Since its release in October of last year, players have reported some performance issues in Age of Empires. Many have reported encountering Age of Empires 4 no sound while playing. The game seems to randomly stop playing audio, disrupting the user experience. It is a frustrating issue, but we have some solutions for you to try.
Players had been looking forward to the game since the previous release 10 years ago. Opening weekend saw nearly 74,000 players worldwide, and the numbers are increasing. Some of its highlight features even have players nostalgic for Age of Empires 2. Nonetheless, the exploration-conquest setup saw to the game’s success.
All good things come at a cost, and the game has seen some issues. Minor glitches and performance issues also have the developers rushing to provide fixes. In the meantime, this guide can help you deal with the sound issue in the game.
What is causing Age of Empires 4 no sound issue?
Some glitches in the game may be responsible for the audio issue. It is also possible that system or installation issues may have caused the problem. Finding out the cause of the issue can help you fix it. Check to see if the issue is caused by:
- Incorrect sound mixer settings
- Incorrect file installation on the system
- Incompatible system or system that isn’t up to date
- Corrupted files causing audio breakage or glitches
- System overload causes some aspects of the game to stop working
- Outdated drivers on the system
A simple issue like a system overload can be fixed by restarting the game. Fixing other errors or issues on the game may also resolve the no sound problem. If those techniques do not work, here are some others you can try.
How do you fix the Age of Empires 4 no sound issue?
As we mentioned, a simple game restart can fix basic issues. You may also try restarting the system to deal with system overload. If those don’t work, start with the simplest solutions before moving on to more drastic measures.
Fix the Volume Mixer
The audio mixer lets you control audio for individual applications. It may have been accidentally turned down, messing with the game audio. You can also determine this if the game has no sound at all. The issue has a simple fix:
- Right-click on the speaker icon on the taskbar, and open the Volume Mixer
- The mixer shows a device sound control and an applications control. Verify that the Age of Empires 4 sound is not turned down.
You can also run another sound application in the background to verify the issue is not with the mixer. While you’re at it, check your sound device as well. Faulty headphones will create sound issues that can go unnoticed. Unplug your headphones and see if the game plays sound on the system speakers. If you’re using speakers, try plugging in a different device. If the issue persists, try another fix.
Check Windows Updates
System incompatibility is a common culprit behind gaming issues. You’ll want to make sure your system is up to date. While the game may technically run on an older version, it’s at the cost of some features. Verify there are no pending updates on your system. You may also have to manually check for updates to ensure this is not the cause of Age of Empires 4 no sound issue.
Ensure game integrity
If you bought the game on Steam, make sure to verify your game’s integrity. Verifying game integrity is a simple process:
- Launch Steam and go to the Library
- Under this selection, find Age of Empires 4
- Right-click on the game to open a drop-down menu and select Property
- Click on Local Files located on the left side
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game files
Let the process finish on its own. Try relaunching the game to see if the error has been resolved. If you bought it on Xbox, you could also try repairing the game through the app.
Update Drivers
Outdated drivers cause a lot of issues. Check if your audio drivers are up-to-date and functional.
- Open the Device Manager window under Properties by right-clicking on Computer
- Scroll down until you find the Audio, Video, and Game Controller option
- Locate your audio card in the list that opens
- Double-click on the card to open properties and switch to the Driver tab
- Click Update Driver
You can also check to make sure your DirectX driver is functioning and updated. This driver also integrates games with audio and video hardware. It can be accessed by typing “dxdiag” in the Start button search box.
Launch as Admin
You can also try closing the game and relaunch it as an administrator. This can take care of the audio problem:
- Open Program Files from the Local Disk (C:)
- Locate the Age of Empire 4 folder
- In the folder, locate the .exe file for the game
- Right-click on the file and open Properties
- Switch to the Compatibility tab and select “Run this program as administrator”
- Click Apply
Once the process is complete, try relaunching the game. Alternatively, you can also run Steam as an administrator. Simply right-click on the app, and select “Run as administrator.”
Uninstall and Reinstall
This is a final resort step you can use if nothing else works. You might lose your progress with reinstallation, so make sure you’ve already tried everything else. Fully uninstall the game from your system. Reboot your system and reinstall the game. This should flush out any installation issues that occurred during the first installation process.
Conclusion
The game has received positive reviews from players worldwide. Some performance issues are to be expected, but developers are working to resolve them as soon as possible. While they do interrupt the gaming experience, you can try some fixes yourself and see if that resolves the issue.
We have shared some solutions to the Age of Empire 4 no sound issue. Depending on the cause, they should help resolve the problem. If the issue persists despite all these steps, you should report the issue.
