In a blog post, Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 is getting support for super wideband stereo Bluetooth LE Audio. That might sound like mumbo-jumbo, but so far, Windows has had some issues when it comes to using Bluetooth headset and audio. The standard Bluetooth SBC audio codec suffers from an issue where the speakers in a headset switches to mono audio if the microphone is being used. This is something Bluetooth LE Audio addressed by allowing for stereo audio while the microphone is in use, in combination with the new LC3 audio codec. However, Microsoft had as yet to implement it in Windows 11, which is the main part of the announcement in the blog post.

The super wideband stereo part on the other hand is largely marketing for 32 kHz audio being recorded from the microphone, versus a mere 8 kHz for the old SBC codec. This apparently allows for spatial audio in Teams calls, assuming you have the correct hardware, but it also improves game audio when playing with a Bluetooth headset and using the built-in microphone for in game chats. From an OS standpoint, the new features are already available, but according to Microsoft, driver updates might be needed for current hardware, if the hardware vendors support Bluetooth LE Audio to start with. Microsoft also points out that it expects most new Windows 11 PCs and laptops coming out later this year, will feature support out of the box. Note that a compatible headset is also required and many headsets out there lacks support for the LC3 audio codec. Microsoft is hoping to bring CD-quality audio to Bluetooth LE devices in the future.