MW2 players can activate the loudness equalization setting on their PC to allow them to hear the opposing team’s footsteps more clearly.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) is a first-person shooter game that takes place in a realistic and modern setting. The story follows multinational unit task force 141 and Mexican Special Forces unit, Los Vaqueros, as they attempt to track down Hassan Zyani.
Gamers who are familiar with the game know that it is imperative that you hear your enemy’s footsteps. You can now use loudness equalization to enhance the sound of their footsteps.
Why must you hear the opposing team’s footsteps?
MW2 presents multiple gaming modes that set 2 teams of players against each other. During the Knockout mode, you have to capture a package with limited lives.
Prisoner Rescue requires a team to extract a hostage while the defending team prevents enemies from capturing their hostage.
If you listen to the opposing team’s footsteps, you will have a clear indication of where they are located. You will then be able to defeat them more easily and therefore, win the match.
However, if you are unable to hear the other team’s footsteps, you will struggle to defeat them.
MW2: Loudness equalization
MW2 has been criticized for its poor audio quality, especially when as it pertains to hearing the other team’s footsteps. Some players have revealed that the opposing team’s footsteps are inaudible and that they only hear the footsteps when the enemies get too close.
That being said, the game’s updates have eliminated this issue to an extent, but it is yet to be fully resolved. However, players who enjoy MW2 on a personal computer (PC) have discovered a simple trick that improves the game’s audio quality.
Allegedly, there is a loudness equalization setting that can improve the chances of you hearing other players easily in the game.
Bear in mind, though, that this feature is only applicable for MW2 PC users. Unfortunately, players who are enjoying the game on other platforms are stuck with the issue.
To enable your loudness equalizer, you have to navigate to your PC’s sound icon, which can usually be found in the bottom right corner.
You should then right-click on the icon and select sounds. Once you are in the menu, you have to select the “Playback” tab and scroll down until you have found the “System” category.
You have to ensure that your system is selected before setting it as your primary source. After right-clicking on the system, you have to choose the “Properties” category.
Here, you will be able to click on the “Enhancements” tab. In the new menu, you can activate your PC’s loudness equalization, which will improve the audio quality of the opposing team’s footsteps.
Why is loudness equalization only for PC players?
Unfortunately, only PC users have access to this loudness equalization setting. This is because PlayStation and Xbox do not have a comparable setting to play with.
However, you can use the following settings to improve your audio quality if you are playing on a PlayStation or Xbox:
| Volume setting | Recommended volume |
| Audio Mix | Headphones Base Boost |
| Master Volume | 70 percent |
| Music Volume | 0 percent |
| Dialogue Volume | 30 percent |
| Effects Volume | 100 percent |
| Hit Marker Volume | 40 percent |
| Speakers/Headphones Game Sound Device | Default |
| Mono Audio | Off |
If you use these settings in MW2, you will be able to hear the opposing team’s footsteps more clearly and therefore, be able to defeat them quicker.
Boost High technique
After adjusting your settings so that your loudness equalization is active, you may want to change your audio mix to “Boost High.” This allegedly increases all audio from the game in volume and the opposing team’s footsteps are clearer.
However, it is crucial that you activate your loudness equalization with the Boost High effect. If you do not activate the loudness equalization, the game sounds much worse and you will not be able to hear your enemies clearly.
When you have the loudness equalization and Boost High active, your gunshots, kill streaks, and other noises will be extremely quiet and balanced. This helps you hear footsteps more clearly while playing MW2.
Software
If you are interested in boosting MW2 audio even more, you can download audio software. If you are playing on a PC, you should use SteelSeries Sonar. It allows you to customise the EQ on all audio, regardless of what headset or speaker you are using.
The software comes with preset options that allow you to switch between them to find the best audio settings for your listening device. For MW2, it is advisable that you either use either the Warzone, Apex Legends, or FPS Footsteps presets.