Balatro Audio Hot Switch

What does this mod do?

BalatroAudioHotSwitch enables seamless audio device switching while Balatro is running. When you change your system's default audio output (e.g., switching from speakers to headphones), simply alt-tab back to the game and your audio instantly switches to the new device. No restart required, no audio interruption - your music keeps playing, just on the new device.

Why was this made?

Balatro uses an older version of OpenAL (1. 19. 1) that doesn't support runtime audio device switching. This means if you change your audio output while playing, you'd normally have to restart the game to hear audio through the new device. This mod fixes that limitation.

How does it work?

The mod uses OpenAL Soft's alcReopenDeviceSOFT function (available in version 1. 22. 0+) to seamlessly redirect audio output when the game window regains focus. This is accomplished through:

1. A focus event handler that detects when you alt-tab back to the game

2. FFI (Foreign Function Interface) code that calls the OpenAL extension to switch devices

The switch is instant and non-disruptive - all audio sources continue playing without interruption.

Requirements

• []Lovely Injector - Runtime Lua injector for Balatro mods

  []OpenAL Soft 1. 22. 0 or newer (see installation below)

Installation

Step 1: Install Lovely Injector

Download Lovely and extract version.dll to your Balatro game folder.

Step 2: Install This Mod

Extract the mod to %AppData%/Balatro/Mods/BalatroAudioHotSwitch/

Step 3: Install Updated OpenAL (Required)

Copy the included OpenAL32.dll to your Balatro game folder (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Balatro\), replacing the existing file. Backup the original if desired.

Install via package manager:

sudo apt install libopenal1  # Debian/Ubuntu

sudo pacman -S openal         # Arch

sudo dnf install openal-soft  # Fedora

Install via Homebrew: brew install openal-soft

Usage

1. Start Balatro normally

2. Change your system audio output device (Windows: Settings → Sound → Output)

3. Alt-tab back to the game

4. Audio instantly plays through the new device

Disabling the Debug Console

Lovely Injector shows a debug console by default. To disable it, add --disable-console to Balatro's St