Big Walk Mic Not Working or Voices Too Quiet
A fast PC and PS5 checklist for microphone detection, quiet proximity voice and the launch-week voice update.
First identify the problem
- You can hear nearby friends but they become quiet at distance: proximity voice is working as designed.
- Nobody ever hears you: check input device, permissions and mute state.
- Every player is unusually quiet at close range: update the game; launch-week tuning improved quiet microphone setups.
PC checklist
- Confirm the correct microphone is the operating system's default input.
- Allow desktop apps to use the microphone in privacy settings.
- Close software that takes exclusive control of the input.
- Reconnect the device, restart Big Walk and rejoin the session.
- Test at close range before treating distance attenuation as a fault.
PS5 checklist
- Check the controller mute light.
- Select the correct input under Sound → Microphone.
- Adjust the microphone level and confirm the meter moves.
- Leave console party chat when testing in-game proximity voice.
- Restart the game after changing permissions or input devices.
Still broken?
Open Settings → Audio and watch Microphone Activity while speaking. If the meter is still, check the hardware mute switch and whether Mute Mode is set to hold; that setting requires the talk control to be held. Also confirm nobody silenced the player through the moderation menu.
If voices are audible but doubled, find the feedback source by having players mute one at a time, then use headphones or reduce speaker pickup. If voices cut in and out while characters also move erratically, investigate the network rather than the microphone.
Record the platform, headset model, current game version and whether the activity meter moves before contacting support. Version 1.4.8 fixes a known quiet-voice issue, but it does not remove intentional proximity fading.
Sources checked
- Official Big Walk FAQ — microphone activity, mute mode, PS5 voice setting and current quiet-voice fix