This article covers:
- Unable to hear sound effects from behind or the sides
- PC audio cuts out when using headphones
- General Audio troubleshooting
Unable to hear sound effects from behind or the sides
Problem
- Audio coming from behind or from the side is very quiet
- Audio feels like it comes from the wrong channels
Xbox console workaround: Change Speaker or Headset audio setting
Change the Speaker/Headset audio settings to Stereo uncompressed.
- Close Halo Infinite if it is running
- Press the Xbox button
- Use RB to select Profile and system (user icon)
- Select Settings
- Select Volume & audio output (in General)
- If you are using the Speaker audio setting, set HDMI audio to “Stereo uncompressed”
- Ensure it is not set to a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound option.
- If you are using the Headset audio setting, set the Headset format to “Stereo uncompressed” or “Windows Sonic for Headphones.”
PC workaround 1: Update USB audio device driver
Update USB Audio Device driver.
- Make sure headphones experiencing the issue are connected to the PC, so the correct drivers appear
- On the Windows Taskbar, right-click on the Speaker icon
- Select Sounds and go to the Playback tab
- Find your playback device and double-click on it to open Properties.
- Select Properties (Controller information)
- Select Change settings
- Go to the Driver tab and select Update driver
- Select Browse my computer for drivers
- Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer
- Select the device (often labeled "USB Audio Device") then select Next to install the driver.
- Restart computer
PC workaround 2: Configure stereo sound settings
- On the Windows Taskbar, right-click on the Speaker icon
- Select Sounds and go to the Playback tab
- Find your playback device and select it
- Select Configure
- View your Audio channels, if Stereo is not selected:
- Select Stereo and select Next
- Follow the prompts to configure your speakers
- This should resolve your issue
- If Stereo is not an available option, you may need to update your audio device driver.
- Follow the steps in PC workaround 1
- Repeat steps 1-5
PC workaround 1 and 2 may fix the issue for most players on Windows 10 or 11. If it does not fix the issue for you, you may have encountered a hardware-related issue where audio does not come through correctly with some specific headphones and their related software.
While we work to fix this issue, using standard Windows audio drivers may help. Halo Support recommends using an analog 3.5mm audio cable, instead of Bluetooth or USB cable, for your headphones. This automatically causes standard Windows audio drivers to be used, and you can switch back to using Bluetooth or USB cable for other applications.
There are several ways to make sure you are using standard Windows audio drivers. Choose one of the following:
PC hardware workaround 1: Use a 3.5mm audio cable
Use an analog 3.5mm audio cable to connect your headphones directly to the PC while playing Halo. You can switch back to USB cable or Bluetooth for other applications.
PC hardware workaround 2: Uninstall programs associate with your headphones
Use these steps to uninstall software related to the headphones being used on the PC:
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- In the Windows search bar, type “uninstall”
- Select Add or remove programs to uninstall most applications.
- Remove the program(s) associated with the headphones that are experiencing the issue.
PC hardware workaround 3: Manually select Windows audio drivers
Some hardware-related software automatically installs and updates its drivers when it launched. If you have software that manages your headphones, you may need to repeat this step after you launch or reboot the software. If your software automatically launches on startup, you will need to turn this off for the changes to take effect.
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- In the Windows search bar, type “startup”
- Scroll down to your software and set it to Off
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How to change to using standard Windows drivers:
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- In the Windows search bar, type “device manager”
- Select Device manager
- Select the arrow next to Sound, video and game controllers to expand it
- Right-click on the listing for the audio device you are using and select update driver
- Select Browse my computer for drivers
- Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers for my computer
- Under Model, select USB Audio Device
- Follow the steps to update the driver
- Once those steps are complete, the name of that driver will have changed to USB Audio Device
- Restart your computer
- Follow steps 1-3 to go back to Sound, video and game controllers view
- Check that the audio driver you replaced has not been reinstalled
- If it has been reinstalled, make sure the software associated with that driver is not set to launch on startup
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PC hardware workaround 4: Razer Nari Ultimate headset only
The Halo Infinite team is working with hardware to improve surround sound on various headsets. The following steps were identified for the Razer Nari Ultimate headset specifically:
- Open the Razer Synapse program.
- Navigate to the ‘Audio’ tab, then to the ‘Mixer’ tab.
- Turn off ‘THX Spatial Audio’, then close Razer Synapse.
- Press the Windows key and open the Settings app.
- Navigate to the section labelled ‘System’.
- On the left side of the ‘System’ section, select the ‘Sound’ tab.
- Where it says ‘Choose your output device’, click the drop down arrow and select the option labelled ‘Headphones (Razer Nari Ultimate – Game)’.
- Your headphones should now be working.
If you're still experiencing this issue with the Razer Nari Ultimate headset after completing the steps listed above, please submit a new Halo Support ticket or update your existing ticket.
PC hardware workaround 5: Logitech headsets with G Hub software only
In August 2022, Logitech released a G HUB software update that improves surround sound on various headsets. Download the update here: Logitech G HUB version 2022.8.302942 – Logitech Support.
The latest G HUB update can also be found on Logitech Support's Downloads page.
If you're still experiencing this issue with a Logitech headset after downloading the G HUB update, please submit a new Halo Support ticket or update your existing ticket.
PC Audio cuts out when using headphones
Problem
- After the Halo Infinite splash screen and once the main menu loads, all audio cuts out
Potential workaround 1: Disable Handsfree Telephony in Control Panel
Turn off Handsfree Telephony setting (this may be turned on by default).
- Close Halo Infinite if it is running
- In the Windows Search bar, enter "Control Panel," and select the Control Panel to open it.
- In the Control Panel, select Hardware and Sound
- Select Devices and Printers
- In the Devices section, find your headphones and double-click to open it
- Go to the Hardware tab and select Properties
- Go to the Services tab
- Clear the Handsfree Telephony checkbox
- Select Apply
- Select Okay
Your computer does not need to be restarted for this change to take effect.
Potential workaround 2: Disable the microphone in Settings
- Select Windows
- Or press the Windows key
- Select Settings
- Select System
- Go to Sound
- Scroll down to Related Settings and select Sound Control Panel
- Related Settings are below Advanced sound options
- In the Playback tab scroll down to select headphones with Stereo in their description,
- Select Set Default
- Go to the Recording tab
- Scroll down to your headset’s microphone
- Right click and disable the microphone OR set an alternative microphone
Potential workaround 3: Disable Communications option in Sound Control Panel
- Select Windows
- Or press the Windows key
- Select Settings
- Select System
- Go to Sound
- Scroll down to Related Settings and select Sound Control Panel
- Related Settings are below Advanced sound options
- Go to the Communications tab
- Select Do nothing
- Select Apply
- Select Okay
Potential workaround 4: Change Privacy selection in Settings
- In the Windows Search bar, enter "Privacy," and select Privacy to open it.
- Go to Microphone
- Turn off Allow apps to access your microphone
- Scroll down to Allow desktop apps to access your microphone and turn it off
General Xbox console troubleshooting
- Troubleshoot sound on your Xbox console
- Choosing speaker audio settings on your Xbox console
- Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone:X headset settings on Xbox