Question Borderlands 3 - Sound cutting out!?!?!

[tennis2]

I've been playing BL3 lately and the sound keeps cutting out. To be clear, BL3 is the ONLY game I've experienced this behavior in.


Hardware: In signature + Sound Blaster XG1 USB audio dongle for my headphones. I'm on Windows 11. My brother has nearly the exact same system as I do (5600X, 3060Ti) except he's on Windows 10 and is having no issues.

Frequency: Quite random. Can sometimes go for an hour, sometimes it happens every 5-10 minutes.

Behavior: Sound almost completely cuts out, probably 10% original volume and accompanied by sort of a static/corruption characteristic (ie, can't understand any words).

Solution: Switch Windows audio out source to external speakers (connected to mobo audio), THEN adjust the Windows volume up&down a click of my scroll wheel, then switch back to headphones, adjust Windows volume again. One cycle like that usually fixes it, but sometimes I have to repeat this string of steps 2-6 times to resolve.

Things I've tried:

• Adjust "speaker type" setting in BL3 to "small speakers" thinking that would reduce the bitrate or something. Didn't fix anything
• Uninstalled/reinstalled audio drivers for my mobo. Didn't fix anything
• Ran windows update
• Tried installing the driver for my SB XG1 (was previously running from what Windows update gave me for the device). I honestly don't like/want the SB XG1 software, and installing the driver only made volume very quiet (had to max windows and headphone volumes to hear anything, even quietly, whereas before I was running Windows volume at ~80% and headphones probably around 30%) and echo-ey with no software-level adjustments to be found. Uninstalled this garbage within 5 minutes.

Things I haven't tried:

• Testing with my headphones connected to mobo audio instead of the SB XG1. Will update once I get the chance.

 

[Colif]

have you tried these?

https://www.getdroidtips.com/borderlands-3-audio-not-working/

 

[tennis2]

have you tried these?

https://www.getdroidtips.com/borderlands-3-audio-not-working/

Thanks! I hadn't found that page in my searches. I will give it a shot and report back.

 

[Colif]

it used to happen 3 years ago - link - no answers apart from restart game
not sure if this would help - link - a creative card with sound cutting out
nothing i find that links game to SB card.

Solution: Switch Windows audio out source to external speakers (connected to mobo audio), THEN adjust the Windows volume up&down a click of my scroll wheel, then switch back to headphones, adjust Windows volume again. One cycle like that usually fixes it, but sometimes I have to repeat this string of steps 2-6 times to resolve.

sounds like a driver problem but its odd its only one game. Wonder what difference is between BL3 & everything else.
Probably the SB Drivers since the on board speakers most likely realtek. So reloading the SB drivers fixes it... sometimes.

newest driver being from 2018 doesn't help = https://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?prodID=22772&prodName=Sound+BlasterX+G1
creative took years to get a win 10 driver so i can't expect too much from them. Win 11 really not that much different to 10. Audio drivers should work.

maybe updating chipset drivers might help - https://www.amd.com/en/support/chipsets/amd-socket-am4/b550 only as it might include USB drivers... stretch.

is it the goty edition on steam?

Borderlands GOTY Enhanced :: Steam Community

steamcommunity.com

 

[tennis2]

is it the goty edition on steam?

It was the GOTY from Epic when they had it for free in May 2022. I'll check on the config file regardless.

Since the crackle audio persists even after I switch audio out sources (so different audio drivers in play, one for the headphones usb sound card, and the other for the speakers mobo onboard audio), and because my brother on Windows 10 isn't having the issue, it seems something is goofed between the game and Windows 11.

Lots of things to test/try here. Thank you so much for the help.

 

[Colif]

One of the known bugs of the actual game is audio cutting out

You may not be able to fix it - https://www.windowscentral.com/list-borderlands-3-known-bugs-and-launch-issues
3rd bug down under Performance & Graphics