Fix: Borderlands 3 Black Screen Issue on PC, PS5, PS4, or Xbox Consoles

Borderlands 3 is one of the action role-playing video games that come under the first-person shooter genre released in 2019, developed by Gearbox Software, and published by 2K Games. It’s available for most popular platforms like Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and Macintosh. As this game recently received an update, there are reports that users are facing black screen issues on their gaming console or PC. If you’re facing Borderlands 3 Black Screen Issue on PC, PS5, PS4, or Xbox Consoles, check out this guide to fix it.

Most PC games come with several issues or bugs, and when it comes to multiplayer gameplay, players are affected a lot by the black screen issue or startup crashing issue. These issues may not be fixed by the developer end because the chances are high that the problem is appearing to you specifically or a couple of players only. In that scenario, some issues or conflicts may prevent your game from running properly.

Steps to Fix Borderlands 3 Black Screen Issue on PC

The chances are high that Borderlands 3 black screen issue may appear due to the PC configuration compatibility issue with the game’s system requirements. Meanwhile, having an outdated graphics driver, missing or corrupted game files, outdated game version, issues with DirectX, overlay app issues, higher in-game graphics settings, etc., can cause several issues with the black screen while the game launches.

It’s worth mentioning to check out the game’s system requirements from the mentioned link to ensure there is no compatibility issue appearing on your computer.

1. Disable Full-Screen Optimizations

First, go to the installed Borderlands 3 game folder on your PC.
Right-click on the Borderlands 3.exe file and click on Properties.
Go to the Compatibility tab > Uncheck the Enable Fullscreen Optimizations toggle.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

2. Run the game as an Administrator

Make sure to run the game exe file as an administrator to avoid user account control regarding privilege issues. To do this:

Right-click on Borderlands 3 exe shortcut file on your PC.
Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

For Steam:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Borderlands 3 from the left pane.
It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
Wait some time to install the update > Once done, close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Head over to Library.
Now, click on the three dots icon of Borderlands 3.
Make sure the Auto Update option is turned on.

5. Check System Resources

If the game loads slow or takes too much time in startup, check out the system resources after launching Borderlands 3 game on your PC by following the steps below to check whether the RAM or CPU Usage becomes higher or not.

Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab > Select the task that you want to close.

Once selected, click on End Task. Make sure to do the steps for each task individually.
Once done, just restart your computer to change effects immediately.

6. Try Disabling Overlay Apps

It seems that a couple of popular apps have their own overlay program that can eventually run in the background and cause gaming performance or even launching issues. You should turn them off to fix the issue by following the steps below:

Disable Discord Overlay

Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
Click on Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
Click on the Games tab > Select Borderlands 3.
Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar

Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game bar option.

If in case, you’re unable to find out the Game Bar option then just search for it from the Windows Settings menu.

Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay

Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes and launch the Borderlands 3 game again.

Also, keep in mind that you should always disable some other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that run in the background.

7. Check Windows Updates

The chances are also high that your Windows OS build becomes outdated for a while. In that scenario, your gameplay performance will impact a lot apart from bugs or stability issues. So, it’s always better to check for Windows updates and install the latest version (if available). To do that:

Press Windows + I keys to open up the Windows Settings menu.
Next, click on Update & Security > Select Check for updates under the Windows Update section.

If there is an update available, select Download and install.
Wait for some time until the update gets completed.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes immediately.

8. Lower in-game Graphics Settings

Try lowering the in-game graphics settings from the game menu to check if that helps or not. Disable V-Sync, Shadow effects, Anti-Aliasing, and try running a lower display resolution for the game to fix black screen-related issues.

9. Update DirectX

Sometimes an outdated DirectX version or missing DirectX can also cause multiple issues with the game launching or gameplay. You should try following the steps below to update it.

Head over to this Microsoft link to download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer on your PC.
Next, install or update the DirectX version manually.
Once done, restart your computer to apply changes.

10. Press ALT+TAB Key Combo

Some affected PC users have mentioned that by pressing the ALT + TAB key shortcut combo, they’re able to switch between the opened programs on the PC. So, keep pressing the ALT + TAB to switch between programs and then go back to the running game again to check whether the problem has been fixed or not. It’ll change the display mode from full-screen to windowed mode and then full-screen mode which can fix the black screen issue.

11. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime

Make sure to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer to fix multiple gaming issues or errors completely. To do that:

Press the Windows key from the keyboard to open up the Start Menu.

Type Apps & Features and click on it from the search result.
Now, locate the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) in the list.

Select each program and click on Uninstall.
Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
Once done, install it on your computer, and restart the system to change the effects.

12. Repair Game Files

Mostly corrupted or missing game files on your computer won’t notify you, but whenever you try launching the game, it’ll crash, or after loading, sometimes it won’t open. In that scenario, you’ll scratch your head; that’s what’s happening. But repairing the installed game files directly from the client will resolve multiple issues. To do so:

For Steam:

Launch the Steam client > Click on Library.
Right-click on Borderlands 3 from the list of installed games.
Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.

Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
Once done, just restart your computer.

Xbox App for PC:

Launch the Xbox app on your PC.
Go to the INSTALLED section > Click on the three dots icon of Borderlands 3.
Now, select Manage > Select the FILES tab.
Click on VERIFY AND REPAIR under Options.
Wait for the process to be completed.
Once done, reboot the launcher, and run the game.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Click on Library.
Click on the three-dots icon of Borderlands 3.
Click on Verify, and it’ll start verifying the game files.
Wait for the process to complete and restart the launcher.

Fix: Borderlands 3 Black Screen Issue on Xbox Consoles

Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S console users can follow the methods below to try fixing out the black screen issue after startup with Borderlands 3.

1. Check for Game Updates

An outdated game version can cause several compatibility issues rather than bugs. So, it’s always better to keep your game version up-to-date. To do so:

Press the Xbox button on your controller.
Next, choose My games & apps > Select See all.
Select Manage and then Updates.
If there is an update available, your console will automatically start downloading & installing the new patch.

2. Check System Updates

Press the Home button on the Xbox console to open the Dashboard menu.
Now, select Settings from the bottom of the menu > Select All Settings.
Choose to System > Select Updates.
Select Update Console (if available) > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.
Once done, make sure to restart the console to apply changes.

3. Reinstall Borderlands 3

As a final resort, if nothing works for you, try uninstalling and reinstalling the game completely. It may also be possible that your game files are become corrupted or missing. Therefore, try to reinstall Borderlands 3 on your console. To do that:

Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
Select My games & apps > Hit See all > Choose to Games.
Then select the Ready to install tab > Select Queue.
Select Borderlands 3 game that you’re trying to reinstall.
Now, press the Menu button on your controller.
Select Manage game & add-ons or Manage app.
Choose Borderlands 3 > Select Uninstall all.
Make sure to select Uninstall all to confirm the task.
Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
Reboot the system to apply changes.
Then press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu again.
Hit My games & apps > Select See all > Go to Games.
Select the Ready to install tab > Hit Install for Borderlands 3.
Wait for the installation process and then restart the console.

4. Reset the Console

Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
Select Profile & system > Go to Settings > Select System.
Go to Console info > Select Reset console.
You will get a prompt like Reset your console?
Here you should select Reset and remove everything. [This will delete all user data, including accounts, saved games, settings, all installed apps & games, etc.]
- Although you can choose to Reset and keep my games & apps, it may not resolve the issue in most cases.
After you select the option, your Xbox console starts deleting and resetting the system to the factory default settings.
Wait for the process to get completed, then reboot the console.

Fix: Borderlands 3 Black Screen Issue on PS5 and PS4

If you’re using the PS4 or PS5 console, follow the steps below to fix the black screen issue.

1. Check System Updates

Checking for system updates on the PlayStation or Xbox console is recommended before getting into any other workarounds. Sometimes an outdated system build can cause several issues.

Go to the Settings menu on the PlayStation console.
Select System Software Update > Make sure to check for available updates and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process.
Once done, reboot the system to apply changes.

2. Delete Saved Game Data

Well, corrupted or missing game data can also cause multiple issues with the crashing on the PlayStation console. We recommend you delete the saved game data on the PS4/PS5 console to check for the issue.

Go to the Settings menu > Select Storage.
Choose Saved Data > Select Borderlands 3.
Press the Options button on the controller > Select the saved game data files (one or multiple).
Hit Delete and confirm the task to complete it.
Once done, make sure to reboot the console to apply changes.

All of the Borderlands 3 game locally saved data will be deleted from your PlayStation console. But don’t worry. Since you’re online, all saved game data will be there.

3. Link PlayStation account with Activision

Sometimes the account connectivity issues with the game and the console service network can cause crashing or the game not launching. You should do the following steps one by one to check if that helps or not.

Ensure your PlayStation Network account is linked to your Activision account to properly sync the server connectivity. You can also unlink and re-link the account to check for the issue.

4. Rebuild Database (PS4/PS5)

Rebuilding the database on your PlayStation console can quickly resolve the potential issues or errors. To do so:

Switch off your console completely. Unplug the power cable from the console and wait for around 2-3 minutes.
Now, plug in the power cable, and turn it on to clear the Cached Data automatically from the system.

Check whether this issue has been fixed with the Borderlands 3 game or not. If not, follow the next steps below.

Now, press and hold the Power button on the PlayStation console until you hear two beeps. [The second beep will sound after seven seconds]
The console will boot in the Safe Mode > Connect the controller to the USB with the console and press the PS Button on the controller.
Next, you’ll get an option called ‘Rebuild Database’.
Select ‘Rebuild Database’ and confirm the task.
It may take some time, depending on the hard drive data size. Have some patience.
Once done, just reboot the system normally.

That’s it, guys. We hope this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.