diff --git a/Externals/XAudio2_7/xma2defs.h b/Externals/XAudio2_7/xma2defs.h
diff --git a/Externals/licenses.md b/Externals/licenses.md
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ Dolphin includes or links code of the following third-party software projects:
    [LGPLv2+](http://www.surina.net/soundtouch/license.html)
 - [TAP-Windows](https://openvpn.net/):
    header only
-- [XAudio2](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh405049.aspx):
-   headers only
 - [xxHash](https://github.com/Cyan4973/xxHash):
    [2-clause BSD](https://github.com/Cyan4973/xxHash/blob/master/LICENSE)
 - [zlib](http://www.zlib.net/):

diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.cpp b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 #include "AudioCommon/OpenSLESStream.h"
 #include "AudioCommon/PulseAudioStream.h"
 #include "AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.h"
-#include "AudioCommon/XAudio2Stream.h"
-#include "AudioCommon/XAudio2_7Stream.h"
 #include "Common/Common.h"
 #include "Common/FileUtil.h"
 #include "Common/Logging/Log.h"
@@ -29,30 +27,37 @@ static bool s_sound_stream_running = false;
 constexpr int AUDIO_VOLUME_MIN = 0;
 constexpr int AUDIO_VOLUME_MAX = 100;
 
-void InitSoundStream()
+static std::unique_ptr<SoundStream> CreateSoundStreamForBackend(std::string_view backend)
 {
-  std::string backend = SConfig::GetInstance().sBackend;
   if (backend == BACKEND_CUBEB)
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<CubebStream>();
+    return std::make_unique<CubebStream>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_OPENAL && OpenALStream::isValid())
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<OpenALStream>();
+    return std::make_unique<OpenALStream>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_NULLSOUND)
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<NullSound>();
-  else if (backend == BACKEND_XAUDIO2)
-  {
-    if (XAudio2::isValid())
-      g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<XAudio2>();
-    else if (XAudio2_7::isValid())
-      g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<XAudio2_7>();
-  }
+    return std::make_unique<NullSound>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_ALSA && AlsaSound::isValid())
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<AlsaSound>();
+    return std::make_unique<AlsaSound>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_PULSEAUDIO && PulseAudio::isValid())
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<PulseAudio>();
+    return std::make_unique<PulseAudio>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_OPENSLES && OpenSLESStream::isValid())
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<OpenSLESStream>();
+    return std::make_unique<OpenSLESStream>();
   else if (backend == BACKEND_WASAPI && WASAPIStream::isValid())
-    g_sound_stream = std::make_unique<WASAPIStream>();
+    return std::make_unique<WASAPIStream>();
+  return {};
+}
+
+void InitSoundStream()
+{
+  std::string backend = SConfig::GetInstance().sBackend;
+  g_sound_stream = CreateSoundStreamForBackend(backend);
+
+  if (!g_sound_stream)
+  {
+    WARN_LOG(AUDIO, "Unknown backend %s, using %s instead.", backend.c_str(),
+             GetDefaultSoundBackend().c_str());
+    backend = GetDefaultSoundBackend();
+    g_sound_stream = CreateSoundStreamForBackend(GetDefaultSoundBackend());
+  }
 
   if (!g_sound_stream || !g_sound_stream->Init())
   {
@@ -101,8 +106,6 @@ std::vector<std::string> GetSoundBackends()
 
   backends.emplace_back(BACKEND_NULLSOUND);
   backends.emplace_back(BACKEND_CUBEB);
-  if (XAudio2_7::isValid() || XAudio2::isValid())
-    backends.emplace_back(BACKEND_XAUDIO2);
   if (AlsaSound::isValid())
     backends.emplace_back(BACKEND_ALSA);
   if (PulseAudio::isValid())
@@ -127,8 +130,6 @@ bool SupportsDPL2Decoder(std::string_view backend)
     return true;
   if (backend == BACKEND_PULSEAUDIO)
     return true;
-  if (backend == BACKEND_XAUDIO2)
-    return true;
   return false;
 }
 
