# Audio stuttering and complete audio loss in UE5 games on Windows 11 25H2 after KB5077181 **URL:** \ **Category:** Community & Industry Discussion\ **Tags:** unreal-engine\ **Created:** [April 8, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/audio-stuttering-and-complete-audio-loss-in-ue5-games-on-windows-11-25h2-after-kb5077181/2712618 "2026-04-08T15:51:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_master\_doc1](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@The\_master\_doc1](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/The_master_doc1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/audio-stuttering-and-complete-audio-loss-in-ue5-games-on-windows-11-25h2-after-kb5077181/2712618/1 "2026-04-08T15:51:53Z")
TITLE: Audio stuttering, whistling sounds, and complete audio loss in Unreal Engine 4/5 games on Windows 11 25H2 after KB5077181 * * * SUMMARY: Since the Windows 11 25H2 updates released in January/February 2026 (specifically KB5077181), I experience progressive audio failure in all Unreal Engine 4 & 5 games. Audio was fully stable in December 2025 on the previous build. * * * SYSTEM SPECS: - OS: Windows 11 Pro 25H2 - Build 26200.8117 - CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (8-Core, 16 Logical Processors @ 4200MHz) - GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti 12GB (MSI Ventus 2X OC) - RAM: 64GB DDR4 3200MHz Crucial Pro (2x32GB) - A-XMP Profile 1 enabled - Motherboard: MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus (MS-7C37) - PSU: Thermaltake 1000W - Audio Device: 3.5mm In-Ear Monitors via High Definition Audio (onboard) - Audio Format: 24-bit, 48000Hz * * * AFFECTED GAMES (all Unreal Engine 5) - Grey Zone Warfare - STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl - Satisfactory AFFECTED GAMES (Unreal Engine 4): - Insurgency: Sandstorm * * * SYMPTOMS (in order of progression): 1. Audio begins producing whistling/screeching sounds during gameplay 2. Audio stutters rhythmically 3. Complete audio loss — all in-game sounds stop entirely 4. Audio only recovers when forcing a system change such as switching upscaler (FSR ↔ DLSS) or changing audio input settings in-game 5. Issue occurs consistently across all three UE5 titles listed above * * * TROUBLESHOOTING ALREADY PERFORMED (without resolution): - Removed all GPU/CPU overclocks - Disabled all overlays (GeForce Experience, Steam, Discord) - Cleaned and reconfigured Engine.ini for UE4/UE5 (XAudio2 backend, buffer sizes) - Optimized Steam launch parameters - Disabled Nahimic and all third-party audio software (none installed) - Verified audio drivers are up to date - Confirmed Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder services are Running/Automatic with Restart on failure - Set audio two different formats 16/24-bit 44100/48000Hz in Windows Sound settings - Disabled Fullscreen Optimizations per-game - Increased audio scheduling priority via registry - Disconnected secondary USB audio device (SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P dongle) - Confirmed only one GameInput Service instance running - Memory Integrity (VBS Core Isolation) disabled * * * KEY OBSERVATION: The problem is EXCLUSIVELY present in Unreal Engine 4 & 5 titles. Different engine games remain perfectly stable on the same system with the same audio configuration. This strongly suggests a conflict between Windows 11 25H2 (post-KB5077181) & the UE4/UE5 audio pipeline (XAudio2/WASAPI). The audio failure pattern — whistling → stuttering → complete loss → recovery only on forced system change — indicates the audio subsystem loses its device reference during UE4/UE5 runtime and requires an event trigger to re-initialize. * * * REQUESTED ACTION: Please investigate the compatibility between Windows 11 25H2 builds post-KB5077181 and the UE4/UE5 XAudio2/WASAPI audio pipeline, particularly on AMD Ryzen systems with onboard High Definition Audio or USB devices. ---
**Author:** ![straFFe\_1337](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@straFFe\_1337](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/straFFe_1337)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/audio-stuttering-and-complete-audio-loss-in-ue5-games-on-windows-11-25h2-after-kb5077181/2712618/2 "2026-10-21T17:34:49Z")
Yo bro, I got the same freaking problem. Did you find the way to fix it? ---
**Author:** ![jessicaw3344](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/jessicaw3344/32/882603_2.png) [@jessicaw3344](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/jessicaw3344)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/audio-stuttering-and-complete-audio-loss-in-ue5-games-on-windows-11-25h2-after-kb5077181/2712618/3 "2026-10-29T12:27:25Z")
Good write-up, the list of things you already ruled out saves everyone a lot of time. One way to narrow it down: since the failure only shows up in UE titles and recovers when something forces a device change, it is worth checking whether the audio endpoint is actually being reset when the whistling starts. Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs \> Microsoft \> Windows \> Audio (and the Kernel-PnP log) will show if the device is being removed and re-added. Two more isolation steps that help separate the OS update from the driver and the engine: 1. Run the same game on a different output (HDMI/DisplayPort monitor audio or a USB DAC). If the problem disappears, the onboard HD Audio driver path is the likely culprit rather than XAudio2 itself. 2. Run LatencyMon during a session. Whistling that turns into stutter and then silence often lines up with buffer underruns caused by DPC spikes from a driver, and it will name the module responsible. If both come back clean, uninstalling KB5077181 temporarily (Settings \> Windows Update \> Update history \> Uninstall updates) would confirm whether it is a true regression, and that result would make the report much easier for the engine and Microsoft teams to act on.