we will be offering further Dolby Atmos-supporting apps in the near future”, so fingers crossed the likes of Amazon Music and Apple Music will also appear on the platform further down the line.

We also asked if Atmos support could come as part of an over-the-air update for older vehicles, but Porsche also confirmed it will only be available through the new PCM system.

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