@@ -142,8 +143,7 @@ bool SupportsVolumeChanges(std::string_view backend)
   // FIXME: this one should ask the backend whether it supports it.
   //       but getting the backend from string etc. is probably
   //       too much just to enable/disable a stupid slider...
-  return backend == BACKEND_CUBEB || backend == BACKEND_OPENAL || backend == BACKEND_XAUDIO2 ||
-         backend == BACKEND_WASAPI;
+  return backend == BACKEND_CUBEB || backend == BACKEND_OPENAL || backend == BACKEND_WASAPI;
 }
 
 void UpdateSoundStream()

diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.vcxproj b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.vcxproj
@@ -46,10 +46,6 @@
     <ClCompile Include="WASAPIStream.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="SurroundDecoder.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="WaveFile.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="XAudio2Stream.cpp" />
-    <ClCompile Include="XAudio2_7Stream.cpp">
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(ExternalsDir)XAudio2_7;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
-    </ClCompile>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClInclude Include="AlsaSoundStream.h" />
@@ -66,8 +62,6 @@
     <ClInclude Include="WASAPIStream.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="SurroundDecoder.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="WaveFile.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="XAudio2Stream.h" />
-    <ClInclude Include="XAudio2_7Stream.h" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Text Include="CMakeLists.txt" />

diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.vcxproj.filters b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/AudioCommon.vcxproj.filters
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@
     <ClCompile Include="OpenALStream.cpp">
       <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="XAudio2Stream.cpp">
-      <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
-    <ClCompile Include="XAudio2_7Stream.cpp">
-      <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
-    </ClCompile>
     <ClCompile Include="CubebStream.cpp">
       <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -43,12 +37,6 @@
     <ClInclude Include="OpenALStream.h">
       <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
     </ClInclude>
-    <ClInclude Include="XAudio2Stream.h">
-      <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
-    </ClInclude>
-    <ClInclude Include="XAudio2_7Stream.h">
-      <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
-    </ClInclude>
     <ClInclude Include="PulseAudioStream.h">
       <Filter>SoundStreams</Filter>
     </ClInclude>

diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/CMakeLists.txt b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -71,19 +71,7 @@ if(WIN32)
 
     WASAPIStream.cpp
     WASAPIStream.h
-    XAudio2Stream.cpp
-    XAudio2Stream.h
   )
-
-  add_library(audiocommon_xaudio27
-    XAudio2_7Stream.cpp
-    XAudio2_7Stream.h
-  )
-  target_include_directories(audiocommon_xaudio27 PRIVATE
-    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Externals
-    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/Externals/XAudio2_7
-  )
-  target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE audiocommon_xaudio27)
 endif()
 
 target_link_libraries(audiocommon PRIVATE cubeb SoundTouch FreeSurround)
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2Stream.cpp b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2Stream.cpp
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2Stream.h b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2Stream.h
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2_7Stream.cpp b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2_7Stream.cpp
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2_7Stream.h b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/XAudio2_7Stream.h
diff --git a/Source/Core/Core/ConfigManager.h b/Source/Core/Core/ConfigManager.h
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ struct BootParameters;
 #define BACKEND_CUBEB "Cubeb"
 #define BACKEND_OPENAL "OpenAL"
 #define BACKEND_PULSEAUDIO "Pulse"
-#define BACKEND_XAUDIO2 "XAudio2"
 #define BACKEND_OPENSLES "OpenSLES"
 #define BACKEND_WASAPI _trans("WASAPI (Exclusive Mode)")
 

diff --git a/Source/VSProps/Base.props b/Source/VSProps/Base.props
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@
       This numeral indicates the "minimum system required" to run the resulting
       program. Dolphin targets Vista+, so it should be 0x0600. However in practice,
       _WIN32_WINNT just removes up-level API declarations from headers. This is a
-      problem for XAudio2 and XInput, where Dolphin expects to compile against the
-      Win8+ versions of their headers. So while we really need Vista+ level of
-      support, we declare Win8+ here globally. If this becomes a problem, the
-      higher declaration can be contained to just the XAudio2/XInput related code.
+      problem for XInput, where Dolphin expects to compile against the Win8+
+      versions of the headers. So while we really need Vista+ level of support,
+      we declare Win8+ here globally. If this becomes a problem, the higher
+      declaration can be contained to just the XInput related code.
       -->
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_WIN32_WINNT=0x0602;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>