PayDay 2 Audio Not Working or Sound Cutting Out (Solved)

In 2013, Overkill Software and Starbreeze Publishing released PAYDAY 2, which is a thrilling four-player co-op shooter video game and the sequel to PayDay: The Heist (2011). The game is available on various platforms such as PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Switch. However, after a recent update, several players reported issues with the audio, such as sound cutting out or not working at all. If you are also experiencing these problems, then you can follow this troubleshooting guide to fix the PayDay 2 audio issue, including the crackling sound problem.

Fix: PayDay 2 Audio Not Working or Crackling Sound Issue

Players have reported on Reddit that they experienced issues with their console headsets. According to them, the headset turns on, but they can barely hear anything else. The sound becomes muffled and mixed with lower volume, which ruins the gaming experience. Some players have also mentioned that there are no issues with the headphones except for the speakers.

1. Repair Game Files

First, try repairing game files in Steam to fix issues caused by corrupted or missing game files.

Open up Steam > Go to Library.
Right-click on the PayDay 2 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 selected by your PC manufacturer to provide an optimized audio experience on laptops, motherboards, and other devices. It is a trusted driver designed to tune and improve 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 important to note that if you are using Realtek Audio Driver, you can visit this article link to download and install the latest version of the audio driver that is suitable for your specific motherboard or laptop model. Moreover, you can follow the steps given 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 device (if connected).

However, if it doesn’t get installed by the system automatically, 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 PayDay 2 Config

You should try removing the PayDay 2 Config file on your PC to check for the issue and whether it has been fixed. To do so:

Head over to File Explorer (This PC) > Go to the C: drive (where you’ve installed the game).
Now, go to the specific directory – username\documents\PayDay 2\settings and delete the PayDay 2 config file.
Once done, reboot your PC to apply changes.

6. Check the Wires of the Audio Output

Check out the audio output device and wires to see whether they’re correctly connected & plugged into the valid port. 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 disconnecting 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 PayDay 2 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.