Fix: Oculus Link Black Screen or Not Working Issue

Oculus Link is a desktop application you can install if you want to enjoy VR games on Quest 2. Recently, many Oculus users are experiencing the Oculus Link black screen or not working issue when trying to play a VR game. Whereas there have also been cases in which users have experienced the same problem in between the game. The problem is completely ruining the experience and making it almost impossible to use the application.

Furthermore, the problem has different faces for different users. Some users are experiencing a completely black screen. For some users, the Oculus logo is followed by the black screen. So, if you are also a part of this crowd, then worry not, as it’s very easy to get rid of the black screen or not working issue.

In this article, we will talk about how to fix the Oculus Link black screen or not working issue. We will also talk about different reasons that can be responsible for this problem. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

What’s the Reason Behind Oculus Link Black Screen or Not Working Issue?

There can be multiple reasons why you are facing Oculus Link black screen or not working problem. But among all, the below-mentioned are some of the common reasons that are responsible for the issue.

1. The very first reason that can cause this problem is an outdated driver. From graphics USB to any other driver, anything outdated on your PC can be responsible for the issue.
2. If you have configured the settings to a very higher resolution, even higher than your device can handle, you are also most likely to face the problem.
3. Enabling the in-game overlay feature is also considered as a prominent reason behind the black screen problem with the Oculus link.
4. Oculus Link will throw not working issue if you have enabled the Public Test Channel feature.
5. Windows is a very complex operating system. So, any underlying corrupted system file can lead to the black screen problem.

Now that you are aware of all the core reasons causing Oculus Link black screen or not working issue, it’s time to check out how to fix them.

Fix: Oculus Link Black Screen or Not Working Issue

Till now, there isn’t any specific workaround released by the developers to fix the problem. Therefore, you might have to go through all the below-mentioned fixes and stick with the one that does the job for you. So, here are different workarounds to get rid of the black screen problem on Oculus Link.

Fix 1: Update Your System Drivers

The very first step that you should take to fix the problem you are currently facing is to update your system drivers. Updating the driver, will not only fix the black screen issue but will also boost the overall performance of the system. So, here’s what you need to do to update your system drivers.

1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Windows key.
2. Now in the search bar, type Device Manager and press enter.
   
3. The Device Manager window will pop up.
4. Double click on the Display Adaptors option to expand it.
   
5. Right-click on the installed graphics and select update driver.
   
6. In the confirmation that pops up, select “Search automatically for drivers”.

Do the same with the “Mice and other pointing devices” option as well. Once done, restart your system and check if the problem is fixed or not. If fixed, you are good to go. Otherwise, move on to the next workaround.

Fix 2: Lower the Resolution

As mentioned, if you have configured the settings to a very higher resolution, then there’s a high possibility that you will be facing a black screen issue. As a solution to it, you will have to adjust the resolution. So, here are the steps you need to follow.

1. First off, remove the Oculus Quest from your device.
2. Head towards the Oculus folder on your system. You will mainly find it in “C:\Program Files\Oculus“.
3. Now, navigate to Support > oculus-diagnostics.
4. Here, double click on OculusDebugTool.exe.
5. The Oculus Debug Tool window will pop up.
6.  Here, adjust the “Encode Resolution Width”. We recommend you to set it to 2784.
   

That’s it. Restart your PC. Attach the Oculus headset to the device after booting it. Now, check if the Oculus Link problem is fixed or not. If it persists, move on to the next workaround.

Fix 4: Turn-off In-Game Overlay

Disabling the in-game overlay feature is considered the best way by which you can make a game or program run better than before. And the same has worked with the Oculus Link as well. So, here’s what you need to do for disabling in-game overlay in Nvidia GeForce.

1. Launch GeForce experience on your PC.
2. Click on the gear icon present at the top section of the screen.
3. In the General settings, click on the In-Game Overlay toggle to turn it off.

Once done, restart the Oculus Link and see if you are still facing the problem.

Fix 4: Disable Public Test Channel

Oculus Link will not be able to offer the service at its peak if you have enabled Public Test Channel, as per Oculus official support. If this option is enabled, you will always be testing the beta version of different Oculus software. And in case, you are more likely to face a black screen or not responding problems at regular intervals.

Nevertheless, here are the steps you need to follow to disable Public Test Channel.

1. Open the Oculus Link on your PC.
2. Click on the Settings option present on the left panel of the screen.
3. Now, tap on the “Beta” section.
4. Here, toggle off the Public Test Channel.
   

Once done, check whether Oculus Link is performing normally or not. In case the problem continues, move on to the next troubleshooting method.

Fix 5: Use Installed Graphics Card

Connecting the Oculus headset to the installed graphics card is one of the effective ways to fix the Oculus Link black screen or not working issue. So, here are the settings you need to follow to configure the Nvidia settings.

1. On your desktop, right-click on empty space and select “Nvidia Control Panel”.
2. The Nvidia Control Panel window will open up.
   
3. On the left panel of the screen, click on Manage 3D settings.
   
4. Tap on “Program Settings”.
   
5. Click on the drop-down icon present under “select a program to customize” and choose the Oculus App.
   
6. Lastly, Click on the drop-down icon present under “select the preferred graphics processor for this program” and choose the “High-performance NVIDIA processor” option.
   

Now check if the problem is resolved or not. In case, if it still persists, the only option left with you is to perform an SFC scan. So, let’s check how it’s done.

Fix 6: Perform an SFC Scan

If none of the above-mentioned workarounds helped you in solving the problem, then it is an indication that there is some corrupted file in your PC that is causing Oculus Link black screen or not working issue. In this case, the only option left with you is to perform a System File Checker aka SFC scan. This scan is very helpful in resolving all the corrupted and damaged system files including the one that is causing the black screen problem. So, here are the steps you need to follow to perform an SFC scan on Windows 11 PC.

1. Press the Windows button to open the Start menu.
2. In the search bar, type “CMD”, and click on “Run as administrator”.
   
3. The command prompt window will pop up.
4. Type the below-mentioned code in the space provided and press enter.

   sfc /scannow

   

Wait for a few seconds until the code is executed. Once done, you will be surprised to see that you are no longer facing Oculus Link black screen or not working issue.

What if Oculus Link Black Screen or Not Working Issue Continues?

The chances are very low, but in case if the problem persists, the only option left with you is to contact Oculus for additional support. You can ask them to repair or replace your headset.

Final Words

This was how to fix Oculus Link black screen or not working issue. Let us know whether the above-mentioned methods worked for you or not. You can also share any other working solution in the comments.