Being the best game of the year is no easy feat considering how incredible the video games of today are. They aren’t just games but they are complete immersive experiences that make the gamer feel like they’re a part of the game. That is a feeling Overwatch was able to make its players feel when it was crowned The Game of the Year in 2016.
That wasn’t without its flaws though as even today a game as good as Overwatch faces some problems on its part. The error could come on the part of your gaming system or your game and we will be discussing one of the biggest problems that occur while playing Overwatch. That problem is your Overwatch voice chat not working while playing the game. Since Overwatch is an online game, hence it requires you to communicate with your teammates frequently. When that becomes a problem then it becomes impossible for you to enjoy the game. This issue isn’t just because of your mic not working on Overwatch or due to any other problem. There are many other factors that account to it and we shall be looking at them today. Regardless of you playing this game on Xbox, PlayStation, or Windows, all platforms have shown the same issues.
Before you try these fixes to check if your voice chat option is working or not, check if you have been penalized in-game. If you have any kind of penalty then you won’t be able to use the voice chat option. If that is not the case then we will tell you some ways by which you can be able to get your voice chat option back.
Fix Overwatch Voice Chat Not Working
Test Your Headset/Microphone
The problem of your voice chat option not working could easily lie within the settings of the hardware that you are using. Your headset might be the real culprit here and we aren’t going to take any chances. So what you need to do here is to check your headset on another device such as another PC or Console to see if the headset is working or not. If it is then you’ll be hearing the sound on your headset perfectly. This could indicate some issue in your game.
Sometimes, your headset might be connected but not properly so another thing you could do is plug out your headset and then plug it in properly to make sure that the headset jack is inserted the right way. This is a common mistake by which many players can’t hear their team chat on Overwatch.
Check for Parental Controls
If parental controls are enabled then check if the voice chat has been disabled or not. If it is then you can ask your parents to enable it. Due to the vile language of the players on this game, many parents look to disable voice chat for their children so that they have a safe experience playing this game.
Checking in-game Settings
There could also be a chance that your hardware is working perfectly fine but you could have your in-game settings where the voice chat is disabled. The default settings might have had your voice chat on but due to some reason, you might have disabled it once and then forgot to turn it back on. Before you think that your overwatch mic is not working, check in the option of your voice chat which you might have left disabled, and then enable it from that same option.
Update Your Drivers
A lot of times the operating system and drivers can be outdated causing issues. Make sure to keep your drivers updated for the best compatibility with your game. Updating your drivers will make sure you have an optimum gaming experience without worrying about something like this that could cause your voice chat option to be disabled. Make sure the drivers of your connected devices are updated as well.
Adjust the Default Device
Overwatch doesn’t work properly every time if you use a Bluetooth device so make sure you select your default device in Windows. If you aren’t connected to the correct device then switch to the one where you are able to hear the voice chat while also speaking through your input device to talk to your group in the game. Make sure to check for your mic as well if Overwatch is not picking up your mic either before you call or shout to see if your teammates can hear you!
Restart the in-game settings
If the steps above don’t seem to work then what you could do is revert back to your old settings in the game and this can end up solving a lot of issues. There might be a minor error in the system with which your game doesn’t function properly which might bring about a problem in the voice chat option. If this doesn’t work either then restart your game overall.
Restart Your System
If all else fails, then you can always do the thing which is as old as time itself. Often you might get the “bnl_voice” error where your voice chat won’t be working or you might be getting text and audio on your screen but no sound. Not to panic as a simple system restart can fix all these issues. That’s true, sometimes the problem might be as little as this. You simply need to restart your computer and voila! All problems will be fixed!
