How to Turn On Your Mic in Marvel Rivals (PC, PS5, Xbox)
To turn on your mic in Marvel Rivals, open Settings from the main menu, go to the Audio tab, set Voice Chat to On, then choose Push-to-Talk or Open Mic and pick your microphone as the input device. If it still doesn’t work, check Windows microphone permissions, the DualSense mute button or headset switch, and Xbox or PS5 privacy settings.
Most “my mic doesn’t work” problems come down to 3 switches: the Voice Chat toggle in the Audio tab, the Windows or console permission, or a physical mute. Check them in that order before you think about reinstalling the whole game (a reinstall is almost never the fix).
How do you turn on your mic in Marvel Rivals?
Turn on Voice Chat in the Audio tab and choose Push-to-Talk or Open Mic. It takes under a minute.
- From the main menu, open Settings (the gear icon).
- Switch to the Audio tab. On controller, use the shoulder buttons to move between tabs.
- Find the Voice Chat section and turn Voice Chat on.
- Choose a mode: Push-to-Talk or Open Mic.
- Select your microphone as the input device and your headset as the output.
- Adjust microphone and voice chat volume, then save.
Then test it in a match. A speaker or mic icon next to your name on the team list means the other 5 players can hear you. No icon? Jump to the troubleshooting section below. A custom game with a friend is a quicker way to check than waiting for a full match, because the same icon appears there.
Should you use push-to-talk or open mic?
Push-to-talk for most players. Your mic only transmits while you hold the bound key, so the other 5 players don’t hear your keyboard or TV.
Open Mic suits a quiet room, and on a DualSense or Xbox controller it saves you holding an extra button mid-fight. The catch is everything else it picks up. Mechanical keyboards, desk fans, a TV in the next room: all of it goes straight to 5 strangers. Honestly, nobody wants to hear that during a payload push.
| Mode | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Push-to-Talk | Noisy rooms, keyboard players, ranked | Pick a key you can press mid-fight |
| Open Mic | Quiet rooms, controller players, parties with friends | Background noise, accidental hot mic |
If you go with Push-to-Talk on PC, bind it to a mouse side button rather than a key next to Shift, E or Q. Pressing it shouldn’t cost you a cooldown.
Why is my mic not working in Marvel Rivals on PC?
Usually Windows is blocking microphone access, the wrong device is selected, or another app is holding the mic. Check those three first.
- Open Windows Settings, then Privacy and security, then Microphone. Make sure microphone access is on and that desktop apps are allowed to use it.
- In Windows Sound settings, set your headset mic as the default input device, then select the same device in the game’s Audio tab.
- Close or restart apps that use the mic, such as Discord, and try again. Some players report that voice apps and the game fight over the same device.
- If push-to-talk does nothing, rebind the key; a conflict with another binding is a common cause.
- Restart the game after changing devices. Some changes only apply on launch.
Plugged in a new headset mid-session? Windows 10 and 11 often switch the default device on their own, and the game keeps listening to the old one until you restart it. Funny enough, that’s one of the most common causes, and it looks exactly like a broken mic.
How do you fix voice chat on PS5?
Check the DualSense mute button, the PS5’s microphone settings, and the in-game Voice Chat switch. On PS5, the console-level settings can override the game.
The mute button sits in the middle of the DualSense, below the PlayStation button. When its light is on, your mic is muted, both the controller’s built-in mic and a headset plugged into it. Then open the PS5 Settings, go to Sound, then Microphone, and check the input device and level. If you’re playing on a child account, parental controls for communication can also block voice chat entirely (the parent account has to change that).
Playing on a PS4 instead? The steps are similar, and our guide to Marvel Rivals on PS4 covers the rest of what’s different on the older console.
How do you fix voice chat on Xbox?
Check Xbox privacy settings for voice communication and cross-network play. Those settings often block voice chat with players on other platforms.
On Xbox Series X|S, open Settings, then Account, then Privacy and online safety, and review who you can communicate with by voice and text. Marvel Rivals matches you with PC and PlayStation players, so if communication with players outside Xbox is restricted, you won’t hear them and they won’t hear you. Child accounts are controlled from the parent account or the Xbox Family Settings app.
Also check the headset itself. Many Xbox headsets have a mute switch on the earcup or flip-to-mute on the mic boom, and it’s easy to knock.
Why does my mic in Marvel Rivals sound too quiet or noisy?
Check three levels: the in-game microphone volume, the input level in Windows or on the console, and where the mic actually sits on your headset.
On PC, open Windows Sound settings, select your microphone and watch the input meter while you talk; aim for the bar to move clearly without hitting the top. In the game’s Audio tab, raise or lower microphone volume to match. On PS5, the Microphone section in Sound settings has its own level adjustment. Mic position matters more than any slider, though. A boom mic two fingers’ width from the corner of your mouth sounds far better than one pointing at your chin.
Background noise is the other half. Push-to-Talk solves most of it. If you prefer Open Mic, the noise suppression built into many headset apps and tools such as NVIDIA Broadcast can filter out fans and keyboards (it costs a little GPU power, which on a weaker PC you may notice in big fights).
Can you mute other players in Marvel Rivals?
Yes. You can mute individual players from the scoreboard or the player list during a match, and turn down voice chat volume in the Audio settings.
Real talk: muting is underused. One player shouting at the team for a whole match affects five people, and muting them takes a couple of seconds. You can still read pings and play your hero. If someone crosses the line, report them as well as muting; the two do different jobs.
There’s a middle ground, too. Turning voice chat volume down without muting anyone keeps callouts audible but less overwhelming, which works well in Quick Match where comms are mostly casual anyway.
Do you need voice chat to play Marvel Rivals well?
No, but it helps, especially in ranked. Short callouts about enemy ultimates and flankers win fights. Pings cover a lot of it if you’d rather not talk.
Good comms are short. “Spider-Man behind us.” “Luna ult ready.” “Two down, push.” That’s the level of detail that helps; long explanations mid-fight don’t.
Thing is, timing matters as much as wording. The best moment to talk is right after a fight ends or while the team walks back from spawn, when nobody is tracking a target. Mid-fight, stick to one or two words. If you’re the Strategist, calling your own ultimate before you use it lets the Vanguard know when it’s safe to push in, which is often worth more than any kill callout. Put simply, you don’t have to talk much, but listening is worth it, so keep voice chat output on even if you never press push-to-talk yourself.
If you’re climbing, our explanation of Marvel Rivals ranks shows how the ladder works. And while you’re in the settings anyway, set up your emotes and sprays too; our guide on how to customize the wheel walks through it. Once voice chat is on and tested, your mic in Marvel Rivals stays set up for every match until you change devices.
FAQ
How do I enable voice chat in Marvel Rivals?
Open Settings, go to the Audio tab, turn Voice Chat on, choose Push-to-Talk or Open Mic, and select your microphone as the input device.
Why can’t my teammates hear me in Marvel Rivals?
Check that Voice Chat is on in the game, that the right microphone is selected, that your mic is not muted on the headset or controller, and that system or console privacy settings allow voice chat.
Is voice chat off by default in Marvel Rivals?
Voice chat settings can be off or set to push-to-talk when you first play, so check the Audio tab before your first match.
How do I fix my mic on PC for Marvel Rivals?
Allow microphone access for desktop apps in Windows privacy settings, set your mic as the default input device, select it in the game, and restart the game.
Why can’t I hear PlayStation or PC players on Xbox?
Xbox privacy settings may block voice communication with players outside Xbox. Check Privacy and online safety in the Xbox account settings.
Can I mute someone in Marvel Rivals?
Yes. You can mute individual players during a match and lower voice chat volume in the Audio settings.
