Why Is OBS Showing a Black Screen? How to Fix Display Capture Black Screen on OBS?

Seeing a black screen in OBS instead of your game or desktop is usually caused by permission issues, graphics conflicts, or incorrect OBS settings. To fix OBS black screen, you can try running OBS as administrator, changing graphics settings, switching capture modes, and more. Here are the specific solutions:

How to Fix OBS Black Screen

Fix 1: Run OBS as Administrator

This is one of the most common fixes for OBS black screen display capture. OBS needs proper permissions to capture certain applications.

• Step: Close OBS completely. Then, right-click the OBS shortcut and select "Run as administrator"

Fix 2: Check and Adjust Graphics Settings

If you have both integrated and dedicated graphics, OBS may be using the wrong one, which can also cause OBS black screen. Setting OBS to run on the same GPU as the app you're trying to record often solves the issue:

• Step 1: In Windows Settings, go to System > Display > Graphics.
• Step 2: Locate OBS in the apps list. If it doesn't appear, you can manually add it by selecting Add an app > Desktop apps > Browse .
• Step 3: Now, select Options and choose your preferred GPU.

Fix 3: Create a New Source and Change Capture Method

Try deleting your existing source and adding a new capture source. If you were using Display/Game Capture modes, try switching to a different one.

Fix 4: Try disabling "Hardware Acceleration" in your browser or in OBS advanced settings.

Fix 5: Update OBS to the latest version, or do a clean reinstall to avoid black screen issues caused by missing files.

Fix 6: Check and Update Your Graphics Drivers

The 6 solutions above cover the most common ways to fix OBS black screen. But if you're tired of troubleshooting black screen errors, or nothing above solved your problem, there's an easier solution.

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