One of the best ways to be successful in Black Ops 6 is by using the best audio settings, so here is how to optimize your sound and hear enemy footsteps more easily.
It’s a given that using the meta weapons or locking in the optimal controller and PC settings gives you a big advantage, but having the best audio settings possible is equally important, as they allow you to locate enemies before you even see them.
Here is our rundown of the best audio settings to use in this year’s Call of Duty to give you the best chance at hearing enemy footsteps and getting the jump on them.
Best audio settings in BO6
Be sure to use gaming headphones before tweaking any audio settings, as this makes hearing footsteps much easier and is the most impactful change you can make.
Even when using the best audio set-up without headphones, it will be harder to hear, with sounds from the game being muddled when using speakers. This is especially true for directional audio, which is key for locating enemy footsteps.
Assuming you have a suitable pair of headphones, these are the best audio settings to use in Black Ops 6:
Volumes
| OPTION | Best Setting |
|---|---|
| Master Volume | Preference |
| Music Volume | 0 |
| Dialogue Volume | 0 |
| Effects Volume | 100 |
| Cinematic Music Volume | 0 |
The main setting to check here is Effects Volume, which needs to be set as high as possible. At 100, this maximizes your ability to hear footsteps. We also recommend lowering Music, Dialogue, and Cinematic Music down to 0 to minimize other sounds getting in the way of hearing what matters most.
Once these are all set correctly, feel free to tweak your Master Volume to whatever makes sense for your setup. For some devices, as low as 20 might make sense, while others will need to be turned all the way up. Slowly adjust it up until you feel your game is loud enough.
Audio Device
- Speakers/Headphones Game Sound Device: Your desired audio output
- Speaker Output: Stereo
- Enhanced Headphone Mode: Off
The Enhanced Headphone Mode was controversial before launch, with its paid tier sparking pay-to-win concerns. Now that it’s available, it doesn’t seem like there was anything to worry about.
At least for multiplayer, this setting actually sounds worse, with everything being somewhat muted compared to simply having it off. The paid tier is slightly better, but it’s not worth the $20 required to access. Most players are better off simply disabling this option entirely.
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Global
- Audio Mix: Headphone Bass Boost
- Mono Audio: Off
- Mute Game When Minimized: Off
- Mute Licensed Music: Off
- Asymmetrical Hearing Compensation: Off
- Configure Frequency Intensity: Leave as default
Your Audio MIx is the most important setting on this entire list, so you can’t afford to get it wrong. In most cases, Headphone Bass Boost will be your best option, as this amplifies low-end frequencies, which footsteps fall under. It’s worth trying out Home Theater too, which is very loud but makes hearing people easy enough.
Otherwise, you’ll want to disable or ignore every other option in this category. That includes Configure Frequency Intensity, as this setting may seem useful at first but isn’t overly impactful in practice.
Functionality
- Reduce Tinnitus Sound: On
- Hit Marker Sound Effects: Default
Turning Reduce Tinnitus Sound on won’t give you any in-game benefits, but it’ll get rid of the high-pitched ringing in your ears when Flashbangs and Stun Grenades go off. It’s a nice setting to have enabled, especially on more chaotic modes like Nuketown 24/7 and Face Off.
Voice Chat
- Voice Chat Volume: Adjust to what you find comfortable
- Voice Chat: On
- Proximity Chat: On
- Body Shield Chat: On
- Last Words Voice Chat: On
- Game Voice Channel: All Lobby
- Voice Chat Output Device: Your desired audio output
Most Voice Chat settings are entirely preference. If you care about voice chat, simply disable and you don’t have to worry about this section. However, those who want to speak to other players should copy the above settings, as these provide the best experience possible
Microphone
- Microphone Level: Adjust to what sounds good using the ‘Test Microphone’ option
- Microphone Mode: Push to Talk
- Mute Yourself When Connecting to Channel: Off
- Microphone Input Device: Your desired audio input
You’ll need to use the ‘Test Microphone’ option to adjust your Microphone Level. Ideally, you want most of the audio bar to be filled when speaking, but be mindful of making it too loud and deafening your teammates. Also, be sure to use Push to Talk and set it to an appropriate keybind to avoid speaking in-game when you don’t want to.
How to enable Loudness Equalization on PC
- Search Control Panel.
- Select Sound settings.
- Double-click on your headset.
- Head into the ‘Enhancements’ tab.
- Check the box next to ‘Loudness Equalization.’
- Click ‘Apply’ to save the settings.
Loudness Equalization is an audio feature on Windows that PC players can use to significantly increase footstep clarity. However, this particular audio enhancement is unavailable for PlayStation or Xbox users.
This is one of the most impactful options that you can use to hear footsteps easier. The differences between having Loudness Equalization enabled or disabled can be game-changing, especially if you play competitive modes like Ranked Play.
These audio settings will make it much easier to pick out the enemy’s footsteps in all game modes when playing Black Ops 6 and maximize your chance of success. You can also check out the best mouse and keyboard and FOV settings to get ahead, as well as the fastest-killing guns that will help you always come out on top.
