What is Simple Voice Chat?
Simple Voice Chat (SVC) by henkelmax is the de facto standard for in-game voice. Players near you in the world are audible with 3D positional falloff, so conversations happen where your characters stand. It ships for Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge, plus plugin builds (Paper/Spigot/Velocity and friends) so even semi-vanilla servers can run it.
Group channels, push-to-talk or activation modes, and an addon ecosystem (walkie-talkies, telephones, sound physics integration) round it out.
Setup and Daily Use
- Install on server and clients with matching major versions. The server opens a dedicated UDP voice port (default 24454) — hosts must expose it alongside the game port.
- Press V for the voice menu: pick microphone and output devices, set activation (push-to-talk or voice activation), and test levels.
- Talk. Proximity falloff applies automatically; whisper mode shrinks your radius, and the mute/deafen toggles live on the same menu.
- Groups: create a named group from the voice menu for party-wide chat regardless of distance; passwords optional.
- Icons: speaking indicators render over heads and in the HUD, with per-player volume adjustment from the menu.
Note: If teammates cannot hear anyone, the voice port is almost always the culprit — confirm UDP 24454 is forwarded or mapped by the host.
Simple Voice Chat FAQ
Why does Simple Voice Chat say "voice chat unavailable"?
The client could not reach the server's voice UDP port. The server owner must open or forward the configured port (24454 by default); shared hosts usually document a mapped port to set in the server config.
Can Fabric and Forge players voice chat together?
Yes. SVC is protocol-compatible across its loader and plugin builds, so mixed setups work when versions match.
How far does voice carry?
The default audible range is 48 blocks with distance falloff, configurable server-side. Whispering halves your effective radius; groups ignore distance entirely.