Phasmophobia Voice Recognition Troubleshooting
Experiencing voice recognition issues in Phasmophobia can be incredibly frustrating, hindering your ability to communicate with the ghost and complete objectives. Don't worry, though! This guide provides a step-by-step approach to diagnose and fix common problems.
Initial Checks and Basic Solutions
Before diving into more complex troubleshooting, let's cover the basics:
- Microphone Connection: Ensure your microphone is properly connected to your computer and that the cable is securely plugged in. Try a different USB port.
- Microphone Volume: Verify your microphone's volume is not muted or set too low in your operating system's sound settings. The ideal input level should be around 50-75% in Windows.
- Phasmophobia Microphone Selection: In Phasmophobia's audio settings, confirm that the correct microphone is selected as your input device. The default setting is often unreliable.
- Game Restart: A simple restart of Phasmophobia can sometimes resolve temporary glitches affecting voice recognition.
- Computer Restart: If restarting the game doesn't work, rebooting your entire computer can clear system errors that might be interfering.
Advanced Troubleshooting Steps
If the basic checks haven't resolved the issue, these advanced steps might help:
- Windows Speech Recognition: Train Windows Speech Recognition. Go to Control Panel -> Speech Recognition -> Train your computer to better understand you. This process takes approximately 5-10 minutes.
- Disable Exclusive Mode: In your sound settings (Control Panel -> Sound -> Recording -> [Your Microphone] -> Properties -> Advanced), uncheck "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device." This prevents other programs from interfering with Phasmophobia's access to your microphone.
- Update Audio Drivers: Outdated audio drivers can cause various issues. Visit your motherboard or sound card manufacturer's website to download and install the latest drivers.
- Check Windows Privacy Settings: Ensure that apps have permission to access your microphone. Go to Settings -> Privacy -> Microphone and make sure "Allow apps to access your microphone" is turned on. Verify that Phasmophobia is also listed and enabled.
- Verify Game Files: In Steam, right-click on Phasmophobia, go to Properties -> Local Files, and click "Verify integrity of game files..." This will check for and replace any corrupted or missing game files.
- Run as Administrator: Right-click on the Phasmophobia executable and select "Run as administrator." This grants the game elevated privileges, potentially resolving permission-related issues.
By systematically working through these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the cause of your voice recognition problems in Phasmophobia. Good luck, and happy hunting!