Still having that aweful lip sync issue...

[RPGGamer67]

Still having that aweful lip sync issue...

I know it's not just me, but this game seems to have great voice lip syncing but the audio is always a few milliseconds ahead. This always ends up distracting me and I can't really find a way to fix it. I know a lot of people are having these issues because, so far, I've encoutered around 7 thread detailing the issue and how to "fix" it. Here are the things I've done so far to combat this issue (none of them worked, btw):

vSync On/Off;

Limiting fps to 60fps through NVidia Inspector/game options;

Resetting my cpu clock speeds;

Changing my system timer through the cmd;

Turning off the application that overclocks my GPU;

Updating to the latest NVidia drivers;

Of course, turning off the Nvidia streamer service;

Playing around with the options menu and turning everything down to low

I have a gtx980ti. Trust me, I can run the game. I also have mods, the only ones being big are the popular retexture mod and the super turbo lighting mod.

So far, nothing has seemed to stop this issue from happening. It's a damn shame because the devs must have put so much time and effort into making the lip syncing just perfect, only to have it all lag behind the audio and ruin a lot of people's immersion. I always get distracted by this issue so I stop caring about what the characters are saying. Sometimes I just keep exiting the game to find more fixes, to no avail. I hope this issue can be fixed...

Specs:
Intel Core i5 4690K @ 3.5ghz
Asus z97 Pro
16GB DDR3 Memory
Strix GTX 980ti
Windows 7
Graphics Driver Version: 378.78

 

[SigilFey]

1.) What language are you running in, and are you using subtitles?

2.) Can you provide your specs more completely, Windows version, driver version, etc.?

3.) Please deactivate and uninstall all mods. After doing this, try beginning a new game and see if the problem persists.

4.) If using Geforce Experience or other such 3rd-party programs, I recommend uninstalling them completely.

5.) Also, using overclocking of any kind is not recommended for TW3. The engine can be very temperamental. Save the juice for shooters or sims!

 

[RPGGamer67]

It turns out that overclocking really helps my performance in the game for some reason. I get a lot less stuttering, which is why I turned it back on once I turned it off. The issue still persisted once I turned it off as well. Think I should still do it?

 

[RPGGamer67]

Lip Sync Issue, that is. The lip sync issue persisted once I turned overclocking off.

 

[SigilFey]

Please follow the itemized steps, and respond to each step in turn. Jumping around will simply make it more difficult to figure out where the problem may be stemming from. At the moment, I really have no idea what the problem might be.

 

[RPGGamer67]

When you say to deactivate all mods, do you mean the unofficial goty unification patch as well?

 

[RPGGamer67]

1) I am running in English and I am using subtitles now.
2) Intel Core i5 4690K @ 3.5ghz
Asus z97 Pro
16GB DDR3 Memory
Strix GTX 980ti
Windows 7
Graphics Driver Version: 378.78
3) Deactivated all mods except for the unofficial GOTY unification patch. Still have the issue.
4) Uninstalled GeForce Experience. Still have the issue.
5) Turned off overclocking for CPU and GPU. Still have the issue but it's a tiny, tiny less noticeable.

Please note that I have played the game a few years ago and I didn't have this issue. Also, for some stupid reason, the game has been stuttering a lot. Do you think I should role back on a previous nVidia driver?

Would you like me to post a video on youtube about it? Maybe it's an issue with the game itself that everyone is having but I just seem to notice it more. I'll also show some stuttering in the video as well if you like.

 

[RPGGamer67]

Okay, so sorry for wasting your time, but I think it's an issue with the game itself. I watched a few let's plays on youtube and they all seem to have the same problem with the lip syncing that I described. I guess the game is just designed that way, and there's not really anything I can do about it. It's kind of sad, but, you know, what can you do? Thanks for the help.

 

[SigilFey]

When you say to deactivate all mods, do you mean the unofficial goty unification patch as well?

Yes. Especially for troubleshooting purposes. Fixes like this can often introduce issues.

Okay, so sorry for wasting your time, but I think it's an issue with the game itself. I watched a few let's plays on youtube and they all seem to have the same problem with the lip syncing that I described. I guess the game is just designed that way, and there's not really anything I can do about it. It's kind of sad, but, you know, what can you do? Thanks for the help.

