Fix Subnautica 2 No Sound and Audio Crackling on PC

You sit down to play Subnautica 2, only to be met with total silence or frustrating audio crackling that ruins the atmosphere. This usually happens because the game's engine conflicts with high-end Windows audio settings or gets stuck on a stale hardware configuration.

Why this happens

The game's audio engine is sensitive to Windows sample rates set above 48 kHz and often fails to re-detect your audio hardware if it was previously cached incorrectly in the game's settings file.

What you will need

You just need access to your Windows Sound settings, your file explorer, and your Steam library.

Steps

1. 01
   Right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar, select 'Sound settings', then choose 'More sound settings'.
2. 02
   In the Playback tab, right-click your active device and select 'Properties'. Navigate to the 'Advanced' tab and set the 'Default Format' to '24-bit, 44100 Hz (Studio Quality)', then click 'Apply'.
3. 03
   If the sound is still missing, close the game. Press Win+R, paste 'C:/Users/%USERNAME%/AppData/Local/Subnautica 2/Saved/Config/Windows', and hit Enter.
4. 04
   Open 'GameUserSettings.ini', press Ctrl+F to search for 'AudioOutputDevice', and delete that entire line. Save the file and relaunch the game to force a hardware re-scan.
5. 05
   If you still have no audio, open Steam, right-click 'Subnautica 2' in your library, and select 'Properties'. Go to 'Installed Files' and click 'Verify integrity of game files' to repair any corrupted game data.

Still not working?

If you are still hearing crackling, ensure your audio drivers are updated through your motherboard manufacturer's website rather than relying on Windows Update. If you are using a USB DAC or an external audio interface, try switching to a different USB port or connecting directly to your PC motherboard to rule out bandwidth issues.

Frequently asked questions

Will changing the sample rate affect my audio quality in other games?

Most users cannot perceive a difference between 44.1 kHz and higher settings, and it is a standard sample rate that ensures compatibility across almost all PC titles.

Will deleting the AudioOutputDevice line reset all my game settings?

No, deleting that specific line only removes the cached path to your previous output device, forcing the game to detect your current Windows default device on the next launch.