How to fix Audio or Sound issues in Call of Duty (COD) Vanguard

It has been a long wait and finally COD Vanguard is here, and judging from the reports I have seen so far, COD fans are thoroughly enjoying the game. But just like every new release, even this one comes with its own surprises. Overall, the look and feel of the game is splendid, but there’s an issue with the in-game audio or sound. Obviously, considering the size and versatility of the game, the issue seems to be very small. But mind you, the quality of audio is one of those core experiences that a gamer would hardly ever want to compromise with.

As far as the nature of the issue is concerned, there are complaints from PC users mentioning that they are not being able to hear any sound while playing the game. If you’re experiencing the same issue, you have come to the right place, as I can definitely help you out with what I myself would do. Here are few tips and tricks about how you can troubleshoot the audio issue.

Verify that you have selected the correct Audio Output

First, ensure that you are using the correct audio output:

1. Right-click the Speaker icon in your system tray (lower right)
2. Open Sound Settings
3. In Sound Tab, choose the correct Output device that you are using

Make sure you have selected the correct audio device in the Audio Settings Menu within the game

1. Launch COD Vanguard
2. Go to the Settings Menu
3. Click on the Audio tab
4. Scroll down and look for ‘GAME SOUND DEVICE’
5. Make sure that you have selected the correct device where you want the audio output
   

To check that everything is working fine, click on ‘PLAY CAMPAIGN AUDIO TEST’ or ‘PLAY MULTIPLAYER AUDIO TEST’ at the top of the screen and verify that you can hear the sounds clearly.

Wireless users can try using headphones with 3.5 mm jack

While I was browsing through some of the posts on the COD Vanguard Reddit, I came to realize that this issue was being faced by a lot of gamers who use wireless headphones or USB headphones. I myself have faced lots of audio issues while playing games with my Logitech G733, which basically are bluetooth wireless headphones. I cannot tell you for certain that what I am suggesting will fix the issue but since this has worked for me quite a few times, I would advise you to use a pair of wired headphones with 3.5 mm jack. Trust me, you’ll be surprised and would probably have your belief reinstated in the age-old saying, ‘old is gold’. In case you do not have a fancy pair of wired headphones, that’s absolutely fine. To test this fix, any 3.5 mm headphones will do the job. You can even use the ones that came with your Android phone, if any.

Using Battle.net launcher

You can also try repairing the game via the Battle.net launcher.

Updating the Default format of your Playback Device

If the audio of the game is being rendered at a sample rate and bit depth, that is not native to the Windows settings, it may lead to sound issues. Try this:

1. Right-click on the Speaker icon in your system tray (lower right)
2. Click on Sounds
3. Go to the Playback tab and choose the device you want the audio output on
4. Right-click on it and select Properties
5. Click on the Advanced tab
6. Change the default format to 16bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality); Also try 24 bit, 96000 Hz (Studio Quality)
   
7. Restart your game.

Disable Spatial Sound or Windows Sonic

Spatial Sound is a hit or miss at the moment. Make sure that you have Spatial Sound or Windows Sonic off. Windows Sonic is a bit buggy at the moment.

Updating the Audio drivers

If none of the solutions mentioned above work, there’s one last thing that you can try. Although this is a suggestion that a lot of other websites might advise but you should try this only if you face audio issues while playing all games and not just specifically COD Vanguard. The advice is simple – Reinstall your audio drivers. But please not that this might not be the best idea, if you ask me.

You see, if your audio driver has been corrupted, then it won’t specifically affect a single game. It will affect your entire system. So as long as you are able to hear everything else, no need to re-install drivers.

Run other games and check your sound. Go for fresh driver installation only if you face the same issue in other games as well. Go to the official website of your Motherboard, and download the drivers from there. Don’t just download from a random website.

Selecting ‘Disable all sound effects’ might cause issues

Some players may try to ‘Disable all sound effects by going to the following path:

Speaker icon in your system tray (lower right) > Sounds > Playback tab > Select your playback device > Properties > Enhancements

But please note that they may experience loss of sound and possible inability to progress in the game if they do so.

If none of the solutions mentioned above work for you, then you need to contact the support. Here’s the link for the support page.

That’s all folks!