No sound when changing sound device

234 votes

Problem:
Losing sound 🔇

This is especially annoying if you play a long match and sounds is a big part of the game.

Happens when:
- Changing sound device
- Sound device gets disabled (wireless headset when out of range etc.)

System:
Windows 10 21H1

Dev Noted Sound Suggested by: Jim (09 Aug, '21) • Upvoted: yesterday • Comments: 48

Comments: 48

23 Aug, '21
Spyop3
Affects also Linux
1
24 Aug, '21
Hicham
Very annoying, especially if you have a sound device that disconnects mid game.
It does not reconnect the sound even when plugging in the same sound device.
only option currently is to force northgard to quit and reconnect to the game.
2
18 Oct, '21
Kerryn
Definitely a very annoying issue. Same happening in Windows 10 and 11
1
30 Oct, '21
Joe
Also very annoying when this bug leads to another bug (unable to reconnect) when you try to restart northguard (so I can play with sound).
And now I am banned because the client WILL NOT let me join. GREAT job Northguard!
01 Nov, '21
Lukáš
This also means I cant swicth the sound output while the game is running, so If i want to switch to headphones I have to close the whole game, change sound output and run it again. Very annoying
02 Nov, '21
JDCash
This is incredibly frustrating, particularly when you are running a ryzen system where the USB's drop periodically. They drop for a split second but this knocks out the sound in this particular game completely
02 Nov, '21
Neoblade7
No sound at all in the game with the last update, even with speakers at maximum level in game ... Only in northgard...
07 Nov, '21
Kilted Thor
Also have no sound since Draugr update. I play connected to a TV and have never had issues with this before. All other games work perfectly fine. Again, no sound at all for northgard.
25 Nov, '21
Mac Yver
Also have no sound. I play connected to a TV and have never had issues with this before. All other games work perfectly fine. Again, no sound at all for northgard.
29 Nov, '21
Sean
*bump*

I also have no sound when playing Northgard on PC. My partner has it on her PC and plays it next to me without issue
1
03 Dec, '21
MagicMan
Same issue here, no sound when connected to a display via HDMI. Currently using TV as monitor - unfortunately makes the game all but unplayable without sound.
1
14 Dec, '21
Aaron
The sound doesn't work when I load the game. I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it, I also tried to run as admin. Nothing helped.
19 Dec, '21
Juppsta
sound still not working. Had the issue a few month earlier and now tried again, but nothing changed. It is only with Northgard. In steam and other games the sound works perfect. Microsoft10 and Directx 12 is installed. What can I do?
31 Dec, '21
T311
Just purchased this game. Other games play on Steam and the sound works fine. When I load this game, no sound at all. Please let me know how to fix this.
27 Jan, '22
Austin Graff
I have also been having this problem recurring me, causing me to have to save, shut down the application and start it back up. Happens to me once every two or three sessions...
02 Feb, '22
Happy Camper
I've found a solution. It works if I make the sound controller from the PC's motherboard as the default. It doesn't work through the HDMI cable to my monitor. I tried everything until I found this.
10 Feb, '22
BuggyApplication
What is the point of informing the Devs if nothing is done and no workaround is provided.
27 Feb, '22
Joseph
No sound through HDMI to monitor either......
05 Mar, '22
Mårten
I also had no sound when starting the game on Linux.
Forcing it to play with Proton Compability mode I got the pop-up asking for DirectX and OpenGL, I selected OpenGL and then I had sound.

