Sound volume issue in Stay Out – quiet in focus, normal when minimized

Saimon12222 · Mar 28, 2025 at 8:24 AM

Hey everyone,

I'm having a weird issue with Stay Out on Windows 10/11. When the game is in focus (fullscreen or windowed), the sound becomes noticeably quieter. However, as soon as I minimize the game (Alt+Tab), the volume returns to normal.

Disabled Windows' automatic volume adjustment (Control Panel → Sound → Communications → "Do nothing").

Switched between different audio output modes (headset/stereo).

Checked if any background apps (Discord, Razer Synapse, Windows Sonic, etc.) were interfering with the audio.

Launched the game as an administrator and set its process priority to High in Task Manager.

Tested fullscreen, borderless, and windowed modes—same issue in all of them.

Verified game file integrity in Steam.

Nothing has worked so far. Other games and apps don’t have this problem. Could this be a Windows-related issue, or is it something specific to the game’s audio engine?

Any ideas or fixes would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

:)

Mila.L - MSFT

Hi，Saimon12222

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I understand that you are experiencing abnormal volume when playing Stay Out.

You can try the following options for a basic check of the audio output in WIndows.

Fix sound or audio problems in Windows - Microsoft Support

Secondly, I would like to know if the game calls the microphone? Sometimes invoking the microphone can also lower the volume of the game.

The community forums are geared towards Xbox applications and Xbox troubleshooting, and since this issue only occurs in this game, it could be a corrupted game file, or a problem with the game's internal settings. There is very little data we can access for this type of issue.

If the problem persists, it is recommended that you contact the game's official support team:

www.stayout.so

DISCLAIMER: Microsoft provides no implied or other warranties and/or guarantees, and is not responsible for the information you obtain from third-party linked sites or for any technology-related support.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

Mila.L-MSFT| Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Lofty Who

My nephew who is staying with us has the white Xbox One/Sunset Overdrive bundle, I just had a listen to it why he was playing the game ( turned the volume down on the TV ) and it sounds as quiet as my black Xbox One which is whisper quiet.

Just to add he doesn't use any external hard drive.

SushiShikigami

Before I go through the trouble of getting a replacement for my brand new PSU, I just want to know if this quiet sound is normal when my 360 is powered off. Again, like I said, this sound is very quiet but noticeable in when my room is quiet.

Christofka

Hello,

Thanks for you reply, I went onto Skype and Skype was saying everything is alright and the mic is normal, but when I went into the settings and went to the "Sound" section it was saying it was really quiet. So Skype is saying its normal and settings is saying
its quiet

Deadfisheye

Also... When I press the volume button on the adaptor I can here the sound it makes when the volume is maxed out... But there's no actual game sound.

Sound volume issue in Stay Out – quiet in focus, normal when minimized