Major Audio glitching since this new update

I am still experiencing the same reported issues, I hope in the not too distant future there is another client update and these issues are resolved as they are very bad now. Constant audio drop-outs when running with UDP (prefer speed) and major screen tearing/break up with TCP (prefer reliability). None of these occurred prior to the client change as stated. I’ve taken a look at the beta and downloaded it again today to confirm the beta is actually the identical same version as the current client, no idea why it is on the website and listed as a beta unless the versioning for the file hasn’t been updated and it is a new release, weird.

I take my words back about the ‘’high quality’’ box checked and no stutters. I just tried it again with the high quality box checked. The audio is glitching/stuttering a bit. No packet loss though. Unchecked I got no stutters and no packet loss. Before the update I had no issues at all with the high quality box checked or unchecked.

I didn’t even start the official client. I just directly downloaded the beta and it deleted the official version. The beta version I am running now is 1.4.15. It’s working, so I am just gonna let the beta installed. I am using prefer speed, like I used to.

Just tried the beta. No packet loss and no audio stuttering. High quality works like a dreams on beta, like it did before on the official version, before this update came out on the official version.

Issues appear to be getting worse, almost to a point where Shadow right now isn’t useable for some, not sure if this is network latency, issues with a specific datacenter, think I am connected via Paris.

With UDP set for “Prefer Speed” there is major audio break-up, not too sure it’s actually related to the audio itself, it does appear to be a latency issue or something.

With TCP set for “prefer reliability” there’s major video issues, complete screen break-up and redraw issues, this is as per the updated client v3.3320, was also apparent on v3.3317

None of these issues were occurring prior to this Update notification announcing the changes. I don’t know what the build was prior to the update this week but with the current state it’s a mess and needs to be addressed.

So I switched my alpha client to “prefer reliability” (TCP), and it mentions in the description that it’s for correcting “occasional audio and cursor stuttering.” The “high quality audio” does indeed then work without drops.

I suppose one of us could engage Blade support with this to see if they are aware/pick their brain… It does seem like a bad thing if a client update reverts back to UDP after being willfully configured for TCP, but perhaps they also thought that some of those audio issues might have gone away with their updated client, and y’all were the babies thrown out with the bathwater.

@ShrikeX thank you for those observations! I’d think that the “prefer speed” (UDP) would be better for most people, but indeed I have heard of problems being solved by switching to TCP. I wonder if the UDP problems are exacerbated when network jitter is a factor...just a thought.

Mine is using “prefer speed” (UDP). I wonder if the “high quality audio” dropouts would go away under TCP...another task to add to the list.

Regarding the “Steam streaming speakers” workaround - that’s a change on the Shadow VM side, so that real surround-sound is carried through to your local system. If your local system isn’t using surround-sound, then it won’t have a benefit. If you’re interested, the article is at:

Hi again Jim,

I can confirm it is the streaming protocol change that is causing the issues.

I installed the Beta it defaults to TCP - prefer reliability, seemed to work OK, changed the protocol to UDP - prefer speed and it exhibited exactly the same issue as the official client. I uninstalled the beta and reinstalled the official client, that defaults to UDP, prefer speed, changed to back to TCP - reliability and it works fine. So either the changes that were made to the audio pipeline to use less resources have affected the UDP performance of the new client is simply defaulting the UDP which it is and maybe previously would have defaulted to prefer reliability as the Beta client does.

Hope that helps :)

ShrikeX

Hi Jim,

Appreciate your update, I have just checked and I am not using the experimental settings for High End Audio, it’s just as default. I am using the default Windows device, I’ve not heard of this Steam Streaming Speakers, I assume that’s a chance of the audio device in Windows itself on the host as oppose to any settings with Shadow or am I wrong? Thanks for the link to the beta, will uninstall the official client and try the beta and let you know the reseults, as I said what is strange is there were no issues till the update this week which specifically mentions the change the audio demand on the CPU, it appears to have done the opposite but I will test the beta version now and report back.

I installed the official client, and verified the same launcher and client versions. After installing that client, a changelog appeared, and one of the items mentioned audio using less CPU. Anyway, I did experience severe audio dropouts (I like to test things via the benchmark in the Tomb Raider 2013 game), but only when “high quality audio” was enabled in the experimental settings. I normally have that off.

I had a similar experience when using the beta client a while back, and that’s when I stopped using the “high quality audio.”

Are you guys using that “high quality audio” setting? Also, are you using the “default” audio device, or using the “Steam streaming speakers” workaround to get surround-sound audio? I am using the latter, and it is glorious.

I’m going to go back to the alpha client, and see if there are differences with the “high quality audio” being enabled/disabled.

Edit/update: The audio dropouts remain (I’d say they are even worse) with the alpha client and the “high quality audio” enabled. With that disabled, everything is peachy.

I definetely wanne try the beta, if that is possible and see if the problem still exists.

I’m using the alpha client (Launcher 4.17.3 and Client 3.4.1) and not having problems, but will try the official client to see if I can reproduce.

Running the alpha client carries some risk, so is not for everyone. The beta client, however, is generally safe and has newer features. Are any of you willing to try the beta client and report back if the audio issue goes away?