How to Change Audio Input and Output Devices in Xbox Game Bar

TL;DR

• Xbox Game Bar has three separate places to change audio devices — the Audio widget, Party Chat settings, and the Xbox App — and they control different things.
• The Mix tab in the Audio widget controls your output device for all game and system sound.
• The Voice tab in the Audio widget controls your microphone input and voice output specifically for party chat.
• Party Chat settings inside the Game Bar gear icon control audio devices specifically for Xbox party sessions.
• If your device does not appear in any dropdown, the problem is almost always a Windows privacy permission or a missing audio driver.

Changing audio input and output devices in Xbox Game Bar sounds simple — but it trips people up constantly. There is not just one place to do it. Xbox Game Bar has multiple audio controls across the Audio widget, the Party Chat settings, and the Xbox app itself, and each one controls a different part of the audio pipeline.

Set the wrong one and you end up in a situation where your game sounds come through your headset but your party chat is blasting from your TV speakers. Or your mic is selected correctly everywhere but your friends still cannot hear you. This guide walks through every method clearly, step by step, so you can get each audio path pointed at the right device.

Understanding How Xbox Game Bar Handles Audio Devices

Before jumping into steps, it helps to know that Xbox Game Bar actually splits audio into two separate streams — and each one has its own device setting:

• Game and system audio — This is everything you hear from the game, apps, and Windows itself. It is controlled by the Mix tab in the Audio widget.
• Voice chat audio — This is specifically the input (your microphone) and output (hearing your friends) for Xbox party chat. It is controlled by the Voice tab in the Audio widget, the Party Chat settings, and the Xbox app’s Audio section.

The reason so many people get confused is because changing the output in the Mix tab does not automatically change the output for party chat. They are independent. You need to set both if you want everything going to the same headset.

Method 1: Change Audio Devices via the Game Bar Audio Widget

This is the fastest method and works without leaving your game. The Audio widget inside Game Bar gives you direct access to both your output device and your voice input device from a single overlay.

Step 1: Open the Audio Widget

• Press Windows + G to open Game Bar.
• If the Audio widget is not visible on screen, click the Widget Menu button (the grid icon at the top of the Game Bar toolbar) and select Audio to add it.

Step 2: Change the Output Device (Mix Tab)

• Inside the Audio widget, click the Mix tab.
• At the top of the Mix tab, you will see a dropdown showing your current output device — for example, Speakers (Realtek) or Headphones.
• Click that dropdown and select the output device you want to use for all game and system audio.
• The change applies immediately. You do not need to restart the game in most cases.

You can also use this tab to adjust the volume of individual apps running on your PC — games, browsers, music players, and more — all from the same overlay without alt-tabbing.

Step 3: Change the Voice Input and Output (Voice Tab)

• Still inside the Audio widget, click the Voice tab.
• You will see separate dropdowns for Input (your microphone) and Output (where you hear party chat audio).
• Click the Input dropdown and select your headset microphone or preferred mic device.
• Click the Output dropdown and select where you want party chat audio to play — your headset, speakers, or another connected device.
• Use the sliders below each dropdown to control microphone sensitivity and voice chat volume.

This is the setting that most people miss. Even if your game audio is going to the right device from the Mix tab, party chat voices will still come from a different output unless you set it here too.

Method 2: Change Party Chat Audio via Game Bar Party Settings

Xbox Game Bar has a dedicated Party Chat settings panel separate from the Audio widget. This is specifically for Xbox party sessions and gives you one more level of control over which device handles party voice audio.

• Press Windows + G to open Game Bar.
• Click the Settings gear icon in the Game Bar toolbar.
• Select Party Chat from the left menu.
• Under Audio output, select the device you want to use to hear your party.
• Under Audio input, select your microphone for party voice transmission.
• Close settings and rejoin or restart the party to apply the changes.

If the dropdown does not respond or open on the first click, try clicking it twice. This is a known minor UI quirk in the Party Chat settings panel that has been reported by multiple users.

Also confirm that Push to Talk is configured the way you want it here. If it is enabled and you are not holding the assigned key, your mic will not transmit regardless of which device is selected.

Method 3: Change Audio Devices via the Xbox App

The Xbox app has its own Audio settings section that controls the input and output devices used by the Xbox app and party chat independently from the rest of Windows. If you keep running into the wrong device being used for party sessions, setting it directly in the Xbox app is the most reliable way to lock it in.

