Audio Issues on PS5 - Cracking Sound Effects

Dear GGG Team,

Since the release of the game, I have been experiencing persistent audio issues on my PS5. The problem lies specifically with the sound effects. At irregular intervals, a cracking noise can be heard through the speakers. The intensity of the crackling varies and appears inconsistently during gameplay. It becomes particularly noticeable when navigating the skill tree, especially while scrolling.
When I disable sound effects in the audio settings, the cracking sound disappears, but this also results in the complete loss of sound effects, which is not an ideal solution.
I have tried the following steps to resolve the issue:

• Changing various in-game settings.
• Reinstalling the game.
• Adjusting all available audio settings on the PSS.

Additional details:
1. My PS5 system software is 24.08-10.40.00.07-00.00.00.0.1, and it is up to date.
2. I am playing on the latest game version (current patch).
3. This issue occurs exclusively with Path of Exile 2. Other games do not exhibit this behavior.

Unfortunately, none of these actions have resolved the problem. The issue persists whether I use headphones, a sound system, or my TV speakers.
This crackling noise is extremely distracting and significantly impacts the gameplay experience. I hope your team can investigate this issue and provide a fix soon.
Thank you for your attention and support.

Best regards,

Ya man it is so annoying .. definitely need to be given more attention as this game truly has great soundtrack and effects

I can also observe the described behavior, using the following setup/settings:

The PoE 2 in-game "Channel Count" is set to "High".

My PS5 (CFI-1116A) is connected to a LG C2 OLED TV via HDMI and has the following "Audio Output" settings:

- HDMI Device Type: AV amplifier
- Number of Channels: 5.1ch
- Audio Format: Linear PCM

My TV is connected to a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) via HDMI and uses eARC (the Beam itself is connected wirelessly to a Sub Mini and two One SL speakers which act as the rear left/right speakers in the surround setup). Its "Digital Sound Output" setting is set to "Pass Through".

I personally haven't tried any other settings yet since these are the ones that are supposed to give the highest (uncompressed) audio quality and I don't have any audio issues with any other games or media on the PS5.

Same issue on PlayStation 5 Pro. Headset and speakers. It’s an odd thing to mess up as this game is so great. Hopefully it gets fixed