Pixel Buds Pro owners might soon get Head Tracking in an upcoming update

Earlier this year, Google finally released a long-awaited Pixel Buds Pro update with support for Spatial Audio. The feature is intended to enhance the listener’s immersion when watching any media that supports it, mostly for simulating a cinema-like audio experience when watching movies and videos (5.1 or 7.1 surround sound).Google had also promised another feature though — Head Tracking — and it seems users will soon be getting that too. This comes from an APK teardown carried out by the folks at 9to5Google, during which they found that the Pixel Buds app will get a new settings page, where owners will be able to toggle between having Spatial Audio turned on or off. The page, however, also includes a toggle for Head Tracking, meaning it should also be on its way.

The more special part about this new settings page is that it includes a demo video with nature sounds and orchestral music coming from multiple directions. Google has probably included this to help Pixel Buds Pro owners determine the difference between Spatial Audio and Head Tracking being turned on or off. That way if you don’t particularly enjoy how things sound, you can just revert back to regular stereo audio.

Keep in mind that you need to have a Pixel 6/6 Pro or a Pixel 7/7 Pro in order to experience Spatial Audio, and presumably the upcoming “Head Tracking” feature. As it stands for now, Google is yet to say anything about releasing these features on its more affordable Pixel “a” series, which are arguably some of the best budget phones on the market.

Given how finished the implementation of Head Tracking seems to be, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to expect the feature sometime in the near future. It might arrive with the upcoming Pixel Feature Drop set to arrive sometime in March.