diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/MasterGameplayClockContainer.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/MasterGameplayClockContainer.cs
index 54ed7ba626..2844d84f31 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/MasterGameplayClockContainer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/MasterGameplayClockContainer.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using osu.Framework.Audio;
 using osu.Framework.Audio.Track;
 using osu.Framework.Bindables;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Framework.Logging;
 using osu.Framework.Timing;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.ControlPoints;
@@ -39,6 +40,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             Precision = 0.1,
         };
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Whether the audio playback is within acceptable ranges.
+        /// Will become false if audio playback is not going as expected.
+        /// </summary>
+        public IBindable<bool> PlaybackRateValid => playbackRateValid;
+
+        private readonly Bindable<bool> playbackRateValid = new Bindable<bool>(true);
+
         private readonly WorkingBeatmap beatmap;
 
         private Track track;
@@ -128,6 +137,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
         {
             // Safety in case the clock is seeked while stopped.
             LastStopTime = null;
+            elapsedValidationTime = null;
 
             base.Seek(time);
         }
@@ -197,6 +207,51 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             addAdjustmentsToTrack();
         }
 
+        protected override void Update()
+        {
+            base.Update();
+            checkPlaybackValidity();
+        }
+
+        #region Clock validation (ensure things are running correctly for local gameplay)
+
+        private double elapsedGameplayClockTime;
+        private double? elapsedValidationTime;
+        private int playbackDiscrepancyCount;
+
+        private const int allowed_playback_discrepancies = 5;
+
+        private void checkPlaybackValidity()
+        {
+            if (GameplayClock.IsRunning)
+            {
+                elapsedGameplayClockTime += GameplayClock.ElapsedFrameTime;
+
+                elapsedValidationTime ??= elapsedGameplayClockTime;
+                elapsedValidationTime += GameplayClock.Rate * Time.Elapsed;
+
+                if (Math.Abs(elapsedGameplayClockTime - elapsedValidationTime!.Value) > 300)
+                {
+                    if (playbackDiscrepancyCount++ > allowed_playback_discrepancies)
+                    {
+                        if (playbackRateValid.Value)
+                        {
+                            playbackRateValid.Value = false;
+                            Logger.Log("System audio playback is not working as expected. Some online functionality will not work.\n\nPlease check your audio drivers.", level: LogLevel.Important);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        Logger.Log($"Playback discrepancy detected ({playbackDiscrepancyCount} of allowed {allowed_playback_discrepancies}): {elapsedGameplayClockTime:N1} vs {elapsedValidationTime:N1}");
+                    }
+
+                    elapsedValidationTime = null;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        #endregion
+
         private bool speedAdjustmentsApplied;
 
         private void addAdjustmentsToTrack()
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs
index 785164178a..f88526b8f9 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs
@@ -208,6 +208,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 
         private Task submitScore(Score score)
         {
+            var masterClock = GameplayClockContainer as MasterGameplayClockContainer;
+
+            if (masterClock?.PlaybackRateValid.Value != true)
+            {
+                Logger.Log("Score submission cancelled due to audio playback rate discrepancy.");
+                return Task.CompletedTask;
+            }
+
             // token may be null if the request failed but gameplay was still allowed (see HandleTokenRetrievalFailure).
             if (token == null)
             {