Please PROPERLY address audio stuttering issue

[Hatori_Elric]

for those having issues with stuttering, do you use a ps5 controller or have one connected at all? this was the cause of mine as even though the game was set to not use it at all, it was still trying to do so and caused audio issues for me until disconnected. i do not have a ps4 controller connected so not sure if that could cause issues as well, so try the same for that to be sure.

[TaleraRistain]

for those having issues with stuttering, do you use a ps5 controller or have one connected at all? this was the cause of mine as even though the game was set to not use it at all, it was still trying to do so and caused audio issues for me until disconnected. i do not have a ps4 controller connected so not sure if that could cause issues as well, so try the same for that to be sure.

No I use keyboard and mouse

[OttoSilva]

Having the issue and I only feel its getting worse, I reinstalled all my drivers and the game itself and no changes.

Most likely some kind of hardware incompatibility or something.

The only way to play the game smoothly is to mute the audio, can you believe that? Yep, that's how I've been playing extremes, with no audio (-_-')

[Breezelyn]

for those having issues with stuttering, do you use a ps5 controller or have one connected at all? this was the cause of mine as even though the game was set to not use it at all, it was still trying to do so and caused audio issues for me until disconnected. i do not have a ps4 controller connected so not sure if that could cause issues as well, so try the same for that to be sure.

I've heard a variety of answers from fc members, shout, yell chat, and friends...

Some have AMD processors, others have i9, i7, PS5, PS4 (as others have mentioned). At this point, I think it's something with the client/hardware that was updated or changed for Endwalker. I'm not a tech though, so I can't say for certain. But...it's widespread on a different PC setups, and even different consoles. There wasn't a sound/audio stuttering issue until 6.0 dropped on December 3rd. There was problems, but it wasn't as bad as the new patch put in today.

Something needs to be done; I wish to hear the game's sound, but the stuttering overwhelming me with sensory. The constant radio static during combat is too much for me to bear. I will have sound muted or very low until fixed. It sucks....but there's nothing I can do. I have also tried community and SE fixes that were listed. Nothing has worked, so it HAS to be something on their end.

[RafeNightstrider]

Thank you so much for this post. I've been having this problem since Endwalker's release and it's so bad that I can't do the MSQ. Frankly, it's very upsetting falling so far behind in the game when I was so excited for the new story, but because of the near-constant stuttering and lagging of the audio, I can't enjoy any of the voiced scenes, much less the music which makes this game so great.

It's very disheartening to see that Square has largely ignored this issue when there have been so many people reporting it being a major problem, and even after patch 6.01 nothing was done about it (with many that didn't have problems with the stuttering before the patch now reporting that they are experiencing it).

Square, please, please, please look into this. Or at the very least, acknowledge that it's a problem and address it as soon as you can so that we know that a solution is hopefully on the way.

[Nonoliri]

I've had the issue since launch as well, the terrible echo/stutter that happens randomly and yet all the time. During combat, during cutscenes, during loading screens, in residential areas, just all the time. I didn't want to do the MSQ with it going on since it kind of takes the wind out of the cutscenes's sails, so I've been running roulettes with the sound turned off just to be getting some XP.

I've tried changing the listening position, changing the equalizer off standard and back onto standard. I verified the games files, I updated my drivers, my headset is at the lowest bitrate and Hz, I played on DX9, absolutely nothing's worked. When I logged in today it was better when I was just standing around doing gardening for a bit, but after about 15 minutes it started again and I relogged and hopped into a roulette and it started immediately and constantly. Even when I have all the sounds turned off except system sounds, it stutters and lags. The patch didn't really fix anything for me, and the game is still essentially unplayable right now.

The worst part is like you said, we waited a week with nothing whatsoever, then got told to wait 2 weeks while they said they'd fix it, and now the day has come and gone and nothing's changed but there's no feedback. There was never much feedback, and they say they'll keep at it ("We expect sound issues created after the release of Patch 6.0 to be resolved via adjustments to the sound engine.") but it feels like not nearly enough information for a bug with such a big impact that's affecting so many people.

[Denji]

I'm in the same boat. Issue was made worse, not better.

Sigh.

[Aylin]

Logged in, noticed the issue was persisting.
Made the recommended adjustment from the patch notes annnnd...
it's still happening.

PLEASE PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS. The sound and music in this game is phenomenal, but having to play without my headphones on because the stuttering/popping literally is hurting my ears now is really, really disappointing.

[Solidus_Prime]

If any staff actually see this please note and communicate that this issue is also occurring in the new FF7 Integrade for PC. It is 100% unplayable at the moment. It's bearable in Chapter 1, then Chapter 2 cranks it up to x1000 and doesn't let up.

[Critwrench]

Also been getting this issue since Endwalker dropped. I was gritting and bearing it before now, but this patch somehow made it EVEN WORSE. I went from sort-of-stuttery audio in the Endwalker MSQ fights, to the fourth fight in Pandaemonium being so completely ruined that I had to mute the audio entirely. I have tried all of the fixes, including the ones suggested by SE themselves. I have reinstalled every single driver I can think of, including audio drivers. I had ZERO ISSUES BEFORE ENDWALKER EARLY ACCESS. Audio team, you screwed something up royally implementing that stupid spatial audio, and now the entire playerbase is having to pay for it. This should've been a priority fix week one, not something that's still an issue nearly 20 days later.

Completely ruining the experience. Soken would be sad.