Severe Orca screen reader audio stutter on Ubuntu 25.10 in VMware Workstation Pro (Accessibility issue)

[MesterPerfect]

Ubuntu Support Template

Ubuntu Version:

Ubuntu 25.10 (fresh installation from the official ISO)

Desktop Environment (if applicable):

GNOME (default)

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Problem Description:

I am a blind user and rely entirely on the Orca screen reader for all interaction.
When running Ubuntu 25.10 inside VMware Workstation Pro on Windows, the audio output from Orca becomes extremely choppy, distorted, and stuttered. The speech is very hard to understand and makes the system nearly unusable.

This issue affects all audio inside the VM, not just Orca.

However:

• The same Ubuntu 25.10 ISO works perfectly in VirtualBox on the same machine — audio is smooth.
• Older Ubuntu releases in VMware Workstation Pro do not have this issue.
• This suggests a regression or compatibility issue between Ubuntu 25.10’s audio stack (PipeWire) and VMware’s virtual sound hardware.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Install Ubuntu 25.10 in VMware Workstation Pro on Windows.
2. Enable Orca (Screen Reader).
3. Interact with the system normally.
4. Notice severe audio stutter and distortion.

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Relevant System Information:

• Host OS: Windows (running VMware Workstation Pro)
• VM platform: VMware Workstation Pro
• Virtual sound device: Default VMware virtual audio
• Guest OS: Ubuntu 25.10
• Screen reader: Orca
• Audio system: PipeWire (default in Ubuntu 25.10)

No special host-side audio modifications.
Other virtual machines run normally without audio issues.

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Screenshots or Error Messages:

There is no error message.
The issue is audible: the screen reader speech is distorted and stuttering.

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What I’ve Tried:

• Reinstalling Ubuntu 25.10 inside VMware
• Checking audio settings in Ubuntu
• Checking audio settings in VMware Workstation Pro
• Testing older Ubuntu versions (they work normally)
• Testing Ubuntu 25.10 in VirtualBox (also works normally)

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Before Posting:

I have checked for similar reports but haven’t found a confirmed fix.
Reviewed the “Start here” guide.

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[halogen2]

Does anything from this thread help? -

VM_Ubuntu2025.10 on VMware_Workstation and Sound_Problem

Hello my setup here is: (All on Dell LapTop Precision 7730, see picture below) Host Windows11_25H2, VMwareWorkstation_17.6.4, VM Ubuntu2022.04 with GnuRadio and all works fine. I know, never touch a running system… But now, I decided, it is time to modify my setup and switch to Ubuntu_2025.10. Therefore I installed a new VM with Ubuntu2025.10 from ubuntu-25.10-desktop-amd64.iso and all the updates after the basic installation. All works fine, but NOT the sound. The playback is distor…

[MesterPerfect]

@halogen2

Does anything from this thread help?

Thanks for the suggestion and for sharing the link.

Just to clarify: the audio issue starts from the very beginning of the boot process.
The sound is distorted and choppy even during the initial startup music, before the installer appears. So the problem occurs before I reach the installation screen, and I can’t complete the installation in order to apply any of the configuration changes mentioned in that thread.

If there are any workarounds that can be applied before installation (such as VMware .vmx audio settings or special boot parameters), I would really appreciate it.

Thanks again for your help!

[MesterPerfect]

This video shows audio cutting out with the Orca screen reader when starting to install Ubuntu.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MM87T3BXqHoxqFpiMYADfay36lyNKhf/view?usp=sharing

[charles05]

I’m sorry to say there’s not much practical you can do before the installation starts to avoid this. The sound server as shipped in 25.10 doesn’t perform well on certain virtual machines. The bug report is here.

The issues were reportedly not present in 24.04 if you are able to use that. A fix was submitted to the sound server and will be in 26.04, but it won’t be backported to the interim release.

[MesterPerfect]

Thank you for the clarification and for sharing the bug report. That explains the behaviour I’m seeing. I’ll stay on 24.04 for now and wait for the fix in 26.04. I appreciate your help!