• Open the Xbox app on your PC.
• Click your profile icon at the top left and select Settings.
• Click Audio in the left panel.
• Under Output device, click the dropdown and select the device you want Xbox party chat to play through.
• Under Input device, click the dropdown and select your preferred microphone.

By default both are set to System default, which means they follow whatever Windows has selected as the default device. If your Windows default is set correctly, leaving these on default is fine. But if you use multiple audio devices and Windows keeps switching the default on you, setting a specific device here locks party chat to the right output regardless of what Windows does.

Method 4: Change Party Chat Devices via the Xbox Social Widget

There is a fourth location for party audio settings that many users have never found. If you are already in an active party, you can access the Party Settings directly from the Xbox Social widget inside Game Bar.

• Press Windows + G to open Game Bar.
• Click the Widgets Menu button and select Xbox Social to open the social widget.
• If you are in an active party, click the Party Settings button inside the Xbox Party widget.
• Select your preferred Audio input and Audio output from the dropdowns.

This is useful when you are mid-session and need to swap devices without leaving the game or digging into the Settings gear.

Method 5: Change Game Audio Devices via Windows Sound Settings (App Volume and Device Preferences)

Windows has a per-app audio routing feature that lets you send specific apps to different output devices. If Xbox Game Bar keeps using the wrong output and none of the in-app settings are sticking, this is the Windows-level override that forces it.

• Press Windows + I to open Settings.
• Go to System → Sound.
• Scroll down and click Volume mixer (Windows 11) or App volume and device preferences (Windows 10).
• Look for Xbox Game Bar or GameBarFTServer in the app list. Note: the Xbox app must be open and have produced sound recently to appear here.
• Click the Output dropdown next to it and select your preferred audio device.
• Click the Input dropdown next to it and select your preferred microphone.

Changes here apply at the Windows level and will override what Game Bar tries to use automatically. This is particularly useful if Game Bar keeps reverting to the wrong device after reboots.

My Device Does Not Appear in the Dropdown — How to Fix It

If your headset or microphone is not showing up in any of the Game Bar audio dropdowns, there are a few common causes:

Check Windows Microphone Privacy Permissions

Even if your mic works in other apps, Windows may be blocking Game Bar’s access to it specifically.

• Press Windows + I → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
• Make sure Microphone access is ON.
• Enable Let apps access your microphone.
• Enable Let desktop apps access your microphone at the bottom.
• Confirm Xbox or Xbox Game Bar is toggled on in the app list if it appears.

Make Sure the Device Is Enabled in Windows Sound Settings

• Press Windows + R, type mmsys.cpl, and hit Enter.
• On the Playback tab, right-click in an empty area and select Show Disabled Devices.
• If your headset appears greyed out, right-click it and select Enable.
• Do the same on the Recording tab for your microphone.

Update Your Audio Drivers

A device that Windows cannot fully recognise will not appear in any app’s device list, including Game Bar.

• Right-click the Start button → Device Manager → expand Sound, video and game controllers.
• Right-click your audio device → Update driver → Search automatically.
• If the device still does not appear, visit your headset manufacturer’s website and install the driver manually.

Why Your Settings Keep Reverting to the Wrong Device

If you change the audio device in Game Bar but it reverts back after every session or reboot, that is a separate issue. The most common causes are audio exclusive control enabled on your device, a missing Windows audio registry key, or a corrupted Game Bar installation. Our guide on how to fix Xbox Game Bar resetting audio to maximum covers all of these scenarios in detail — the same root causes apply to device settings reverting as well as volume resetting.

If you are also experiencing lag or choppy audio after switching devices, check our guide on how to fix Xbox Game Bar party chat lag. For random party disconnects after changing devices, see our guide on how to fix random disconnects in Xbox Game Bar. For a full overview of every Xbox Game Bar feature and setting in one place, our complete Xbox Game Bar guide is worth bookmarking.

Quick Reference: Which Setting Controls What

The key thing to remember is that Xbox Game Bar treats game audio and party chat audio as two completely separate pipelines. Changing the output in the Mix tab will not move your party chat audio. You have to set the Voice tab separately, and if you use the Xbox app for parties, confirm it there too.

For most setups, Method 1 (the Audio widget Mix and Voice tabs) handles everything in under a minute. If devices keep reverting or are not showing up in the dropdowns at all, the Windows privacy permissions check and the driver update in the troubleshooting section above are the places to start.