Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise, or “how to increase footstep noise in Black Ops 4” is an umbrella question that could be asked of just about any competitive FPS out there. In a game that plays similar to a modern day pistols at dawn shootout, it’s those with the faster trigger finger who usually come out on top.
But gunning down the competition is far more than simply being the first to pull the trigger in a game like Black Ops 4. It’s a major contributing factor for sure, but unless you’re literally turning on command and firing from a six-shooter at a target opposite you in a wide-open field, there’s more information you can use to your advantage. Gun stats are only part of the equation, and just as hardware and software can boost or reduce your ability to hear enemy footsteps, perks in Black Ops 4 are specifically designed to dish out this valuable advantage, too.
Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise
We’re going to split this Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise guide up into sections just like Black Ops 4 itself. There’s more than just one way to fight with or against other players, and how you go about that from the menu will dictate the main how and why you’ll want to increase footstep noise in Black Ops 4. Follow these general rules for now, but you’ll usually want to tweak settings as you switch between multiplayer modes; which we’ve covered in the individual headings down below.
Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise – External Sound Options
You won’t find many options to increase footstep noise in Black Ops 4 itself, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to tweak things slightly in other ways. If you’re to reliably use footsteps to gauge enemy movement in-game, you’re going to want to use a headset rather than your standard speaker setup. The drivers found in a good pair of headphones combined with their padding will create an optimal environment to deliver Spatial 3D audio to your ears without other noises leaking through and throwing you off. If your pair has any kind of external EQ settings, lowering bass and upping treble can aid in separating helpful noise from unhelpful noise, making that important footstep sounds louder and clearer.
Console players sometimes rely on external Mixer/amplifiers to toy around with these settings, but PC users should see similar results by simply turning on Loudness Equalization for their sound device in Windows Sound Settings, Spatial Sound through the Windows Sonic settings, or Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound. We all have different preferences when it comes to sound, so testing these settings for yourself will be the only sure-fire way of finding which works best for you.
If you’re still having trouble will pinpointing enemy sounds, you could look into turning down certain settings within the game itself. You won’t find specific EQ settings here like in some other games, but you’ll be able to silence music and voice sounds if you’ve blamed either of those on for clouding your judgment in the past.
You can even turn off multiplayer dialog if you’re really wanting to play by ear. When changing these settings you’ll want to keep ‘SFX Volume’ as loud as you can. While softening gunshots and distant explosions may sound good on paper for zeroing in on nearby opponents, doing so will also lessen the impact of footstep noise. That’s the complete opposite of what we’re aiming for.
Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise in Multiplayer
Standard multiplayer is where all this footstep talk began. As Call of Duty spiked in popularity around 10 years ago, players began to look for every advantage they could get to bump up their KDA and dish out more of those air strikes, attack dogs, and other classic killstreak perks.
By far the easiest way to increase footstep noise in Black Ops 4 is to make sure you’re rocking the Acoustic Sensor in your Gear slot. This will mean giving up a Stim Pack (your main source of HP recovery in Black Ops 4, but the increased footstep sounds being piped into your ear could help reduce the damage you take in a fight by allowing you to react faster to enemy whereabouts.
But on the opposite side of things, players who love to run and gun sneak up behind you will likely be rocking the Dead Silence perk. Equipable in a separate slot from the Acoustic Sensor itself, this ability will stop that player from registering on your sensor, and will soften their footsteps to boot. This means you’ll be back to square one with that enemy in particular.
Your Acoustic Sensor will pick up those without the Dead Silence perk just fine, but it means you won’t be able to rely on your gear choice to feed you the enemy team’s every move.
Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise in Blackout
Footstep noise in Blackout is a different beast entirely. If you played the beta, you’ll have noticed that footstep noise was elevated by default to the point where enemies 40+ yards away felt like they in the next room, with anyone closer sounding like you’d dropped your head onto the stage of Lord of the Dance for a better view.
But things don’t seem quite so pronounced in the live game available today. Footsteps are still noticeable in Blackout, but the scavenging mechanic at the very core of the Battle Royale formula means you won’t have the luxury of Gear like Acoustic Sensor constantly at your disposal. Of course, that means your enemies are also fairly unlikely to have access to Dead Silence, meaning the vast majority of your Blackout hit list will be on equal footing if you’ll pardon the pun.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to increase footstep noise in Black Ops 4 Blackout. As mentioned above, finding the Acoustic Sensor gear on your travels will boost your natural ability to hear the footsteps of your enemies. But just like in standard multiplayer, toying with your in-game settings can improve things further. And you won’t have to rely on finding perks out in the field, either.
Black Ops 4 Increase Footstep Noise in Zombies
Finally, it’s time for a few words on how to increase footstep noise in Black Ops 4 Zombies. Not much changes here, with the methods remaining the same. The difference is that the team-based game of Zombies delivers information through a number of different sounds. Sure, zombies have been known to shuffle along the ground aren’t exactly known for talking strategy with their zombie kin.
They’ll make plenty of noise as they invade the stage, but unlike human enemies, zombies communicate their position with more than just their feet – they use their mouths, too. It’s bad news for them, but good news for you that zombies have been known to groan and moan as they stumble toward their prey.
While you’ll still mostly want to tweak EQ settings to create a larger gap between highs and lows by reducing bass and increasing treble, you’ll need to keep things fairly uniform so you can hear friendly gunfire, nearby environmental hazards, and necessary announcements.
Zombies do a lot of bashing against obstacles, and turning down bass too much could hinder your ability to accurately track where they’re about to bust in from next.