I really hope you don't have this issue in the future Dune game.
05 Mar, '22
Steve Perry
I also have this issue on Windows 10.
12 Mar, '22
Dmitrii Sorokov
I also have this issue on Windows 10. Today, after installing Steam updates sound appeared and then disappeared again. Very annoying.
01 Apr, '22
Kohrylite
No sound through HDMI
08 Apr, '22
Steffen
Never had any sound, only have one sound device (the speakers in my monitor)
07 May, '22
Rubens
No sound at all on LG Ultrawide 29UM69G, even when it is set as default output before game starts
16 Jun, '22
duong
also have this on window 10
31 Jul, '22
Shae
I also have this problem! Have to restart the application to fix
03 Jan, '23
Wout
Loosely related, I could perfectly route audio to a different device using EarTrumpet before, but that doesn't seem to work anymore either.
08 Jan, '23
Jakub Duda
No sound at all when playing on my Dell Optiplex3050. Pc is connected to a TV via HDMI.
07 Feb, '23
Meth0d
Also affects Steam Remote Play, NO SOUND at all on the streaming client, probably because the sound source changes to the Remote Device once the game starts.
04 Mar, '23
Ivan
March 2023, still having the same issue....
06 Mar, '23
Ninan
Was working fine earlier, but now I cannot get the sound to work at all. Tried restarting, switching audio devices, nothing works.
MSI GT62VR, Windows 10.
18 Aug, '23
naveh
also audio stooped when changing game resolution of the game screen.
02 Sep, '23
Alex
The sound does not work and sometimes it starts working but only some campaign lady blabaring about hunting. No in-game sound and I just hate it! Great game that I cannot play. SHAME!
1
07 Dec, '23
Vic
No sound since the last game update. Linux.
5
08 Dec, '23
Tanya
Error: no sound available
2
08 Dec, '23
FOXhunter
If start game on DirectX - sound aviable, if on OpenGL - no sound
2
09 Dec, '23
ABK
no sound at all on osx, tried re-installing steam
3
09 Dec, '23
Mushishi
No Sound after Owl update on Mac Os. Reinstalling game/updating os/rebooting pc/connecting Headphones does not fix the issue.
1
26 Dec, '23
butt
This also happens when I am trying to play on steam link, and it makes it impossible to ever get sound. This means I am unable to play the game with any sound
21 Jun, '24
Harpel
Seeing as I will be on vacation for the third birthday of this suggestion, I would like to wish it happy birthday in advance, look at you go!

Also I am wondering, what does "Dev Noted" mean? Is this considered or planned for implementation? Is there an estimate. Asking for a firend ;)
20 Sep, '24
rodolfo
I play connected to a TV and have never had issues with this before. All other games work perfectly fine. Again, no sound at all for northgard.
3
03 Dec, '24
jonjon
How the hell this not been fixed yet??? 3 years??
1
15 Dec, '24
Alexandre Boucher
Insane how this is still an issue after so long.
1
30 Dec, '24
Dovahsween
Just downloaded the game for Windows 10, playing with DirectX and no sound at all no matter what device I have for audio output
1
07 Feb
MiddleCase
still a thing in 2025
2
18 Feb
CodyPants
get sound through my headset, switch to speakers and no audio. f devs
20 Feb
Nah
Étant donné que tu es développeur sur **Northgard**, voici comment tu peux corriger ce problème dans le moteur du jeu.

### **Problème :**
Le jeu ne redirige pas dynamiquement l'audio vers le périphérique sélectionné après le lancement.

---

### **Solution selon la technologie utilisée :**

#### **1. Si Northgard utilise FMOD (probable)**
FMOD ne change pas automatiquement de périphérique audio après l'initialisation, il faut **recréer l'output device** quand le joueur change de périphérique.

**Étapes :**
1. **Lister les périphériques disponibles** :
```cpp
int numDrivers = 0;
system->getNumDrivers(&numDrivers);
for (int i = 0; i < numDrivers; i++) {
char name[256];
system->getDriverInfo(i, name, sizeof(name), 0, 0, 0, 0);
printf("Audio Device %d: %s\n", i, name);
}
```
➜ Affiche tous les périphériques disponibles.

....
https://chatgpt.com/share/67b7082f-5a40-800c-93b2-12057241bdea

Si ça peux aider le stagiaire
22 Apr
LadyRoot
It also happens when you make a break and go for a cup of coffee and Windows TURNS OFF SCREEN.
After screen is recovered, sound in Northgard is gone (although in other Windows apps works fine).

Still a thing in 2025, although present from the beginning.

Steps to reproduce:
- set screen off in Windows for 5 mins
- pause active game
- go for a coffee break for > 5 mins
- make sure screen is off
- restore screen and return to game
- verify game has no sound
- verify any other Windows app has sound (i.e. browser + Youtube)
1