ValveSoftware
Multi-Channel Audio does not survive a reboot in Game Mode specifically or switching back to Desktop then to Game Mode again
Your system information
- Steam client version:1660688177
- SteamOS version: 3.3
- Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes, I have tried the Beta, did not resolve issue.
- Opted into SteamOS beta?: Yes, I have tried the Beta, did not resolve issue.
- Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: Yes
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:
To get Multi-Channel Audio working on external displays you should be able to set that up in Desktop Mode and it should work in Game Mode but once you reboot it reverts back to Stereo even if you don't unplug the display. Once this happens it is bugged. You will still get Multi-Channel Audio in Desktop Mode but it will never work again in Game Mode until you switch Desktop Mode back to Stereo and reboot. Then go through the process of getting it working again. Even after reverting back to Stereo and rebooting sometimes the bug still persists and you might need to do this a couple of times to get it working again. It is extremely annoying to have to go through this process every time you want to play a game.
Steps for reproducing this issue:
- Switch to Desktop Mode
- Set audio device to 5.1 Surround Sound
- Switch to Game Mode
- Verify you are getting Multi-Channel Audio
- Reboot system while keeping HDMI audio device connected
- Once system finishes rebooting verify you are now getting Stereo in Game Mode
- Swtich back to Desktop Mode
- Verify you are now getting Multi-Channel Audio
- Swtich back to Game Mode
- Verify you are now getting Stereo
The only way to get Multi-Channel Audio in Game Mode again is to do the following.
- Go back into Desktop Mode
- Switch audio back to Stereo
- Reboot
- Set up Multi-Channel audio again according the the above Steps 1 - 4.
Sometimes I have found it takes a couple of tries to get Multi-Channel audio working again even following the above 4 steps.
I figured out how to fix the bug reliably.
- Go back into Desktop Mode
- Switch audio back to Stereo
- Reboot
- Switch back to Desktop Mode
- Set audio device to 5.1 Surround Sound
- Test the audio so sound comes out of one of the speakers. This will allow the audio device to see the Multi-Channel audio.
- Switch back to Game Mode.
Of course this only fixed it until the next reboot. This issue is probably going to get much more popular once the official dock comes out with people trying to use it like a Switch.
Edit: You don't even need to reboot to have the bug occur. Once Multi-Channel Audio is working in game mode simply switch to Desktop then back to Game Mode and it will be Stereo. Also you don't need to reboot to fix it. Switch back into Desktop Mode. Set it to Stereo, test the audio so the audio device sees the change. Then switch it to 5.1 Surround, test the audio again. Switch back to Game Mode.
Edit2: To fix the issue you don't need to switch it from 5.1 to Stereo then back to 5.1. You just need to switch it to Desktop Mode and test one of the speakers then switch it back to Game Mode.
I am also discovering another bug with this. Once you get Multi-Channel Audio working again in Game Mode and you launch a game. The game will have no audio and you need to close it and relaunch it again.
So to recap my very long issue of me troubleshooting...
- You officially ,according to Valve, enable Multi-Channel Audio by switching to Desktop Mode and enabling it in audio settings then switch back to Game Mode.
- This works, however, If you reboot or switch from Game Mode back to Desktop then back to Game Mode again Game Mode will revert to Stereo and the same goes for the games you play.
- To get this working again once the bug is triggered you need to go back to Desktop and test one of the speakers in Audio settings then switch back to Game Mode. Then you need to start a game, discover it has no audio, close the game, then launch the game again.
- Now everything is working again until you either Reboot or switch from Game Mode back to Desktop then back to Game Mode again