SoundSwitcher

SoundSwitcher

SoundSwitcher brings the “Device” button from the Minecraft 21w37a snapshot’s or newer version’s Music & Sounds menu to older versions of the game. Switch your headphones, speakers, or any other audio output on the fly — no restart required.

How It Works

• Device Enumeration – On game startup, SoundSwitcher queries OpenAL to build a list of all currently available audio output devices. This list is presented right inside the in-game sound settings.
• Live Switching – Selecting a device immediately reinitializes the OpenAL context, redirecting all game audio to your chosen output. No restart, no reload.
• Fallback Safety – If the selected device becomes disconnected or unavailable during gameplay, the mod automatically falls back to the system’s default device, preventing silent game audio.

Important Notes & Limitations

• New devices after launch won’t appear – Just like the original 21w37a implementation, the device list is captured at startup. If you plug in or pair a new audio device (e.g., Bluetooth headphones) while the game is running, you’ll need to restart Minecraft for it to show up in the list. While I tried a lot to add the ability to dynamically refresh the device list when new audio hardware is connected, I found that the required implementation is extremely complex. Current platform restrictions also make it impossible to deliver a fully working solution, so I have decided to abandon the development of this feature.
• For other non-English-speaking players – This mod displays device names exactly as they appear in OpenAL, so you may encounter garbled text. Please be aware of this.
• Client‑side only – SoundSwitcher is entirely client‑side and safe to use on any server, vanilla or modded.

Why use SoundSwitcher?

• Finally get the 21w37a device switcher on 1.7.10 .
• Instantly move game audio from speakers to a headset without interrupting your gameplay.
• Avoid the hassle of editing configs or restarting just to change your output device.

Creadits

Mojang Studio for the modern minecraft device switcher idea.
Nieobie for the logo icon.