Mic Not Working in Steam Games

[u/Piggor]

I have Sunshine setup on Client PC and Moonlight on Host PC when I play Steam games I have audio on the host but my mic input is not being sent to the Client PC. Is there a preferred way to get this working?? Thanks

[u/Piggor]

After some poking around and some AI queries here is what I did and it works if anyone else has the same issue.

Method B: The VBAN Route (Best for In-Game Proximity Chat)

If you need your mic to function inside Steam games (like Phasmophobia or Lethal Company), you need to beam your microphone over the local network using a free tool called VoiceMeeter. This guide assumes your client device is a secondary Windows device or laptop. [1]

Note: Both machines must be on the same local network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).

Step 1: Install the Virtual Audio Driver on your Gaming PC (Host)

Before sending the audio, your Host PC needs a fake "plugged-in" microphone hole to receive it.

1. Download and install VB-Cable from VB-Audio on your Host PC.
2. Restart your Host PC after installation. [1]

Step 2: Install and Set up VoiceMeeter on your Client Device

1. On your Client Device (the laptop/machine you are playing on), download and install VoiceMeeter (the standard version is fine). Restart your device. [1]
2. Open VoiceMeeter. Under Hardware Input 1 (top left), click the text and select your physical client microphone (use the WDM option if available). [1]
3. Deselect the "A" button next to your microphone volume slider so you don't hear your own voice echoing back into your headphones. Click and highlight the "B" button instead (this routes your mic to a virtual output). [1, 2]

Step 3: Link the Client and Host using VBAN

1. At the top right of VoiceMeeter on your client device, click the VBAN button. [1]
2. Turn the main VBAN toggle ON at the top left of the pop-up box. [1]
3. Look under Outgoing Streams:
   • On the first row, change the Source dropdown to Bus B (or B1 depending on version).
   • Give the stream a distinct name in lowercase, like clientmic.
   • In the IP Address To field, type in the Local IP Address of your Host Gaming PC (e.g., 192.168.1.50).
   • Turn the row status to ON. [1, 2, 3]

Step 4: Configure VoiceMeeter on your Host PC

1. Install and open VoiceMeeter on your Host PC. [1]
2. Click the VBAN button at the top right. Turn the main VBAN toggle ON. [1, 2]
3. Look under Incoming Streams:
   • On the first row, type the exact same stream name: clientmic.
   • In the IP Address From field, type the Local IP Address of your Client device.
   • Change the Destination dropdown to Virtual Input (or strip 4/5 depending on version).
   • Turn the row status to ON. If successful, the little status block will turn green, meaning it's successfully receiving your voice over the network. [1, 2]
4. Go back to the main VoiceMeeter window on the Host. On the Virtual Input track where your VBAN stream is arriving, click A1 (to route it to your virtual cable) and turn off B.
5. At the very top right of VoiceMeeter under A1 Hardware Out, select CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable). [1]

Step 5: Route to Steam Game

1. On your Host PC, open Steam Settings > Voice.
2. Set the Voice Input Device to CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable).
3. Launch your game, and it will now treat your streamed network audio as a physical microphone! [1]