Destiny 2 Patch 7.0.5.0 Sound Bug Fix

Destiny 2 bugs are an everpresent and endlessly frustrating part of the experience. They’re so frequent these days that an update without significant issues is a cause for celebration. Patch 7.0.5.0 arrived with a particularly nasty sound bug. And you may be wondering if there’s a fix. 

Players on all platforms report that the audio is heavily distorting to the point of being nonfunctional. The problem isn’t limited to one type of audio, either. Dialog, music, sound effects — everything can be ear-bleedingly bad. Here are the few fixes you can try to make Destiny 2’s audio work better.

How to Fix the Sound Bug in Destiny 2 Patch 7.0.5.0

Unfortunately, there is no consistent fix for the sound bug introduced with update 7.0.5.0.

Bungie has noted on their official Bungie Help Twitter, the 4/20 This Week at Bungie Post, and on forums that there is one potential workaround: turning off native 3D audio on PS5 and either Dolby Atmos or Windows Sonic on Xbox and PC.

To accomplish this, take the following steps:

• On PS5:
  • Go to Settings in the top right of the main menu.
  • Navigate to Sound.
  • Then 3D Audio for TV or Headphones.
  • Set to Off. 
• On Xbox Series X|S:
  • Press the Xbox button.
  • Select Profile & System
  • Settings
  • General
  • Volume & Audio Output.
  • Under the Headset audio menu, you can choose if either Dolby Atmos or 3D audio are enabled.
• On PC:
  • Open the Start menu.
  • Navigate to Settings.
  • System.
  • Sound.
  • Related settings.
  • Sound Control Panel.
  • There, select whichever playback device you want.
  • Choose Properties.
  • In the new window that opens, select the Spatial Sound tab at the far right of the window.
  • In the Spatial sound dropdown, select Off.

Our research found that some players experience relief by turning off the above settings, while nothing seems to work for others. The sound bug also appears inconsistent regarding what audio devices it affects. Some players have the problem on headphones and speakers, while others only experience it through headphones.

The 7.0.5.0 sound bug also appears to be activity-dependent for different players. Some can play PvP with the workarounds just fine, others experiencing the distortion in PvP, and standard activities are a bit better.

Note that this problem is unique to Destiny 2. Many forum posters tested their setups on different games and programs following update 7.0.5.0. The sound bug doesn’t bleed over into other software on your device. Bungie is aware of the problem and hopefully is working on a fix to be implemented soon.

For now, those are the only potential fixes for the 7.0.5.0 sound bug in Destiny 2. If you’ve run into the Breakneck mission bug, we have a guide for that, too. For additional help with content that isn’t directly related to ongoing bugs, check out our D2 guides hub.