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Fix Fortnite Game Audio Not Captured in OBS (2025)

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    Robin
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Fortnite audio troubleshooting in OBS

If Fortnite’s game audio is fine in your headset but refuses to show up in OBS, you’re not alone. This guide pulls from a real r/streaming case where Fortnite went silent while other games (CoD, DBD, Phasmophobia) worked fine.

Below is a simple map of how audio should flow—and where it commonly breaks.

Audio routing and quick fixes

Fast Checks (60–90 seconds)

  • Make sure Fortnite isn’t routed to a different Windows output. On Windows 11: System Settings → Sound → Volume mixer → Apps → Fortnite → Output device = your main output.
  • In OBS, watch the Desktop Audio meter while Fortnite is playing. If it’s flat, OBS isn’t receiving that output device.
  • If you use per-app audio tools (SteelSeries Sonar, Nahimic, Voicemeeter, Waves, etc.), confirm Fortnite isn’t pinned to a virtual bus OBS doesn’t listen to.

Fixes That Solve 80% of Cases

  1. Disable Exclusive Mode

    • Control Panel → Sound → Playback → Your Output → Properties → Advanced
    • Uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device” and “Give exclusive mode applications priority.”

  2. Match Sample Rates

    • Set both your Windows output device and OBS to 48 kHz.
    • Windows: Playback device → Advanced → 24-bit, 48000 Hz (or 16-bit, 48000 Hz)
    • OBS: Settings → Audio → Sample Rate = 48 kHz

  3. Lock the Output Device in OBS

    • Settings → Audio → Global Audio Devices → Desktop Audio = the exact device your system uses.
    • Avoid “Default” if you frequently change audio devices or tools.

  4. Create a Game-Specific Source (Fallback)

    • Sources → + → Audio Output Capture → "Fortnite Output" → pick the device Fortnite uses in Volume Mixer.
    • Mute/hide your general Desktop Audio to prevent double-audio.

  5. Update or Roll Back the Audio Driver

    • If the issue started last week “out of nowhere,” a driver update (or OS patch) may be the culprit. Try your device’s previous driver.

Fortnite-Specific Quirks to Note

  • Fullscreen Optimizations and background FPS limiters sometimes change how the OS presents audio sessions. If the above doesn’t work, temporarily disable Fullscreen Optimizations on Fortnite’s EXE and retest.
  • If you use a headset app (e.g., SteelSeries, Corsair iCue), confirm the app isn’t creating a per-game route for Fortnite.

A Minimal, Reliable Setup

  • Windows Output Device: one consistent device (e.g., "Headphones (Realtek USB)")
  • OBS Desktop Audio: explicitly set to that same device
  • Sample Rate: 48 kHz across Windows and OBS
  • Exclusive Mode: off

If you still get silence only for Fortnite after these steps, capture with a dedicated Audio Output Capture source for Fortnite as a long-term workaround. It’s stable and doesn’t affect other games.

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Inspired by a real question from r/streaming. If this helped, share what fixed it for you so others can skip the guesswork.

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