Best audio settings for Call of Duty: Warzone

Theo Salaun
Warzone audio settings

Understanding audio is key to success in Call of Duty Warzone. Detecting enemy footsteps in the game will give you a massive advantage on the battlefield, so here’s the best audio settings for Warzone.

Like most things in Call of Duty Warzone, audio settings are down to personal preference, but there are some options that players ought to try, based on what the world’s best players use.

The principal audio settings are Audio Mix, Master Volume, Music Volume, Dialogue Volume, and Effects Volume. Of those, Audio Mix is the only one that is not on a 0-100 scale and is the one that will dictate how the majority of sound in your game is experienced.

Focused primarily on hearing footsteps in the game, we’ve found that the majority of pro players all use the same settings. Without further ado, here are the best audio settings for Warzone that will help you gain an advantage in battle. 

If you’re looking for settings guides for the newly released Warzone 2, make sure to check out our homepage for the game.

Best Call of Duty: Warzone Audio Settings

Call of Duty Warzone
Finding the perfect settings in Warzone can be difficult.

Volumes

  • Audio Mix: Boost High
  • Master Volume: 85
  • Music Volume: 0
  • Dialogue Volume: 100
  • Effects Volume: 100

Voice Chat

  • Voice Chat: Enabled
  • Open Mic Recording Threshold: 3.16
  • Voice Chat Volume: 150.00
  • Microphone Volume: 120.00
  • Voice Chat Effect: No Effect

In order to have a balanced input of opinions on how best to optimize your settings, we looked at the preferences of various professional streamers and Call of Duty League players before rounding off with the most thorough, in-depth YouTuber: JackFrags. They all play at the highest level of the game and have different setups, ensuring balanced input.

Every single professional streamer and player we researched used Boost High for their Audio Mix, with Vikkstar explaining that the “high-frequency sounds—which is footsteps, whereas explosions are low sounds.”

Given how vital hearing footsteps is to Call of Duty, having them boosted is fully worth losing some of the grandiosity of the sound effects found in explosions and killstreaks. 

But JackFrags makes an opposing argument that speaks to just how important it is for players to follow their personal preferences.

After spending hours experimenting, he discovered that due to sound dampening (footsteps becoming quieter when behind surfaces like closed doors or on grass and dirt instead of metal steps), “Home Theater” may actually be preferred for players who want audio consistency above all else.

While most players will prefer heightened footstep audio cues overall, even if some consistency is lost (perhaps when a footstep audio cue becomes a lower sound due to sound dampening on grass)—some will ultimately rather have consistent audio.

Similarly, while some choose to have their Music Volume set to 0, others are happy with a little added drama and are comfortable kicking it up to around 20 (TeePee being one such example).

While most will be subject to preference, players should still generally choose between Boost High and Home Theater for their Audio Mix, play at whatever Master Volume feels most comfortable, lower Music Volume for lessened distractions and, finally, keep Effects and Dialogue Volume high to ensure nothing is missed (like an enemy using Armor Plates or someone planting a Claymore).

How to improve Warzone audio

If you’ve adjusted your Warzone audio settings to our recommended values and you still find yourself struggling in the game, then chances are your equipment might be at fault.

Whether you’re serious about improving in Warzone, or just playing casually, there’s a couple of things you can do to boost audio quality:

Invest in a decent headset

There are many headsets out there that provide quality audio for a very inexpensive price. If you’ve gotten accustomed to playing using the audio from your TV or gaming monitor, then upgrading to a dedicated headset for gaming will have a positive impact on your Warzone experience.

Minimize surrounding noise

While this may sound quite obvious, surrounding noise from devices and other sources can have a negative impact on your ability to hear in-game sounds. Minimizing that noise as much as possible will allow you to pinpoint audio cues better in Warzone.

Train your ears for specific sounds

Even if you have the best audio settings and equipment, you still need to know what to listen out for. This comes with practice, but train yourself to recognize distinct audio cues and their meanings in Warzone. This will inevitably increase your in-game knowledge.


If your PC is having performance issues in Warzone, consider checking out our dedicated FPS guide to ensure every single one of your settings is optimized.

That’s everything you need to know about the best audio settings in Warzone! For more Call of Duty content, check out our guides below:

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About The Author

Théo is a former writer at Dexerto based in New York and built on competition. Formerly an editor for Bleacher Report and philosophy student at McGill, he fell in love with Overwatch and Call of Duty — leading him to focus on esports for Dex.