It isn't the game directly. I have almost exactly the same specs as you've posted with just a bit more horsepower in CPU department:

i7-4790K
ASUS Z-97 mobo
16 GB DDR3
eVGA GTX 980 ti
Samsung EVO SSD
Windows 7

Nvidia 355.82 drivers. 1920x1080 in Fullscreen, Ultra everything (except Hairworks OFF), Vsync on, Frame Limit at 60 FPS. Plus, shadow tweaks to extend shadow details and distance, increased mip bias, and 16x AF through Nvidia CP. Frames to render ahead = 1. I get about 50-60 FPS everywhere. Very infrequent hitching if something is loading while moving. No stutter at all. No lip-sync issues except for the odd scene here and there where a line or two may be a touch off.

Try disabling all Steam / GOG / Origin overlay features. Ensure the game's .EXE and all .DLL files in the same folder are added to your anti-virus / firewall exceptions list. Run Steam in offline mode / bypass GOG altogether by running the .EXE from the folder directly. (Just be sure you are completely disconnected from all online functionality.) Try these things systematically, testing the game after each step from a clean Windows launch. I'm pretty sure the problem is somewhere on your system. You should be seeing pretty comparable performance to my own.

I strongly recommend disabling overclocking of any sort with TW3. The engine is super-picky. It does not like things being out of sync.

You may also want to manually uninstall the mods you're using, instead of simply disabling them. Delete any extraneous files they installed, and delete any game files they actually alter. Then, run a verify / repair through Steam / GOG / Origin. Sometimes changes introduced by mods can linger even if their plugin file is "disabled".

Lastly, Hairworks is a beast on system resources. It brings my system below 30 FPS in places, but I'll receive a clean 60 FPS with it disabled. Plus, as proprietary tech, there's no telling how newer driver versions will interact with it.

 

[RPGGamer67]

I think what I'll do is I'll delete my .setting files in my documents and my bin folder. I'll uninstall all mods as well, and I'll verify the integrity of the game cache. Then, I'll do the fixes that you asked for. By the way, I've already done most of the fixes on the performance thread. I'll get back to you with some results.

 

[RPGGamer67]

Oh, quick question: do you suggest having gsync on and physx designated for CPU?

 

[SigilFey]

Nope. No Gsync monitor. I would recommend disabling Gsync, ensuring Vsync is set to "Use the 3D application setting" under Nvidia CP, and in-game Vsync is ON. Also, refresh rate should be 60 Hz (not 120, 144, etc.) Basically, all visuals should sync up at either 60 FPS or 30 FPS.

PhysX is set to Auto for me. Lost track of what happened with this, but I think the game forces it onto the CPU by design.

Another possibility, download Nvidia Inspector, and try setting its frame cap to set 59 or 58 FPS. Try toggling in-game Frame Limit between 60 / unlimited for each.

 

[RPGGamer67]

Ok, so I did all of the steps and it seems that the issue hasn't been resolved. Maybe my headset is lagging a bit? If so, that shouldn't be the case because all the other sounds in other games don't seem to be lagging behind. I'll try to use normal headphones plugged into my computer to see if it works. My headset is wireless so maybe that's why?

 

[SigilFey]

It's possible. Can you try it with just regular, wired speakers? Another thought, check the jack that you are plugging them into. If you have the option of plugging them into your sound card directly, do so, rather than using a "convenience" port on the front of your PC, for example.

 

[RPGGamer67]

Okay so thanks for all of the help because ever since I roled back on the nvidia drivers I have a lot less stuttering and the lip sync is a lot better once I used my normal earbuds connected to my computer. Thanks so much for the great advice

 

[SigilFey]

No sweat! I'm happy to see any level of victory with this issue.

 

[Pomian]

For future generations,
Repairing the game may not help if you are trying to sync files from the classic Witcher 3 with the GOTY version.

Potential solutions:
- Completely remove the game and its settings from the Witcher 3 directory in the Documents folder. Reinstall (Do not start with the launcher, so that it does not download the previous settings from the cloud)
- Change the language version for a while, and then set it back to the one you want
- Check the game settings, test the combinations of V-Sync and the frame limit.
- Disable GeForce Experience / GeForce InGame Overlay / Xbox Game Bar
- If you are using mods check out High Quality Faces, Lip Movement and HiRes Shadows, Community Patch - Besserwisser's