Workarounds for low sound volume in-game

This guide will provide a couple of methods to reset volume of the game. Due to a bug in a patch causing the game to set it's own volume very low in Windows, every time you run the game.

Introduction

There are 3 ways you can go about fixing the volume. The simple way is also the most tedious since it requires you to jump out to the desktop to set the volume each time you run the game.

The other uses software to set the volume, but you can bind it to a macro key (if your keyboard or mouse has one). You need still need to do this every time you start the game.

There's also the Xbox Game Bar. The simplest but not everyone likes it for some reason.


Update 28/01/2021
Added Xbox Game Bar to the guide

The Simple (but tedious)

After starting the game (after reaching the main menu is a good spot), Alt+Tab out of the game (or press the Win key to reveal the taskbar).

Right-click the Speaker icon (Red arrow) and select "Open Volume Mixer" (Yellow arrow)


Now turn the game volume back up to 100

You can close the volume mixer and return to the game.

Sadly you need to do this every time you run the game (until Rockstar fixes it).

Using software to set the volume (and bind it to a macro)

For this one you need to download a program called 'SoundVolumeView' by NirSoft.

Download it from here (download links are near the bottom of the page)
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/sound_volume_view.html

Extract it to a folder some where on your PC.


To make it set the volume of RDR2 to 100%, the command would look like this.

SoundVolumeView.exe /ChangeVolume "RDR2.exe" 100

If you want to make a desktop shortcut you can right-click 'SoundVolumeView.exe' and mouse over 'Send To' and click on 'Desktop (Create Shortcut)'



Now find the shortcut on your desktop (should be called 'SoundVolumeView.exe - Shortcut')

Right-click it and select 'Properties'

In the 'Target' field add

 /ChangeVolume "RDR2.exe" 100

to the end (note the space after .exe)



Click 'Ok' and you're done.

Now when you run the game you can Alt+Tab out and run the shortcut.

Alternatively you can copy the contents of the 'Target' field in the shortcut and add it to a macro key on your Keyboard or Mouse and run it from a dedicated key.

Change volume via Xbox Game Bar

If Xbox Game Bar is enabled on Windows 10 (it's on by default), you can change the volume via the overlay.

While in the game, open the overlay via 'Win + G'

A) Open the Audio panel (if it isn't already).

B) Adjust the volume of the game.

[New Ted]

How do I get "This week's update" ?

[New Ted]

I don't find the first solution any more tedious than the others

[No.Vice]

Finally in this week's update they got this bug fixed.

[Centrist God]

This bug sucks so much

[BloodShed]

@ SgtPeppers Because Rockstar. They're always in no rush to fix small bugs like this, especially the PC version.

[Tiberius]

@Bold: It is a bug with the game! As game developers need to consider windows reacting like this and need to adjust their game so windows won't trigger such scenarios.

Fanboy.

[Tiberius]

if this is such a popular problem, why isn't there any update fixing this yet??? I don't get it.

A game for this price should fix common bugs like this.

[SayneX]

I always forget aabout xbox game bar... I been playing for a week now and be doing it through volume mixer. Thanks for reminding me.

[BloodShed]

@ Bold

No, it is a bug in the game. Setting the communications activity to 'Do Nothing' will not fix the issue.


@ Sqooky

Sadly it doesn't work like that. But you can try the Xbox Game Bar (See the new method I added to the guide).

[bumz<3]

is there something i can put into the steam startup to do the same ? cuz i do not want a shortcute