No sound using Vulkan within RetroArch game emulator

[TheFather]

My system specs...
Dell Optiplex 3050 Micro w/Intel Core i5-7500T (Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU), 8GB RAM
OS - Windows 11 64bit (all updates to date)
Latest Intel graphics drivers installed (30.0.101.1404)

My issue... Running RetroArch under a fresh install of Windows 11, I have no game sound when using Vulkan as my video driver. Graphics/visuals are perfect. But no sound. It does not matter the specific game core. And it does not matter the specific audio engine (wasapi, xaudio, dsound, etc). No sound using Vulkan.

Running RetroArch using GL, GLCORE, D11, D12, etc or any other video driver, I do have game sound using any of RetroArch's audio rendering engines. Video performance is however seriously affected. So using any of these alternatives proves useless regarding game play.

However... and here's the odd thing... If I configure Retroarch to run WINDOWED w/Vulkan and I load a game rom, I have sound nearly all the time. So the problem seems to only happen running in regular/standard full screen mode. 

I’ve troubleshooted on several TVs. I've used a couple different AV receivers. I changed the HDMI cable... Tried playing with sound buffers, changed from 44100hz to 44000hz. Nothing. Same result concerning Vulkan in RetroArch... Great visuals, but no sound.

I have no idea where to go from here.  I do believe there is some sort or sharing issue going on but don't know where to begin. Thank you in advance for any assistance you might be able to provide.

[JosueO_Intel]

Hello TheFather, 

Thank you for posting on the Intel®️ communities. We are sorry to hear that you are having issues with your system, we will do our best to help you. 

In order to have a better understanding of the issue, please share with us the following information: 

1. Was it working before?
2. When did the issue start happening?
3. Are you using any adapters to connect the system to the video/audio outputs?
4. Have you tried using a straight connection without adapters?
5. Video of the issue with specific steps to try to replicate it. 

Also, please download and install the Intel®️ System Support Utility (Intel®️ SSU):

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility-for-Windows- 

Open the application and select "Everything" click on "Scan" to see the system and device information. By default, Intel®️ SSU will take you to the "Summary View". Click on the menu where it says "Summary" to change to "Detailed View".  

Click on "Next", save the report and attach it to your response.

Regards, 

Josue O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[TheFather]

1. Was it working before? - it never worked
2. When did the issue start happening? - upon first trying to use RetroArch in Windows 11
3. Are you using any adapters to connect the system to the video/audio outputs? - no. one HDMI cable to A/V receiver
4. Have you tried using a straight connection without adapters? - HDMI cable is high quality, straight cable
5. Video of the issue with specific steps to try to replicate it. - i can certainly provide a video (w/audio) capture if the attached log doesn't explain the problem.

@JosueO_Intel ... Log using the Intel System Support Utility is attached. I want to thank you in advance for trying to troubleshoot the specific problem and trying to find a solution for me.

[professional]

Hi

Did you try to run your game in compatibility mode with older windows version?

[TheFather]

Yes. I tried running .exe as admin as well as a couple different compatibility modes. Same result.

[professional]

OK then maybe you need to install DX 9. I understand that you use vulkan

[TheFather]

@professional... all DX libraries are also installed on the system. Forgot to mention that in my initial post.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109 Thank you for your suggestion and assistance.

@JosueO_Intel ... thanks for your response. i will attach a system report tomorrow for you to inspect.

I am beyond frustrated and pretty baffled.

[JosueO_Intel]

Hello TheFather, 

Sure! We will wait for you to get the reports and share them with us. 

Regards, 

Josue O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JosueO_Intel]

Hello TheFather, 

Were you able to check the previous post?  

Let us know if you still need assistance.  

Regards, 

Josue O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[JosueO_Intel]

Hello TheFather, 

In this case, we recommend performing a clean install of the latest graphics drivers provided by the system manufacturer since these drivers are customized. Follow these steps:

Check Windows* updates:

• Click the Windows Start button. 

• Click the search and type Windows updates and click on that option.

• Select Check for Updates and ensure you have the latest Windows* version. 

Clean installation of the Graphics Driver:

1- Download the latest customized driver from the Computer Manufacturer Support Websites and save the installer on the computer.

2- Disconnect from the internet to make sure the driver will not be automatically updated by Windows.

3- Uninstall the Intel Graphics driver. To do this, please follow the steps on the link below under these sections:

• Uninstalling the Intel Graphics Driver via the Device Manager Method

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005598/graphics.html

4- Restart the computer.

5- Right-click the Windows Start button. Select Device Manager.

6- If no older drivers are stored in the system, the graphics controller in Device Manager should now be listed as 'Microsoft Basic Display Adapter', 'Standard VGA Graphics Adapter', or similar. If not, repeat step 3. Repeat the process until it is listed as 'Microsoft Basic Display Adapter'.

7- Install the latest graphics driver provided by the system manufacturer.

8- Once the latest driver has been installed, enable the internet connection again.

If the issue persists, repeat the Clean installation process using the latest Intel® generic graphics driver available at Download Center.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19344/intel-graphics-windows-dch-drivers.html

If the issue persists after the clean installation, please share with us a video showing the specific steps to try to reproduce the issue. 

Also, let us know in which games is the issue happening. 

Regards, 

Josue O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello TheFather

We are checking this thread and we would like to know if you were able to review our previous post. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us back.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello TheFather

We have not heard back from you so we will proceed to close this thread now. If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician