Do this first

The quick route

  1. Stand next to a friend in an open area and test at close range.
  2. Confirm your preferred microphone is the active system input.
  3. Leave external party chat or switch the console back to game chat.
  4. Check that neither the microphone nor game voice chat is muted.
  5. Install Big Walk 1.5.1 and check the separate audio-category sliders.

Expected proximity behavior

Voice getting quieter with distance is not automatically a fault. Communication range is part of Big Walk's design, and walls or in-game situations can restrict it. Walkie-talkies and other communication methods are intended parts of play.

What versions 1.4.8, 1.4.10, and 1.5.1 changed

Version 1.4.8 added output normalization for unusually quiet microphones, and 1.4.10 improved voice stability. Version 1.5.1 adds separate volume sliders for audio categories and increases the range of the voice-amplifying item. None of those changes removes normal proximity-based voice range.

A useful isolation test

Test the microphone in the operating system, then test Big Walk while standing close to one friend. If the system meter moves but nobody hears you in game, record your platform, selected input device, party-chat state, and whether text chat works. On PS5, continue with the PS5-specific checklist linked below.

Sources checked

Where this answer comes from

Links and claims last checked August 31, 2026. Community sources describe reported symptoms, not guaranteed fixes.