As you and your fellow climbers traverse unstable terrain and tackle gravity-defying challenges, coordinating via voice chat is essential. But lately, many players have reported an annoying issue: voice chat just stops working. There are some solutions to this situation.

1. Check In-Game Audio Settings First

• Pause the game and open Settings > Audio.
• Look for the Microphone Input setting and try switching between the listed devices.
• Change Microphone Mode to Voice Activation rather than Push-to-Talk, especially useful in a game like PEAK where the action can be so fast-paced that you might be too late to hit the key.

2. Inspect Your System Sound Settings

If there are no issues in the game, it might be your PC configuration settings that are causing problems.

• To access Windows Settings, click on Windows + I concurrently on your keyboard, and navigate to System > Sound.
• Under Input, make sure the right microphone is selected.
• Use the “Test your microphone” feature to confirm that your mic is picking up audio.
• Also verify that the Output device is correct, so you actually hear your teammates when they speak.

3. Update Audio Drivers

• Press Win + X and open Device Manager.
• Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
• Right-click your audio device and choose the Update driver.
• Select Search automatically for drivers and install any updates.
• Restart your PC afterward.

4. Enable Microphone Access in Windows Privacy Settings

Windows might be blocking PEAK or Steam from using your microphone entirely.

• Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Microphone.
• Make sure Microphone access is turned on.
• Scroll down and ensure that Steam and PEAK both have permission to use your mic.

5. Check Steam Voice Settings

Because PEAK uses Steam’s voice system, misconfigured settings there can also cause issues.

• Open Steam > Settings > Voice.
• Make sure the correct Input Device is selected.
• Confirm that Mute isn’t enabled.
• Use the built-in Test Microphone tool to make sure your voice is detected.
• Restart both Steam and PEAK once changes are made.

6. Switch From Vulkan to DX12

• Launch the PEAK game launcher or settings menu.
• If you’re running the game on Vulkan, try switching to DirectX 12.
• Relaunch the game and test voice chat again.

7. Test With Another System or Account

• Run PEAK on a different PC or log in with a different Steam account.
• This can reveal whether the problem is tied to your system or specific to your Steam user.

8. Try a Wired Headset

Wireless or Bluetooth headsets are notorious for dropping mic input randomly.

• Plug in a wired headset and set it as the default input/output device.
• Wireless headsets might work fine for audio, but drop voice due to unstable connections.

9. Use a Third-Party Voice Chat As a Last Resort

If nothing works, coordinate with your friends through:

• Discord
• Steam Overlay Chat

It may not be the best way to communicate, but we will be able to talk until the solution is delivered.

As a primary feature of PEAK, voice chat is very essential to the game’s experience. Though game-specific issues tend to make troubleshooting difficult, doing these steps will address most known causes of the issue. Keep finishing the levels, and don’t let a broken mic ruin your training progress.