Configure MSFS 2024 sound settings with device-routing steps, practical volume levels, headset/ATC setup and fixes for missing audio.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, open Settings > General > Sound, choose the correct main and communications output devices, then balance Master, Aircraft, Engine, Cockpit, Environment, Voices/ATC, Music and UI levels. Set the Windows or console output first; otherwise the in-sim sliders may control a device you are not actually hearing.
How do I set up MSFS 2024 audio?
The correct order is system output, simulator output routing and then individual volume levels. Menu labels can vary slightly between PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and simulator updates, but the underlying controls work in the same way.
- Choose the system audio device. In Windows, select the speakers or headset you want and check the app level in Volume Mixer. On Xbox or PlayStation, select the required HDMI, television or headset output in the console's audio settings.
- Open the Sound settings. From the MSFS 2024 start screen or pause menu, open Settings > General > Sound.
- Select the main output. Set Main Device Output, or the similarly named option, to the device that should play aircraft, cockpit and environmental sound. Leaving it on Default is convenient, but selecting a named device avoids Windows sending audio to a monitor or disconnected headset.
- Select the communications output. Use the same device as the main output for a simple setup, or choose a headset when you deliberately want ATC separated from aircraft audio.
- Set a balanced starting mix. Keep warnings, callouts and communications prominent, reduce music and UI sounds, and adjust engine volume from the cockpit rather than an external camera.
- Test in a representative flight. Check an engine-running aircraft from both cockpit and external views, listen to an ATC transmission and operate several cockpit switches. A cold-and-dark aircraft cannot reveal whether the engine mix is correct.
If a newly connected device does not appear, close and reopen MSFS 2024. Audio devices connected after launch are not always picked up cleanly.
What are the best MSFS 2024 sound levels?
There is no universal mix, but these relative 0–100 starting values keep important cockpit information audible without letting music or ambient sound dominate.
| Sound control | Starting range | What to listen for |
|---|---|---|
| Master | 80–100 | Overall output without excessive system volume |
| Aircraft and Engine | 70–85 | Power changes audible without drowning out ATC |
| Cockpit | 80–100 | Switches, controls and interior sound layers |
| Warnings and callouts | 90–100 | GPWS, alerts and safety-related announcements |
| Voices or Communications | 85–100 | Built-in ATC and spoken dialogue |
| Environment | 50–70 | Wind, weather, ground and surrounding activity |
| User interface | 30–50 | Menu and interaction sounds |
| Music | 0–20 | Menus and loading without interfering in flight |
Use these as a baseline, not a required preset. Headphones generally need less engine and environmental volume than television speakers. For the boundaries between categories, see our slider-by-slider explanation of aircraft, engine, cockpit and ATC volume controls.
A mistake we see constantly is balancing the sound from an external camera. Cockpit insulation and perspective deliberately change the mix, so configure it from the seat and aircraft you normally fly.
How should I route ATC to a headset?
Set the main output to your speakers and the communications output to your headset when you want aircraft audio in the room but radio calls close to your ears. Our guide to separating simulator and communications audio covers the routing choices and their trade-offs.
- One-device setup: Use the same named output for main audio and communications. This is the least troublesome option.
- Split setup: Send main audio to speakers and communications to the headset, then balance the two devices at system level.
- Third-party ATC clients: Choose their output inside the client itself. The MSFS communications device does not necessarily control audio generated by another application.
- Console chat: Xbox and PlayStation party-chat balance is controlled by the console, not by the MSFS sound sliders.
Bluetooth headsets can switch into a lower-quality hands-free mode when their microphone activates. On PC, use the stereo playback endpoint and a separate microphone where practical; otherwise the reduced quality is a Bluetooth profile limitation rather than an MSFS volume problem.
Why is an MSFS 2024 sound quiet or missing?
The pattern of the missing audio usually identifies the wrong setting faster than moving every slider to maximum.
- Only ATC is missing: Check the communications output and Voices or Communications volume. Also confirm that the audio is not being sent to a headset lying beside the computer.
- Only cockpit warnings or callouts are missing: Check Cockpit, Warnings and Voices rather than Engine volume. Aircraft power state matters too; our cockpit callout control guide explains which categories affect GPWS, alerts and spoken callouts.
- The engine is quiet only inside: Some reduction is intentional cockpit attenuation. Compare the exterior view, raise Aircraft or Engine gradually and test another aircraft before treating it as a fault.
- One aircraft has a poor mix: Test a default aircraft. Add-ons can use custom sound packages or their own tablet-based volume controls, so global settings may not be the cause.
- Audio vanished after changing devices: Re-select both outputs or restart the simulator. It may still be targeting the previous endpoint.
- Everything is silent: Check Master volume, the operating-system output, Windows Volume Mixer and any physical headset controls. Follow our complete no-sound troubleshooting sequence if those checks do not restore audio.
MSFS 2024 stores a general sound mix rather than an ideal mix for every aircraft. Large airliners, open-cockpit aircraft and heavily insulated business jets can therefore need different Aircraft, Engine and Cockpit balances.