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[Roussow]

I can't help but read ahead when subtitles are on display, I "spoil" the delivery, in a sense. So I leave them off, I'm also not watching the rest of the screen when they're on, they just diminish everything else as I play, it's only when I'm listening to a podcast or also watching another television show that I leave them on.

 

[Solid Samus]

I used to until The Witcher 3 showed me the way.

Shit draws my eyes away from the real show. Don't need em.

 

[BeforeU]

I usually keep them on.

 

[jimmyd]

If it means I can skip the slow, awful voice acting that many games have then yes.
If it means I can actually understand the gibberish and made-up words then yes. (usually found in lore-heavy games)

 

[Goldenhen]

I always do. I would like to have large size font as option for TV.

I couldn't finish the first Assassin's Creed game because there was no subtitle available.

 

[-Horizon-]

Always on when possible. I always feel like I'll miss some important plot point if characters start whispering or something lol

 

[CLEEK]

Always off.

It annoys the living piss out of me when a new game starts and I find they're on by default and I have to wait before I can switch the fuckers off.

 

[Alebrije]

I use them

currently hatting Witcher 3 ones , very small.....

 

[Vuapol]

Turning subtitles on is almost always the first thing I do when starting a game for the first time.

 

[Mad Season]

Turning subtitles on is almost always the first thing I do when starting a game for the first time.

Same. First thing

 

[Cave Johnson]

I believe it was the battle between Kratos and Theseus that made me go "what the hell are they talking about?" in full 5.1 surround sound at MAX. I guess it depends on the quality of the soundwork (Half-Life could've used some subtitles to be honest) because it's sometimes hard to tell if they are talking or mumbling. Preferably I don't but it's always on by default.

 

[IvorB]

No, not really. Unless the game is in Japanese or something why would I need subtitles?

 

[Dsyndrome]

Every single game. I've been burned too many times by unintelligible or inaudible dialogue, both important and not. No reason not to have both audio and words for games.

 

[tanooki27]

for me it breaks immersion, somewhat. playing the FFX remaster became more pleasurable after turning the subtitles off. things seemed to unfold more naturally.

 

[Sunnington]

I watch movies with subtitles because they have such poor volume levels. Games, I usually adjust the volume so I can hear what the characters are saying. I leave it off so I can concentrate on the character movements.

 

[Hyunkel6]

Turning subtitles on is almost always the first thing I do when starting a game for the first time.

Yep. Same here, along with changing audio output to "headphones".

 

[LAM09]

I normally enable them on most games.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

Always. Sometimes they mumble shit and I can't miss anything.

 

[Dubz]

Who here watches movies in their native language with subtitles on? No one. So why with games?

 

[Nothing1016]

Who here watches movies in their native language with subtitles on? No one. So why with games?

Me. It's practically mandatory.

 

[Smo21]

As someone who is slightly hearing impaired I feel they're necessary. Really annoyed when games don't have subtitles but that's getting rarer these days.

 

[Skelter]

Always. Every game no matter what.

 

[Sunnington]

Me. It's practically mandatory.

Seriously, why do multmillion dollar movies have music and sound effects that drown out voices? It seems like the first thing you would learn in a video editing class. Actually, it seems more like common sense and something that wouldn't even need to be taught.

 

[jg4xchamp]

I have them on for TV shows on Amazon prime or Netflix. In games almost all the time except tomb raider, that game had fugo subtitles.

 

[Matty77]

Who here watches movies in their native language with subtitles on? No one. So why with games?

Did you read the previous four and a half pages before you posted where over 90% of posts said they use subtitles in games, and a further percentage said the do use them on native language movies and television. That's the one thing I don't get on forums, the whole "because I do it a certain way that's the only way attitude".

 

[Troubled Bat]

I have it on at all times.

 

[Airgetlam]

I turn them on any chance I get. I really hate mishearing a word or something even if it's unimportant. It really bugs me for some reason.

 

[Portugeezer]

Yes, in case I don't hear something.

 

[Kas]

Always. I don't want to miss anything when I'm playing.

 

[Leithkorias]

I do most of the time. I've noticed most games do a poor job of boosting the dialogue over other audio and it often makes it hard to understand speech the way you can with movies. If its easily understandings I turn them off.

 

[Orochinagis]

Spanish subs are usually from spain even in latinamerican voices so sometimes I put the subs in english

 

[Renekton]

Native voices (e.g. Japanese voice for Japanese game, will pay if DLC needed)

English or Mandarin subtitles.

 

[Kieli]

I need them because I can't understand what characters are blabbering on about half the time.

 

[Cormano]

Always on.

 

[Truckondo2.0]

When you have kids / babies, it's a must. They seem to be loud at the most inconvenient moments.

 

[Reni]

Always on.

 

[Undead]

Don't know how many times I had to turn subtitles on due to almost silent conversations between NPC's.
When devs don't fuck up the sound mixing so that you can actually hear the conversations then I put them off, sadly far too many devs are useless with sound mixing.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

Always on.

 

[GamerJM]

Absolutely always, though on my setup it can be difficult because I play on a monitor and I sit further away from it than is ideal.

 

[Teletraan1]

How would you do it? I'm curious

Moveable/scaleable/toggleable UI/HUD element. Like how all other UI elements should be.

Always on. I play a lot of games with music on or at low volumes.

 

[adj_noun]

Who here watches movies in their native language with subtitles on?

I do. Same reason I use 'em on games; helps ensure I don't miss/not understand any dialogue.

 

[thedan001]

I'm deaf lol, so a definite yes

 

[TimorousPanda]

I do!

 

[Disgraced]

Nope, I hate having subtitles on (except in Deadly Premonition or games with mostly text-based dialogue). Personally, they shatter my immersion, simple as that.

On the contrary, if they're not turned on in a let's play, that sort of makes me upset, because it goes to show the LPer has sharp disrespect for the content they're meant to be showcasing.

 

[Mephala]

Almost always. I leave it off when I can't read it any way or some other similar reasons.

 

[Adnor]

Always on. While I can understand english pretty well (can't talk it or write it to save my life though ) I prefer to have them in case a character has a weird accent or something making it hard to understand.

 

[Spwn]

Usually I do, especially when I'm not wearing headphones - main reason being that English isn't my first language and sometimes characters either have an accent or use an unfamiliar dialect that is way more understandable in written form.

 

[John Caboose]

I leave them on because half the time the music and sound effects are too loud to hear what anybody is saying.

I keep them on, more for gameplay than cutscenes so I don't miss anything.

This is pretty much how I feel as well. I put subtitles on in almost every game. I prefer them on in movies as well because the dialogue is always incredibly low volume compared to all other noise.

 

[Almighty]

Always on. I played in a house with a lot of ambient noise growing up so they became a must. Now I can't play without them and they are one of the first if not the first option I look at.

 

[LeonSPBR]

Turning subtitles on is almost always the first thing I do when starting a game for the first time.

Same here.