How to Adjust Microphone Level in Modern Warfare 2

How loud you sound in Modern Warfare 2 voice chat depends on two layers. The first is the input level your PC or console sends to the game. The second is the game's own voice chat settings. Adjust both, in that order, to stop teammates hearing you too quietly, too loudly or with constant background noise. This guide covers the 2022 Modern Warfare 2. Setting names can change between game updates and platforms, so match the descriptions below to the labels on your screen.

Before you start

• Connect your headset or microphone before you launch the game, so it shows up as an available input device.
• Decide which device the game should use. On PC, a headset, a webcam microphone and a USB microphone can each appear as a separate input.
• Check that your account and platform allow voice chat. Console privacy settings, parental controls and platform chat settings can block your voice no matter what level you set.
• If you want to hear how you sound in a real match, have a teammate or party member ready to give feedback.

Level adjustments happen locally, on your device and in the game's settings. Voice chat itself travels through the game's online services, so other players receive your voice. The publisher's current terms decide whether voice chat is recorded or moderated. Check those terms instead of assuming either way.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Set the input level on your system

Windows: open Sound settings and select your microphone under Input. Make sure it is the default input device. Then use that device's input volume slider to set a starting level. A mid-to-high value is a reasonable start; you can fine-tune it after testing. Windows offers a level meter or test option while you speak. Use it to avoid a level that keeps hitting the top.

PlayStation 5: open Settings, then Sound, then Microphone. Choose Adjust Microphone Level and speak at your normal volume while you set it.

Xbox: how the microphone is handled depends on the headset and how it connects. Check the headset's own controls and the console's audio settings for chat options, and make sure the headset is the active chat device.

2. Adjust voice chat in the game

• Open the game's Settings menu and go to the Audio tab.
• Find the Voice Chat section and make sure voice chat is turned on.
• On PC, if the game lists a microphone device and a voice output device, select the correct ones. Don't leave a generic default if you're unsure which device it points to.
• Adjust the microphone volume slider in small steps, so you can tell which change made a difference.
• Choose a recording mode. Push to talk sends audio only while you hold the assigned key or button. Open mic sends audio whenever your voice crosses a threshold.
• If you use open mic, set the recording threshold so normal speech triggers it but keyboard clicks, fans and room noise do not.
• If your version has a built-in microphone test, use it to see or hear how the game receives your voice.

Keep the system level and the in-game slider in balance. If the system input is very low, even the maximum game slider may leave you quiet. If the system input is so high that it clips, raising or lowering the game slider can't restore the lost detail. Write down your original values before you change anything, so you can go back to them.

Check the output

Speak normally and watch the level indicator in the game's microphone test or in your system settings. Your voice should register clearly, and ordinary speech should not push the meter to its maximum. Then ask a teammate or party member how you sound in a lobby or match. Are you too quiet, too loud, distorted, or cutting in and out?

Voice chat is compressed before it is sent, so it will never sound like a local recording. Judge it on clarity and consistency, not studio quality. Also test push to talk or the open mic threshold during real gameplay. A setting that works in a quiet menu can pick up more noise once the match starts.

Common problems and next steps

Nobody can hear you: check that voice chat is enabled and that the right microphone is selected, both in the game and as the system default. Check that the headset's inline mute switch is off and that platform privacy settings allow chat. On consoles, if you are in a platform party, your teammates in game chat may not hear you. Leave the party or switch to game chat.

Microphone works in other apps but not in the game (PC): open Windows privacy settings for the microphone and confirm that desktop apps are allowed to use it. If another program is running, such as a separate voice chat app, close it and test again. In the device's advanced properties, turning off the option that lets applications take exclusive control of the device can also help.

Too quiet: raise the system input level first, then the in-game slider. Move the microphone closer to your mouth. Some USB microphones and headsets have their own gain control, which also needs to be turned up.

Too loud or distorted: lower the system input level. On Windows, some drivers offer a microphone boost setting on the device's Levels tab. Reduce or disable it if your voice clips. If audio crackles or sounds robotic, check the Default Format (sample rate and bit depth) in the device's advanced properties. Try a common format and restart the game. This change is easy to undo.

Background noise reaches your team: switch to push to talk, or raise the open mic threshold. Placing the microphone closer and lowering its gain picks up less of the room. Noise suppression or enhancement features in headset software can help or hurt, so toggle them one at a time and retest.

Your voice cuts in and out on open mic: the threshold is probably too high for your speaking volume. Lower it gradually until whole sentences come through.

Settings change after an update or device swap: revisit the device selection and voice chat values in the game, since a new or reconnected headset may not be picked automatically. If nothing helps, test the microphone in another app. A problem everywhere points to the hardware or the system. A problem only in Modern Warfare 2 points to the game's settings or its official support channels.