Project Zomboid is a zombie survival, a first-person shooter where you can loot, build, craft, fight, farm, and fish in a struggle to survive. The game is developed and published by The Indie Stone. This game is now available to PC in early access via Steam. Meanwhile, some Project Zomboid players are reporting audio issues such as cutting out, crackling sound, audio not working, hissing sound, etc. To fix this issue, we have returned a detailed troubleshoot here.
As we know, most of the bugs or game issues should be resolved easily. Meanwhile, the chances are high that you’re extremely encountering the audio issue and there are some workarounds too.
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Fix: Project Zomboid Audio Not Working or Crackling Sound Issue
Affected players did report on Reddit that while playing on the console, the headset turned on but they barely hear anything else. It seems like everything gets muffled and mixed with lower volume. It basically ruins the gameplay experience and nothing else. Whereas some players have also mentioned that there is no issue with the headphones except for speakers.
1. Repair Game Files
First of all, you should try repairing the game files in the Steam client to check whether the problem has been fixed or not. Sometimes having some issues with the corrupted or missing game files can be there. To do so:
Steam Users:
- Open up Steam > Go to Library.
- Right-click on the Project Zomboid game.
- Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
- Select Verify Integrity of Game Files…
- This process will start verifying and it may take some time to be completed.
- Once done, close the Steam client, and restart your computer to apply changes.
2. Disable Nahimic Audio Driver
Nahimic is an Audio Driver that 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) then head over to Startup.
- Now, disable the Nahimic audio driver from the list.
- Finally, restart the computer to check whether the problem has been fixed or not.
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3. Update Audio Drivers
It’s worth mentioning that Realtek Audio Driver users can simply 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 simply 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 there is an update available, the system will automatically check for it, and install the update.
- Once done, make sure to reboot the system to apply changes.
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4. Reinstall Audio Drivers
There are possible chances that 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 Project Zomboid Config
You should try removing the Project Zomboid Config file on your PC to check for the issue 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\Project Zomboid\settings and delete the Project Zomboid 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 Project Zomboid 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. By using the same above 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
There are plenty of shortcuts and in-depth tutorials available online in order 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.