Fix: Layers of Fear Black Screen After Startup

The game Layers of Fear is a psychological horror game that is not a sequel or a complete remake of the original game released in 2016. Instead, it combines elements from the first installment, its 2019 follow-up, downloadable content from previous releases, and new playable stories to create a reimagined and terrifying experience using Unreal Engine 5. However, some players have reported encountering issues such as black screens and difficulty exiting the game. If you are experiencing these problems, refer to a troubleshooting guide to resolve the issue.

As per several online reports, it has been observed that players are experiencing difficulty launching the game as it is getting stuck on a black screen. To make matters worse, there is no sound accompanying the black screen, adding to the frustration. After waiting for some time, players are left with no other option but to press the Alt+F4 keys to exit the screen. This issue or bug is certainly frustrating for players.

It’s possible that the Layers of Fear game may display a black screen during launch if your PC configuration is not compatible with the game’s system requirements. Additionally, outdated graphics drivers, missing or corrupted game files, outdated game versions, problems with DirectX, issues with overlay apps, and high in-game graphics settings can all contribute to black screen issues when launching the game.

Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.

3. Check Graphics Driver Update

Check out the graphics driver update on your PC, whether outdated or not. Sometimes an outdated GPU driver version or corrupted driver can cause several issues. It’ll also help you to fix the black screen-related issues with games or applications. To do so:

Press Windows + X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
If an update is available, the system will automatically download & install it.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes.

4. Update Layers of Fear

If in case, you haven’t updated your Layers of Fear game for a while, then make sure to follow the steps below to check for updates and install the latest patch (if available). To do this:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on Layers of Fear from the left pane.
It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again.

5. Check System Resources

If the game loads slowly or takes too much time in a startup, check out the system resources after launching the Layers of Fear 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 you want to close.

End Task Manager

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. Disable Overlay Applications

According to some affected players, overlay applications can run in the background while gaming, and it consumes system resources which will cause issues with the gameplay too.

So, disabling them before the game will come in handy if you’re not using any dedicated overlay application for chatting, taking screenshots, or recording gameplay sessions. To do so:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Now, right-click on Layers of Fear > Select Properties.
Head to the General section > Here, just uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
Go back to Library > Re-open Layers of Fear to check whether the black screen issue is happening or not.

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.

Windows Update Windows 11

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 whether that helps. Disable V-Sync, Shadow effects, and 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 cause multiple issues with the game launching or gameplay. You should try following the steps below to update it.

Head 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 can 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 to check whether the problem has been fixed. 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. Try Disabling Other Overlay Apps

A couple of popular apps seem to have their 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 Layers of Fear.
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 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 game again.

Also, remember 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.

12. 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.

13. Verify Game Files and Repair

Verifying and repairing the game files automatically using the game client is also recommended.

For Steam:

Open up Steam > Go to Library.
Right-click on the Layers of Fear game.
Click on Properties > Go to the Local Files tab.
Select Verify Integrity of Game Files…
This process will start verifying and checking all the installed game files to determine whether there is a missing/corrupted file located.
Let the process be completed. Once done, close the Steam client, and restart your computer to apply changes.
Finally, re-open Steam, and try rerunning the Layers of Fear game.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open Epic Games Launcher on the PC.
Click on the Game Library > Click on Layers of Fear.
Select Settings > Click on Verify.
Close the launcher, then restart the PC to apply changes.

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

Fix: Layers of Fear Black Screen After Startup