Gaming audio issues during playback [Win 11]
Gaming audio issues during playback [Win 11]
Last week, my audio began popping and cracking while playing games. The disturbance appears only during gameplay and disappears immediately when I close the application. It impacts all audio sources, not just the game itself. I’ve noticed this while streaming YouTube alongside open games—cracking occurs as soon as I stop the video, even without pausing or restarting. The problem is limited to my USB audio output; using the 3.5mm jack works without issues. I've experimented with setting games in exclusive fullscreen and windowed modes, but it doesn’t resolve the issue. Reinstalling Nvidia drivers didn’t help, and recording the problem with OBS shows the noise only during live playback. No one else seems to have reported this before.
I've experienced the same problem with my Corsair headset. The solution I tried was disconnecting it from the USB port and reconnecting it (I used "fixed" in quotes because it doesn't always work—multiple attempts might be needed, and it isn't a permanent fix since the issue can still occur).
It seems the issue isn't on your device but likely with Windows. After checking both the internal and external USB ports, I think a system reinstall might be necessary.
After a new install, the issue disappeared. Appreciate the fix from Microsoft.