Steam Deck Windows microphone drivers are terrible.

[dimen363]

When testing the new Windows 10/11 sound drivers for Steam deck the built in microphone sounded terrible and is pretty much unusable compared to native SteamOS - on default volume you barely hear any sound coming in when recording or using in-game, when turning up the volume on the microphone above 90% in windows sound settings you hear a massive static, echoes and whoever know what else, and it seems that only the left mic hole is used to pick up sound. All of this makes the new microphone drivers basically useless.

[Prezidentas]

The best solution would be to reinstall SteamOS.

[dimen363]

Originally posted by Red Star Gopnik:

The best solution would be to reinstall SteamOS.

Bruh, the microphone on Steam Deck is terrible specifically in Windows. I wanted to play some games that don't work well on SteamOS yet and use voice chat, but I can't because the microphone is pretty much useless. "Not using Windows" is not a helpful solution.

[TMinusBlastedRocket #SaveTF2]

Agreed, the way windows is sabotaged on deck is unacceptable, the drivers are garbage compared to any other pc handheld when they have no excuse to be

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by TMinusBlastedRocket #SaveTF2:

Agreed, the way windows is sabotaged on deck is unacceptable, the drivers are garbage compared to any other pc handheld when they have no excuse to be

the have the perfect excuse though - SteamOS is not Windows.

[76561198870432598]

If you are only capturing audio from the Left mic, that sounds either like a driver bug that I can forward on or a hardware issue.

In terms of SteamOS vs Windows for the mic drivers, they are identical in function and in settings. In SteamOS we implemented an opensource filter-chain on the microphone path to tune it more as well as echo-cancel also software based.

[dimen363]

Originally posted by Significant Otter:

If you are only capturing audio from the Left mic, that sounds either like a driver bug that I can forward on or a hardware issue.

In terms of SteamOS vs Windows for the mic drivers, they are identical in function and in settings. In SteamOS we implemented an opensource filter-chain on the microphone path to tune it more as well as echo-cancel also software based.

Well, its either that the sound is being captured only on one mircophone or one of the microphones is more sensitive than another - its difficult to say exactly because the overall quality and sensitivity of the microphone on windows with provided drivers is just too bad to the point of unusable.

[76561198870432598]

Before you installed windows did you test that both microphones work in SteamOS?

[dimen363]

Originally posted by Significant Otter:

Before you installed windows did you test that both microphones work in SteamOS?

Yes, the microphone works in SteamOS as expected with little to no issues (depending on the game ofcourse because I was testing unverified and yet unsupported games aswell)

[76561198870432598]

I will pass on the 1 mic thing to the driver team.

[dimen363]

Originally posted by Significant Otter:

I will pass on the 1 mic thing to the driver team.

Thank you. Downloading audacity from flathub in steamos also confirmed that both
stereo microphones were working fine and clear.

[TMinusBlastedRocket #SaveTF2]

Originally posted by Significant Otter:

I will pass on the 1 mic thing to the driver team.

Wow, thanks... I retract my skepticism on the state of windows drivers

[АркВагнер (nt4f04uNd)]

Same thing, running Windows 22H2, hope it will be fixed some day :-(

[Smacksmack206]

The Windows microphone driver needs to be updated it is in fact unusable. It sounds like ♥♥♥♥ and even speaking directly into the mic it sounds bad where others will not hear you.

[iamkaden]

Has anyone found a real solution to this issue? Would like to use the built-in microphone on the deck with Win10! D: