How to Fix Returnal Audio Not Working or Sound Cutting Out

Returnal is a third-person shooter roguelike video game developed by Housemarque and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. After the massive success on PS5, the game is now finally made available for PC users. After the launch, many reported issues of the audio not working or the sound cutting out. If you’re also one of the victims, then follow this troubleshooting guide to fix the Returnal audio not working or the crackling sound issue.

Fix: Returnal Audio Not Working or Sound Cutting Out

Fix: Returnal Audio Not Working or Crackling Sound Issue

Affected players reported on Reddit that while playing on the console, the headset turned on, but they barely heard anything else. It seems like everything gets muffled and mixed with lower volume. It ruins the gameplay experience and nothing else. At the same time, some players have also mentioned that there is no issue with the headphones except for the speakers.

Watch Our Troubleshoot Video:

We are excited to announce the release of a new video tutorial that provides a step-by-step guide on how to fix the “Audio Not Working” or “Crackling Sound” issue that occurs when launching Returnal on a PC. The tutorial demonstrates detailed troubleshooting steps that will help you resolve the problem and enjoy uninterrupted gameplay in Returnal.

Watch Our Video Guide

Steam Users:

Open up Steam > Go to Library.
Right-click on the Returnal game.
Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
Select Verify Integrity of Game Files…
This process will start to be verified and may take some time to complete.
Once done, close the Steam client and restart your computer to apply changes.

2. Disable the Nahimic Audio Driver

Nahimic is an Audio Driver your PC manufacturer selected to give you an optimized audio experience on laptops, motherboards, and more. It is a trusted driver designed to optimize and tune the audio performance on your computer.

You’ll have to go to Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and head to Startup.
Now, disable the Nahimic audio driver from the list.
Finally, restart the computer to check whether the problem has been fixed.

3. Update Audio Drivers

It’s worth mentioning that Realtek Audio Driver users can head over to this article link to easily download and install the latest version of the audio driver for your specific motherboard or laptop model. Additionally, you can follow the steps below to update the active graphics driver on your Windows computer.

Press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Now, click on Device Manager to open it > Double-click on Sound, video, and game controllers.
Right-click on the active or problematic audio device > Select Update driver.
Click on Search automatically for drivers > Wait for the process to complete.
If an update is available, the system will automatically check for it and install it.
Once done, make sure to reboot the system to apply changes.

4. Reinstall Audio Drivers

Possibly, the audio driver on your computer has been corrupted or missing for some unexpected reason. Now, if you’re also feeling the same, make sure to reinstall audio drivers on the PC by following the steps below:

Press the Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Now, click on Device Manager to open it > Double-click on Sound, video, and game controllers.
Right-click on the active or problematic audio device > Select Uninstall device.
Click on Uninstall again to confirm the task > Wait for the process to be completed.
Once done, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.
After the reboot, the Windows system will automatically reinstall the missing audio driver or audio device (if connected).

However, if it doesn’t get installed by the system automatically then make sure to note down the computer model number or the motherboard model number and directly visit the official manufacturer’s website to download & install the latest audio driver.

5. Remove Returnal Config

You should try removing the Returnal Config file on your PC to check for the issue and whether it has been fixed or not. To do so:

Head over to the File Explorer (This PC) > Go to the C: drive (where you’ve installed the game).
Now, go to the specific directory – username\documents\Returnal\settings and delete the Returnal config file.
Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

6. Check Wires of Audio Output

Make sure to check out the audio output device and wires whether they’re properly connected & plugged into the valid port or not. It’s quite a simple thing yet effective because sometimes users may forget or do mistakes a lot.

7. Disconnect Other Peripherals

It’s also worth mentioning to disconnect other peripherals to check for the issue again. Just try using a minimum number of external USB devices to ensure what’s actually causing the issue.

8. Test Out Other Speakers or Headsets

Make sure to test out other speakers or headsets with your computer while playing the Returnal game to check if there is an issue with your existing speaker or headset.

9. Power Cycle your PC

Sometimes performing a power cycle your PC can fix multiple issues with the game. To do so:

Make sure to power off the PC and unplug the power cable.
Wait for around a minute or so and then power on the computer to check for the issue.

10. Turn Off Windows Sonic or Spatial Sound

If your desktop or laptop has the Windows Sonic or Spatial Sound feature then make sure to disable it by following the steps below:

Click on the Start menu > Go to Settings > Click on System.
Now, click on Sound > Select Related settings.
Go to Sound Control Panel and select a playback device.
Next, select Properties > Select Spatial sound.
In the Spatial Sound format, select Windows Sonic for Headphones.
Finally, select Apply, and reboot the PC to change effects.

11. Reset BIOS

If in case resetting the overclock feature won’t work for you, ensure to try resetting the BIOS/UEFI menu as well. Using the same process, boot into the BIOS/UEFI menu. Then find the BIOS Settings Reset or Default BIOS Setup and select it to confirm. Once done, restart your PC.

12. Update BIOS

Plenty of shortcuts and in-depth tutorials are available online to safely update your Windows system BIOS/UEFI according to your motherboard brand without any issue. Just like the Windows update, BIOS update is also useful and necessary to perform to fix plenty of crashes or errors.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.