Preferences: Default audio device preference has no effect

[gm-bug-reporter]

Description

I plugged in a headset and it worked for everything on my computer except gamemaker. i went into general settings in my preferences and selected the headset as my default audio device and i also hit apply after doing so. when i go to preview sounds in the workspace, they wont play through my headset. i have tried restarting the ide, i have tried setting my sound to something else then back to the headset, nothing works.

[08:09:36:214(e2ea)] Audio Device Connected: Headphones (3- Captain 300)

Steps To Reproduce

simply try to use a headset.

Which version of GameMaker are you reporting this issue for?

IDE v2024.11.0.179 Runtime v2024.11.0.226

Which operating system(s) are you seeing the problem on?

Windows 10.0.19045.0

f63a09dc-a0ec-476d-9119-690f2e4ea040

[toby-yoyo]

The default audio device preference in GameMaker Preferences -> General has had never had any effect at all as far as I am aware. This was even the case before we integrated the runtime audio engine with the IDE.

As the preference only misleads users I have hidden it from the menu for now. There is a feature request for device picking which we do intend to implement in the near future - see #3315.

Both the IDE and runtime (Windows/macOS/Linux only) should track the system-level default device (see Windows Settings > System > Sound). I have checked that functionality while looking at this issue and have not found any problems with it.

Do note that on Windows it is possible to override the default device for specific applications. These overrides can be reset by going to Windows Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer and selecting "Reset sound devices and volumes for all apps to the recommended defaults". Having an override in place will force an application to use that device, regardless of any application preferences.

I'm closing this as 'Done' as there was work done that should go through QA (the now-hidden preference), but note that the information in the description suggests that the issue of the wrong device being used was a system-configuration issue rather than a GameMaker bug.