Fortnite No Sound PC: Why is Audio Not Working & How to Fix

Fortnite is the full package when it comes to modern MMO games. This battle royale third-person shooter deserves all the popularity it gets with the way it’s optimized and free-to-play.

In addition, the game works almost flawlessly on all kinds of systems, which makes the error we’ll try and address today quite peculiar.

Namely, lots of users and Fortnite aficionados reported the in-game audio not working on all platforms. Starting with the PC, handheld devices, and consoles. We’ll stick with the PC for obvious reasons.

This error might occur for various reasons, including the in-game bug or a general Windows problem. Because of that, we enlisted all the solutions we were able to get our hands-on, so make sure to check them below.

How can I fix in-game audio issues in Fortnite for PC?

1. Disable Visualize Sound Effects
2. Check Sound drivers
3. Run Fortnite as an administrator
4. Check sound options for Fortnite
5. Update the game
6. Set the default playback device
7. Install DirectX
8. Reinstall the game
9. Reset your PC to factory settings

Solution 1 – Disable Visualize Sound Effects

The most common solution to this problem is to be found in the in-game settings menu. It concerns the sound visualization effects which should improve the gaming experience for hear-impaired gamers.

However, this feature, albeit a nice addition, completely disables sound when enabled. For that reason, we suggest disabling it and moving from there.

If you’re not sure how to disable the “Visualize Sound Effects” accessibility feature in Fortnite, here’s how:

1. Start the game.
2. Open Settings.
3. Choose the Accessibility tab.
4. Toggle the “Visualize Sound Effects” feature off.

Solution 2 – Check Sound drivers

To install or update the driver, you’ll need a driver’s setup file. And not just any driver file will do; you’ll need one that was designed specifically for your sound device and the operating system. It may appear hard, but thanks to driver update software, it is actually rather simple.

If you do not have the necessary computer skills to update the sound drivers manually, we strongly suggest doing it automatically.

So, if you’re looking for a long-term solution that will relieve you of the headache caused by outdated drivers, we suggest you use professional software.

Installing a driver update and backup application, such as Outbyte Driver Updater, will search for outdated drivers and update them in the background.

There is no need for you to do anything because the program will do the work, so you can get back to playing Fortnite after the issue is resolved.

⇒ Get Outbyte Driver Updater

Solution 3 – Run Fortnite as an administrator

In the sea of suggested solutions, found its place the one concerning the administrative permissions. Namely, some users noticed that the game lacks proper permissions or it’s blocked by the system itself.

They resolved the sound issue by running the game as an administrator. This might be a long-stretch solution, but it’s worth a try.

Here’s how to run Fortnite and Epic Games Launcher as an administrator:

1. Right-click on the Fortnite desktop shortcut and open Properties.
2. Choose the Compatibility tab.
3. Check the “Run this program as an administrator” box and confirm the selection.
4. Do the same for the Epic Games Launcher.

Learn everything there is to know about the administrator account and how you can enable/disable it right here!

Solution 4 – Check sound options for Fortnite

As you probably know, there are dedicated sound settings for individual apps. That’s exactly where you need to look next. If the Fortnite sound is muted in there, you’ll need to unmute it.

Even better, to make sure that everything is as it’s supposed to be, we suggest resetting the app’s sound preferences to default values. Follow these instructions to confirm Fortnite isn’t muted in system sound settings:

1. Open Fortnite and minimize it by pressing the Windows key + M key.
2. Press Windows key + I to summon the Settings app.
3. Choose System.
4. Select Sound from the left pane.
5. Make sure both input and output devices are not muted. You can test them and run the troubleshooter if they won’t work.
6. Now, open Advanced sound options.
7. You should see Fortnite on the list. Make sure it’s not muted.

If you’re having trouble opening the Setting app, take a look at this article to solve the issue.

Solution 5 – Update the game

The in-game sound got broken (completely or partially) after an update. This means that, if the game bug is causing the issue in the first place, the next update will deal with it.

At least, that’s usually the case. Epic Games are doing quite well with all 6 major and dozens of minor patches, improving the game in any possible manner.

That’s why we suggest updating the game as soon as possible. Have in mind that patches are usually quite massive so it will take some time.

Solution 6 – Set the default playback device

Some users especially have issues with headphones and an external microphone. This might happen because those sound output /input devices aren’t set as the default playback devices in system settings.

That’s also a probable reason why your microphone or speakers/headphones won’t work while playing Fortnite. Here’s how to set the default output and input sound device in Windows 10:

1. Make sure that your sound input/output device (headphones, speakers, or mic) are plugged in.
2. Close the game.
3. Right-click on the Sound icon and open Sound from the contextual menu.
4. Choose the Playback tab.
5. Right-click on the device you use and set it as default.
6. Do the same for the Recording device.

Solution 7 – Install DirectX

A lot of forum threads are dedicated to this error and a lot of them suggest deleting certain DLL files from the system partition. Once you’ve done that, they recommend downloading those files from certain suspicious third-party websites.

Do not — and I repeat — do not do that. If there is a problem of that kind, you can run SFC and DISM and fix the corrupted or incomplete files that way. However, the most important thing is to have the latest version of DirectX installed.

Make sure to download and install the latest iteration of DirectX, depending on the version your GPU supports. Also, look for the redistributables like VC++. This might solve the problem you have with the installation.

If you can’t install DirectX, use this troubleshooting guide to get rid of the problem.

Solution 8 – Reinstall the game

If you’re still stuck with the in-game sound issue, you might as well reinstall the game. We advise you to clean everything before a new installation, to avoid possible configuration conflicts.

The clean slate approach is the best when something like this happens. Reinstallation, of course, will require re-downloading the setup files via the Epic Games launcher, which might take some time.

Here’s how to reinstall Fortnite on your PC:

1. In the Windows Search bar, type Control and open Control Panel.
2. Click on Uninstall a program.
3. Uninstall Fortnite.
4. Use any of these tools we recommend to clear all remaining associated files and registry inputs.
5. Use the Epic Games Launcher to download and install Fortnite again.

If you need more info on how to uninstall programs and apps in Windows 10, check out this dedicated guide.

Solution 9 – Reset your PC to factory settings

Certain updates for Windows 10 brought to light various sound issues. Seemingly, the updates, due to a faulty sound driver implementation, caused sound issues for many users who updated.

This can be solved by either reinstalling the driver, rolling back to the previous Windows 10 iteration, or resetting PC to factory values.

Here’s how to reset your PC and, hopefully, finally enjoy the full battle royale experience in Fortnite:

1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Choose Update & Security section.
3. Select the Recovery from the left pane.
4. Under the “Reset this PC” option, click Get started.

Need more info on how to factory reset your PC? Read this article and find out everything you need to know.

With that said, we can conclude this article. In case you have any alternative solution we forgot or a question concerning the enlisted ones, do tell. You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.