OBS is an acronym for Open Broadcaster Software. Further, OBS Studio is a cross-platform screencasting and streaming app that is free and open-source. This makes OBS one of the best streaming applications for streamers across the globe. However, on a sad note, users are coming across a pesky black screen issue while using the game capture option in OBS Studio.
Luckily, fixing the OBS game capture black screen issue is easier than you can imagine as there are several fixes available to resolve this issue. So let’s begin without taking any more time.
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What is this OBS Game Capture Black Screen Issue?
Whenever someone starts or wishes to record their gameplay video and turn on OBS Studio, there is no response, and the screen entirely blacks out. Furthermore, it is quite challenging to even understand what is happening. Since the recording has already begun and you are left with a black screen.
As it turns out, the OBS game capture black screen issue is quite frustrating as well as mind-numbing when a streamer is about to begin his online game stream.
What Causes the OBS Game Capture Black Screen Issue?
OBS game capture black screen issue can be caused by several reasons, here are a few of them:
- Outdated Graphics Driver: One of the most common reasons for the OBS black screen issue is an outdated graphics driver. If graphics drivers are outdated, there can be a lot of problems, let alone OBS Studio.
- Software Conflicts: Software conflicts is a single term to define several things such as in-game overlays, FPS counters, antivirus, or firewall software. Overclocking is a known software conflict infamous for several problems. However, if you are interested in overclocking, you may like to check out our Complete Guide to Overclock the processor on your CPU.
- Certain Games: Some games like Destiny 2 can hook up on OBS studio and return the black screen issue whenever someone tries to record or stream gameplay. We will come back to this later.
Well, these are the known reasons and causes for the OBS game capture black screen issue. Now let’s see how you can fix this.
How to Fix OBS Game Capture Black Screen Issue?
It’s easier than you think to fix the OBS game capture black screen issue. Here are four fixes to the OBS black screen problem.
Fix 1: Run OBS Studio with Administrator Privileges
The easiest and the preliminary fix to the OBS game capture black screen issue is running the software with Administrator privileges.
So simply, right-click on the OBS Studio icon on your desktop, and click on Run as administrator. When an alert pops up, click on Yes.
Turn on your desired game you wish to stream or capture and check whether the issue still persists or not. If not, good job. If yes, keep reading.
Fix 2: Run OBS Studio in Compatibility Mode
If you are running Windows 11, you might know that although it is a great operating system, it is still in its infant stage. So perhaps, OBS Black screen issue is due to compatibility issues. Therefore, it is best to try and run OBS Studio in Compatibility mode before doing anything else.
- Right-click on the OBS Studio icon on your desktop or start menu.
- From the dropdown, select Properties. If you are running Windows 11, select Show more options>Properties.
- Switch to the Compatibility tab.
- Before turning compatibility, it is always better to Run Compatibility Troubleshooter.
- After that, check Run this Program in Compatibility Mode.
- From the drop-down menu, select Windows 10 or 7 and click on OK to save the changes.
Once you complete all the steps, re-run OBS Studio to check if the issue still persists.
Fix 3: Check Out for Software Conflicts
Software conflicts are software enhancements used by other applications for certain features. These apps include famous names like Xbox game bar, Steam, MSI Afterburner, Antivirus, and many more.
Consequently, it would be best if you can look out if your graphics card or CPU is overclocked. Similarly, look out for applications that are showing that fancy tiny FPS counter at the top right corner.
Alternatively, if you have a third-party antivirus installed, make sure OBS studio is added to the exception list.
Fix 4: Make Sure You Are Running the Right Game?
Some games, but most prominently CS: GO and Destiny 2 do not allow OBS Studio to work properly. Although the reason for this is still unknown, it is always better to look for an alternative game streaming tool other than OBS while playing CS: GO or Destiny 2.
However, if you are stuck with OBS Studio, you can still work this out by running both the games in windowed mode instead of full-screen mode. That will fix your black screen issue.
That’s all we have here about fixing the OBS game capture black screen issue. However, keep in mind, if none of the above fixes help you, reinstall OBS studio from the official website and that should solve every ongoing problem.
We hope this guide helped you. If you have any doubts or queries, reach out to us using the comment section below.