Arch Linux

jammer

Member

Registered: 2020-10-10

Posts: 19

[SOLVED] Programs keep swapping back to default audio output

I'm using Plasma / Pipewire / Lutris / Proton to play most of my games and a lot of them don't have in-game option to change audio devices. I can swap the audio output in plasma's volume mixer and it works fine, but when I restart the game it's back to the default.

I'm not sure why this setting isn't saving for specifically my games when it seems to remember it for other programs. If I can't save the setting is there a way to manually force the sound to always go to specific output for specific applications? (with pipewire's configuration?)

Last edited by jammer (2026-10-07 06:06:04)

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 78,509

Re: [SOLVED] Programs keep swapping back to default audio output

Automagic profile selection?
Try to disable it, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PipeWi … _selection for an example

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jammer

Member

Registered: 2020-10-10

Posts: 19

Re: [SOLVED] Programs keep swapping back to default audio output

Automagic profile selection?

Disabled automatic profile selection but it did not help. I think the game (Hearthstone) might specifically choose default output as it's output device, but can I somehow override this behavior?

Last edited by jammer (2026-10-06 03:27:33)

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 78,509

Re: [SOLVED] Programs keep swapping back to default audio output

Is it game™ or proton?
You can https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/WirePl … evice/node the undesired output(s)

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

jammer

Member

Registered: 2020-10-10

Posts: 19

Re: [SOLVED] Programs keep swapping back to default audio output

Seems it might be related to proton, tested steam game (Day of the Tentacle Remastered) and it also resets the output.
I use mixer so I have multiple output devices for game audio / system audio / music etc.

jammer

Member

Registered: 2020-10-10

Posts: 19

Re: [SOLVED] Programs keep swapping back to default audio output

Thanks for pointing towards Proton! I figured out that I can use PULSE_SINK environment variable to make it use different device and this solves the issue for me.