Your Oculus sound will keep cutting out if you have other audio programs running in the background of your PC, or your drivers are needing to be updated.
Do you have the audio mirroring feature enabled? This setting can interfere with the performance of your Oculus Rift’s sound.
Updating your sound settings, and checking your headset cable can help fix the sound from stopping.
We have created this extensive guide to help you understand what could be causing your Oculus audio to stop, and provide you with 8 simple fixes you can use to get rid of this issue, so you can get back to playing Beat Saber without any further disruptions.
Why does my Oculus Rift S keep losing sound?
Why is my VR audio not working
Your Oculus sound will keep cutting out if you have other audio services running in the background of your PC, or the volume has been muted on your device or computer.
Reason 1. Incorrect audio settings
Your in-game audio settings need to be set correctly, as well as the output device setting on your PC for the sounds to work properly on your Oculus.
Sometimes, Windows can automatically change the output device to the incorrect option if it experiences a glitch of some sort when you are playing.
Reason 2. Other apps running in the background
If other audio apps are running in the background when you are trying to use Oculus Rift, these programs will interfere with the performance of your sound.
Reason 3. Outdated drivers
Your USB and GPU drivers may be needing to be updated.
(The GPU driver is the software that keeps the communication between your PC and Oculus running).
If these drivers are too out of date, issues with the software will start occurring.
Reason 4. Faulty headphones
Your headphones could be faulty, or there is a connection issue. If the headphones are connected too loosely or are not secure enough, this can interfere with the headphones receiving the audio.
This can also transpire if you are moving around too much, as this will fiddle with the connection.
Reason 5. Audio mirroring enabled
Audio mirroring is a feature that gets your sound to be played from your VR as well as your computer.
This is a cool element of the Oculus Rift, but it can create problems with your sound cutting out.
How to fix my Oculus Rift sound cutting out
How to fix Oculus sound cutting out
You can prevent your Oculus Rift’s sound from cutting out by checking all the necessary settings are configured correctly, and that your driver software has been updated.
Fix 1. Check for other apps running in the background
Check to see that no other audio apps are running in the background of your PC. Certain programs have software that won’t be compatible with your Oculus if they are running simultaneously.
Step 1. Click on ‘CTRL’, ‘ALT’, ‘DEL’ at the same time
Step 2. Select ‘Task Manager’
Step 3. Go through the list and click ‘End Task’ on any programs that will be trying to use your audio
Tip, once you have closed all apps, check that your PC and Oculus volume settings are set loud enough for you to hear.
Fix 2. Check headset cable
The cable connecting your headset could be too loose which is why your sound keeps cutting out.
Make sure the cable is connected securely. If you are using an extension cable, this can interfere with the amount of power reaching your headset if it is too long.
Try connecting your headset directly.
Fix 3. Change port connection
Oculus Rift users have noticed that if they changed their headset port, it would stop the audio from disconnecting.
If you are currently using a 3.0 port, change it over to a 2.0 port.
Fix 4. Check for driver updates
Ensuring your drivers are up to date will prevent software issues, like the sound cutting out when you’re trying to use your Oculus Rift.
Step 1. Open up ‘Settings’ on your PC
Step 2. Launch ‘Device Manager’
Step 3. Find the ‘USB’ section
Step 4. Right-click on the USB options and click ‘Properties’
Step 5. Press the ‘Driver’ tab followed by ‘Update Driver’
Update the drivers for any Oculus programs you see in your Device Manager.
Fix 5. Disable audio mirroring
Step 1. Launch the Oculus app on your computer
Step 2. On the left-hand menu, click on ‘Device’
Step 3. Select ‘Rift S and Touch’
Step 4. Disable one of the options to make sure your sound is only playing through one device
You should have these two options;
- Hear VR audio from Computer
- Hear Computer audio in VR
(Did you know, the first VR came out in the 1960s but wasn’t quite ready, of course.)
Fix 6. Check your bandwidth
Your bandwidth from your network provider may not be strong enough for your Oculus and PC to connect to.
Virtual reality gaming requires a large amount of data to be processed, so a good Wifi connection is mandatory.
Check your internet speed here to make sure your connection is adequate.
Fix 7. Disable Oculus microphone
It has been recorded, disabling the Oculus mic in the sound settings of your PC can help fix your audio from stopping intermittently.
Step 1. Launch your ‘Settings’ and click on ‘Sound’
Step 2. Find your Oculus settings and disable the ‘Mic’
Try playing your game to see if the sounds stay constant.
Fix 8. Reconnect headset cable
Reconnecting your headset cable can help get rid of your sound cutting out.
Note, when removing the cable, you first need to take the ‘Facial Interface’ off. This is the plastic that is ‘Foam Lined’ inside your headset.
Step 1. Hold your headset with the front-facing down in your hand
Step 2. At the back of your headset, grab the plastic end (of the facial interface)
Step 3. Pull out the facial interface
Step 4. Take out the cable
You can now reinsert your cable, and make sure it is reconnected securely. If you have an additional cable, try swapping them out.
Conclusion
With this guide, we hope you now understand what was causing your Oculus sound to keep cutting out.
Our 8 easy fixes should have helped you fix this audio problem, however, if you are still dealing with this issue, it is advised that you contact Oculus as soon as possible.
Before doing so, please check that you are using Windows 10 on your PC and not Windows 11, as it is currently not supported with the Oculus PC software.
You can submit a ticket via email, online chat, or speak to a support member via Whatsapp.
