R.E.P.O. Voice Chat: Setup, Proximity & Fixes
R.E.P.O. is built around proximity voice chat — you hear teammates only when they are close. This guide covers how it works, how to set up your mic and push-to-talk, and every fix for when voice chat is not working.
Quick Answer
R.E.P.O. uses proximity voice chat: you hear teammates only when they are near you in the level. Open Settings → Audio, select your microphone under Input Device, and choose Open Mic or Push-to-Talk. If your mic is not working, the fixes are almost always: pick the right input device, grant Windows microphone permission, set the correct default recording device, and allow the game through your firewall/VPN. If voice only drops mid-run, lower your graphics — the cause is stutter, not the mic.
How Proximity Voice Chat Works
R.E.P.O. voice is positional. Understanding that changes how you play — and explains most "why can't I hear anyone" moments.
- You only hear teammates who are physically close to your character, and their voice fades with distance.
- Splitting up to grab loot faster means losing voice contact — that trade-off is a core part of the tension.
- A silent teammate is often just out of range, not muted or broken.
- The walkie-talkie item lets you talk across the map when the team spreads out.
Tip: if you go quiet in menus, remember proximity chat only applies inside a level — lobby chat is heard by everyone in the room.
How to Set Up Voice Chat & Your Mic
Four steps get your microphone working and pick the talk mode that suits your room:
Open Settings → Audio
From the main menu or the pause menu, open Settings and go to the Audio (or Microphone) tab. This is where every voice option lives.
Pick your Input Device
Select your actual microphone under Input Device. If the wrong device is chosen, the game will capture silence — this is the single most common cause of "no mic".
Choose Push-to-Talk or Open Mic
Open Mic transmits whenever you speak; Push-to-Talk only transmits while you hold the assigned key. If you pick Push-to-Talk, check and remember the keybind before you load in.
Test in the lobby
Talk to a friend in the lobby before starting a run. Because chat is proximity-based, stand close to test — if it works in the lobby but drops mid-run, the fix is usually performance-related, not audio settings.
Voice Chat Not Working? Fixes That Work
Work through these in order — the first two solve the large majority of "mic not working" reports.
Grant Windows mic permission
Open Windows Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone and make sure "Let apps access your microphone" and desktop-app access are both on. Steam and R.E.P.O. need permission or they capture nothing.
Set the correct default recording device
Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Sound settings → Recording. Set your real mic as the Default Device, unplug any spare microphones or headsets you are not using, then restart the game.
Re-check Push-to-Talk
If Push-to-Talk seems dead, switch to Open Mic mode and restart to confirm the mic itself works. If Open Mic works, your PTT keybind was the problem — rebind it to a comfortable key.
Voice cuts out only in-game
If chat works in the lobby but dies during a run, the game is likely stuttering. Lower your graphics settings so frame drops do not choke the voice thread. Switching roles or rejoining the lobby can also help.
Firewall, VPN & antivirus
Voice runs over the network, so a blocked connection kills it. Temporarily disable your VPN, allow R.E.P.O. through Windows Defender Firewall (tick both Private and Public), and whitelist it in any antivirus.
Verify game files & drivers
In Steam, right-click R.E.P.O. → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. Also update your audio drivers — outdated or corrupted drivers are a frequent cause of one-way or broken voice.
The Walkie-Talkie: Talking Across the Map
Because standard chat is proximity-limited, the walkie-talkie is how you stay in contact when the team splits up.
- Buy a walkie-talkie from the Service Station between levels — reports put it around $25K for a pack of two.
- Equip it from your hotbar and hold it out in front of you.
- Press E to transmit; the antenna lights up while it is active.
- Give one to a teammate so both ends of a split can talk beyond normal range.
Exact price and behaviour can change between updates — treat the figures above as a community estimate rather than a fixed value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does proximity voice chat work in R.E.P.O.?
R.E.P.O. uses proximity (positional) voice chat: you only hear teammates who are physically near your character in the level, and their voice gets quieter with distance. This is by design — it is why splitting up feels tense, since you lose contact with anyone who wanders too far. If a teammate goes silent, they may simply be out of range rather than muted. The walkie-talkie item exists specifically to talk across that distance.
Why is my mic not working in R.E.P.O.?
The usual culprits, in order: the wrong Input Device is selected in Settings → Audio; Windows has not granted microphone permission to apps; another mic or headset is set as the default recording device; or a VPN/firewall is blocking voice traffic. Work through those first. If voice only breaks once you are in a run rather than the lobby, the cause is usually performance stutter, not the mic — lower your graphics settings.
Does R.E.P.O. have push-to-talk?
Yes. In the audio settings you can choose between Open Mic, which transmits whenever you speak, and Push-to-Talk, which only transmits while you hold a set key. Push-to-Talk is better if you have background noise or a loud room, since it stops your keyboard, music and roommates from bleeding into the game. If your voice stops working after enabling it, double-check the keybind and restart the game.
I can hear others but they cannot hear me — how do I fix it?
One-way voice almost always means your microphone is not being captured while playback is fine. Confirm the right Input Device is selected in-game, that Windows lets apps use the mic, and that your mic is the default recording device with the input volume up. If you use an XLR mic through an audio interface, the game tends to read only the left channel, so plug your mic into Input 1. Verifying game files and updating audio drivers clears up most remaining cases.
What is the walkie-talkie and how do I use it?
The walkie-talkie is an item that lets you talk to teammates beyond normal proximity range. You buy it from the Service Station, equip it from your hotbar, hold it out and press E to transmit — the antenna lights up when it is active. It is the intended way to stay coordinated when the team splits up to cover more ground. Community reports put the shop price at roughly $25K for a pack that contains two units.
Voice works in the lobby but stops during the level. Why?
This points to performance rather than audio configuration. When the game stutters or briefly freezes on a busy level, the voice stream can drop with it. Lower your graphics quality, close background apps that eat CPU or RAM, and make sure your GPU drivers are current. Some players also report that switching character roles or having everyone rejoin the lobby restores voice for the session.
Can I mute or disable voice chat?
Yes. You can lower or mute voice chat volume in the audio settings if you would rather use Discord or another external app with your friends. Keep in mind that R.E.P.O. is built around its proximity voice — a lot of the comedy and the coordinated scares come from hearing teammates react in real time and fade out as they move away — so most groups leave the in-game voice on even when they also use Discord.