diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio27Thread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio27Thread.cpp
index 2f16e00233..aa1b8f89e6 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio27Thread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio27Thread.cpp
@@ -10,12 +10,15 @@
 
 extern cfg::bool_entry g_cfg_audio_convert_to_u16;
 
+static thread_local HMODULE s_tls_xaudio2_lib{};
 static thread_local IXAudio2* s_tls_xaudio2_instance{};
 static thread_local IXAudio2MasteringVoice* s_tls_master_voice{};
 static thread_local IXAudio2SourceVoice* s_tls_source_voice{};
 
-void XAudio2Thread::xa27_init()
+void XAudio2Thread::xa27_init(void* lib2_7)
 {
+	s_tls_xaudio2_lib = (HMODULE)lib2_7;
+
 	HRESULT hr = S_OK;
 
 	hr = CoInitializeEx(nullptr, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
@@ -41,8 +44,6 @@ void XAudio2Thread::xa27_init()
 		s_tls_xaudio2_instance->Release();
 		Emu.Pause();
 	}
-
-	LOG_SUCCESS(GENERAL, "XAudio 2.7 initialized");
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::xa27_destroy()
@@ -65,6 +66,8 @@ void XAudio2Thread::xa27_destroy()
 	}
 
 	CoUninitialize();
+
+	FreeLibrary(s_tls_xaudio2_lib);
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::xa27_play()
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio28Thread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio28Thread.cpp
index 0e54cc35d6..3f4325ab9d 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio28Thread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio28Thread.cpp
@@ -10,13 +10,16 @@
 
 extern cfg::bool_entry g_cfg_audio_convert_to_u16;
 
+static thread_local HMODULE s_tls_xaudio2_lib{};
 static thread_local IXAudio2* s_tls_xaudio2_instance{};
 static thread_local IXAudio2MasteringVoice* s_tls_master_voice{};
 static thread_local IXAudio2SourceVoice* s_tls_source_voice{};
 
-void XAudio2Thread::xa28_init(void* module)
+void XAudio2Thread::xa28_init(void* lib)
 {
-	auto create = (XAudio2Create)GetProcAddress((HMODULE)module, "XAudio2Create");
+	s_tls_xaudio2_lib = (HMODULE)lib;
+
+	const auto create = (XAudio2Create)GetProcAddress(s_tls_xaudio2_lib, "XAudio2Create");
 
 	HRESULT hr = S_OK;
 
@@ -43,8 +46,6 @@ void XAudio2Thread::xa28_init(void* module)
 		s_tls_xaudio2_instance->Release();
 		Emu.Pause();
 	}
-
-	LOG_SUCCESS(GENERAL, "XAudio 2.8 initialized");
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::xa28_destroy()
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ void XAudio2Thread::xa28_destroy()
 	}
 
 	CoUninitialize();
+
+	FreeLibrary(s_tls_xaudio2_lib);
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::xa28_play()
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.cpp
index 0f7dc8a16d..894b91c6eb 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.cpp
@@ -2,53 +2,92 @@
 
 #include "Utilities/Log.h"
 #include "Utilities/StrFmt.h"
-#include "Utilities/Config.h"
-#include "Emu/System.h"
 
 #include "XAudio2Thread.h"
 #include <Windows.h>
 
-extern cfg::bool_entry g_cfg_audio_convert_to_u16;
-
 XAudio2Thread::XAudio2Thread()
-	: m_xaudio(LoadLibraryA("xaudio2_8.dll"))
 {
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_init(m_xaudio) : xa27_init();
+	if (auto lib2_7 = LoadLibraryExW(L"XAudio2_7.dll", nullptr, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32))
+	{
+		xa27_init(lib2_7);
+
+		m_funcs.destroy = &xa27_destroy;
+		m_funcs.play    = &xa27_play;
+		m_funcs.flush   = &xa27_flush;
+		m_funcs.stop    = &xa27_stop;
+		m_funcs.open    = &xa27_open;
+		m_funcs.add     = &xa27_add;
+
+		LOG_SUCCESS(GENERAL, "XAudio 2.7 initialized");
+		return;
+	}
+	
+	if (auto lib2_9 = LoadLibraryExW(L"XAudio2_9.dll", nullptr, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32))
+	{
+		// xa28* implementation is fully compatible with library 2.9
+		xa28_init(lib2_9);
+
+		m_funcs.destroy = &xa28_destroy;
+		m_funcs.play    = &xa28_play;
+		m_funcs.flush   = &xa28_flush;
+		m_funcs.stop    = &xa28_stop;
+		m_funcs.open    = &xa28_open;
+		m_funcs.add     = &xa28_add;
+
+		LOG_SUCCESS(GENERAL, "XAudio 2.9 initialized");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (auto lib2_8 = LoadLibraryExW(L"XAudio2_8.dll", nullptr, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32))
+	{
+		xa28_init(lib2_8);
+
+		m_funcs.destroy = &xa28_destroy;
+		m_funcs.play    = &xa28_play;
+		m_funcs.flush   = &xa28_flush;
+		m_funcs.stop    = &xa28_stop;
+		m_funcs.open    = &xa28_open;
+		m_funcs.add     = &xa28_add;
+
+		LOG_SUCCESS(GENERAL, "XAudio 2.8 initialized");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	throw fmt::exception("No supported XAudio2 library found");
 }
 
 XAudio2Thread::~XAudio2Thread()
 {
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_destroy() : xa27_destroy();
-
-	FreeLibrary((HMODULE)m_xaudio);
+	m_funcs.destroy();
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::Play()
 {
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_play() : xa27_play();
+	m_funcs.play();
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::Close()
 {
-	Stop();
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_flush() : xa27_flush();
+	m_funcs.stop();
+	m_funcs.flush();
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::Stop()
 {
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_stop() : xa27_stop();
+	m_funcs.stop();
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::Open(const void* src, int size)
 {
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_open() : xa27_open();
-	AddData(src, size);
-	Play();
+	m_funcs.open();
+	m_funcs.add(src, size);
+	m_funcs.play();
 }
 
 void XAudio2Thread::AddData(const void* src, int size)
 {
-	m_xaudio ? xa28_add(src, size) : xa27_add(src, size);
+	m_funcs.add(src, size);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.h b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.h
index 3a354c4e08..99f80b98c8 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.h
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Audio/XAudio2/XAudio2Thread.h
@@ -6,9 +6,19 @@
 
 class XAudio2Thread : public AudioThread
 {
-	void* const m_xaudio;
+	struct vtable
+	{
+		void(*destroy)();
+		void(*play)();
+		void(*flush)();
+		void(*stop)();
+		void(*open)();
+		void(*add)(const void*, int);
+	};
 
-	static void xa27_init();
+	vtable m_funcs;
+
+	static void xa27_init(void*);
 	static void xa27_destroy();
 	static void xa27_play();
 	static void xa27_flush();