How to Fix Audio Stuttering and Scratching in Yuzu Emulator on Windows

It's not the most common Yuzu emulator issue you'll come across, but if you are having weird audio issues like stuttering and scratchy sounds. This article will guide you through quite a few different solutions that will help you solve this problem. Just keep in mind that there are a lot of potential reasons for this problem, thus the long list of potential fixes. So don't get impatient and skip ahead. There's a good chance you'll miss the solution that solves the problem on your device.

How to Fix Audio Stuttering and Scratching in Yuzu Emulator on Windows

If you are having other Yuzu related issues, you can check out our massive library of troubleshooting guides for the PC and Android versions here. If you are using Citron Switch Emulator, the steps in this guide should also work for you as well, though some of the settings may be in slightly different locations. You can find all our Citron guides here.

Set Yuzu Priority to High

• Open the Windows search bar and type Task Manager.
• Open Task Manager and go to the Details tab.
• Find yuzu.exe in the list, right click it, choose Set Priority, then select High.
• Confirm the change.
• Close Task Manager and restart Yuzu.

Whenever you launch a game, repeat this step to ensure the priority is set to High.

Change the Audio Output Engine

• Open Yuzu and go to Emulation, then Configuration.
• Open the Audio section.
• Under Output Engine choose Cubeb or SDL.
• Apply the changes and test your game.

Adjust CPU and Graphics Settings

• Go to Emulation then Configuration.
• Enable Multi Core CPU Emulation.
• Under the CPU section choose Auto.
• Go to Graphics.
• Set Resolution Scale to 1X. Higher values can cause performance issues.
• If you are using OpenGL switch to Vulkan for better performance.
• Select your dedicated GPU.
• Enable the recommended graphics options.
• In the Advanced section disable VSync and enable the other listed options.
• Choose High for powerful GPUs or Normal if your GPU is weaker.

Note: You can find a full guide here

Use NSP Files Instead of XCI

• If your games are in XCI format convert or replace them with NSP files.
• XCI files often cause performance problems and audio issues in Yuzu.

Update Product Keys

• If you updated your firmware but kept old product keys you may encounter issues.
• Open Yuzu and go to File then Open Yuzu Folder.
• Open the Keys folder.
• Delete outdated prod keys.
• Copy your updated prod keys into this folder.
• Restart Yuzu after updating.

Update GPU Drivers

• Open the Windows search bar and type Device Manager.
• Open Display Adapters.
• Right click your GPU and open Properties.
• Check the Driver tab to confirm the latest driver is installed.
• Update your graphics driver if necessary.

Update Yuzu to the Latest Version

• Make sure you are using the newest release of Yuzu.
• Download the latest build and replace your old installation.

Adjust System Configuration

• Open the Windows search bar and type MSConfig.
• Open System Configuration.
• Go to the Boot tab, then Advanced Options.
• Make sure all options in this window are unchecked.
• Apply changes and restart your computer.

Optimise GPU Control Panel Settings

• If you have an NVIDIA GPU right right-click your desktop and open the NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Under Adjust Image Settings choose Performance.
• Go to Manage 3D Settings.
• Set OpenGL Rendering GPU to your dedicated device.
• Set Power Management Mode to Maximum Performance.
• Set Texture Filtering Quality to High Performance.
• Apply all changes.
• Next open Windows Display Settings.
• Scroll to Graphics Settings.
• Remove any old Yuzu entry.
• Browse to your Yuzu installation folder and add the exe file.
• Set it to High Performance.
• Reopen Yuzu.
• Before launching a game open Task Manager again and set yuzu.exe priority to High.
• Start your game and test the audio.