Plantronics' GameCom 788 sees the continuation of the 780's Dolby Headphone Technologies integration, a surround technique that's activated by a hardware toggle. It also just adds to the experience and immersion, which is likely what the vast majority of headset purchasers are interested in. Using something high-end, like SteelSeries' Siberia Elite and impending Turtle Beach DTS products, it's further possible to determine distance (left-right depth) and location with impressive accuracy.Ī true stereo setup will just give you left and right, which only goes so far in competition the ability to pinpoint sound origin in 3-dimensional space can be a determining factor in survival. Let's take Battlefield: When there's a chopper overhead, a tank behind, infantry above-and-left on some stairs, a surround sound headset can aid the user in precisely locating the source of the audio. The advantage of surround setups in competitive gaming is pretty straight forward. Even though it's not using 7 speakers in the ear cup, digital positioning done properly can trick most users well enough for immersive gaming experiences.

As with most modern gaming headsets, 7.1 sound is generally simulated from a stereo or 5.1 setup, using virtual / digital positioning to artificially position sounds spatially in a fashion that mirrors a 7.1 setup. The 788 brands a giant '7.1' wherever possible for its marketing approach, boasting digital surround broadcasting across its two 40mm drivers (one in each ear, to clarify). That doesn't make it bad, it just means that owners of the existing GameCom 780 shouldn't be purchasing the new 788. The takeaway here is that Plantronics is using its driver update as an opportunity to issue a refresher headset, meaning it's primarily a product being delivered for strategic marketing reasons.

Other changes include expanded driver support for Windows 8/8.1, which has been extended to the original 780 and other Plantronics products. From what Plantronics has told us, all changes are to the coloring of the inner ear-cup fabric, the cabling, and the headband.

Looking at the GameCom 788, those familiar with the 780 may notice that there aren't any actual changes to the build specification. Software for Dolby Headphone Technologies

Gamecom 780 driver not working