Experiencing OBS Studio Black Screen Issue? Here’s How to Fix it

OBS Studio may often display a “black screen” when trying to share the device’s screen online. This issue occurs on Windows PCs with two graphic options – integrated and dedicated. However, some Mac users have also experienced this screen glitch while using OBS Studio. 

OBS Studio is an open-source platform designed for video recording and live streaming. An unwanted screen issue can prevent you from using this cross-platform screencasting app. Thus, try to determine this issue’s root cause and resolve it as soon as possible. 

Have you experienced the OBS studio black screen error before? Let’s check out what causes this problem in this app and how to troubleshoot it.

What Causes the OBS Studio Black Screen Issue?

Many users reported that the black screen appears while streaming videos in OBS. Some experienced this screen problem while recording videos. 

But, what is triggering this problem in the OBS Studio? Let’s find out :

Dedicated Graphics Interfering 

The OS determines whether to run the app on dedicated or integrated graphics. It might fail to do that if the Windows device uses both these GPUs. The OBS Studio shows the black screen and faces issues streaming the video. 

Administrator privileges

There might be instances where the PC might restrict the access of OBS while sharing the screen. Hence, this streaming app fails to display content and has a black screen. Starting the app with administrator privileges can solve the issue. 

Conflict on 32 and 64-bit apps

OBS Studio is available for both Windows 32 and 64-bit users. Did you install the 32-bit OBS Studio on the 64-bit computer? Though you can download the app, you can’t open it due to compatibility issues. Ensure to install the correct version to avoid OBS Studio black screen error. 

Compatibility issues

OBS Studio is incompatible with the latest Windows 10/11 laptops. It only works in older versions like Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. Thus, you need to find an alternative to OBS Studio for screencasting and live streaming.

Overclocking

Overclocking may improve the PC’s performance but prevents streaming apps from working. You must disable this feature when using OBS Studio to fix the black screen error.

Conflicting Software

OBS Studio won’t work if other screencasting apps are running in the background. Close the unwanted apps to eliminate the OBS Studio black screen issue.

Capturing Options

OBS Studio offers several screens capturing options. If you choose an incorrect screencasting option, a black screen appears on the PC’s screen. If you get to know which screen option to choose will help you to fix the problem.

Easy Fixes for the OBS Studio Black Screen Issue

There are several ways to resolve the black screen issue from OBS Studio. Rebooting the Windows computer may often fix this screen glitch. However, you must follow these solutions if that doesn’t work:

Install the Correct OBS Studio Version

You must first check the Windows OS version to install the correct OBS Studio version. Right-click on “This PC” if you are aware of the device’s OS version. Then, choose “Properties” and wait until the “System Information” window appears.

Head to “System” and double-tap on “System Type”. Note down the Windows computer’s OS version and close this window. After that, open a web browser to access OBS Studio’s website. Tap on the download link and select the correct OBS Studio version.

Do you use a 64-bit Windows PC? Opt for selecting “OBS Version 64-bit” when the pop-up menu appears. Open the streaming app once the download is complete. Go to “Source”, select the content and cast the screen without glitches.

Change the Compatibility Mode

OBS Studio doesn’t support the latest Windows version. Hence, you must change the compatibility to Windows 7 or 8 to use this streaming app. However, Windows users should revert the settings to default if that doesn’t work. 

Here is how you can change the OBS Studio’s compatibility mode:

  • Press the Windows and S keys simultaneously to open the search box and write “OBS”.
  • Hit the “Enter” button, and select OBS Studio from the search results.
  • Click “Open file location” when the OBS Studio app window opens.
  • Tap on “Properties” and head towards “Compatibility” afterwards.
  • Locate “Compatibility mode” and click the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” checkbox.
  • Opt for “Windows 7” when the drop-down menu pops up.
  • Select “Apply” and click “OK” to set the compatibility mode.

Restart the Windows computer after 2-3 minutes. Tap on “OBS Studio” when the home screen appears. Open any video streaming app and try to record that using this software. Change the compatibility mode to “Windows 8” to fix the OBS Studio black screen issue. 

Run OBS Studio as an Administrator

You can’t stream the game on OBS Studio if the app doesn’t have proper administrator privileges. Thus, ensure to run this online software as an administrator to resolve the problem. Press the Windows and S keys together and enter “OBS” in the search box. 

Right-click “OBS Studio” and opt for “Open file location”. A new window will appear on the Windows PC screen. Locate “OBS Studio”, right-click on it and select “Properties”. 

Navigate to “Compatibility” and click the “Run this program as an administrator” checkbox. Tap on “OK”, choose “Apply”, and close the OBS Studio’s properties window. Reboot the Windows computer, open OBS Studio and share the screen without hassle.

Other Ways to Troubleshoot the OBS Studio Black Screen Issue

OBS Studio’s multi-adapter compatibility feature allows you to connect two graphics cards simultaneously. Enabling this feature can help you to fix the black screen issue easily. Moreover, we suggest uninstalling the other screencasting apps if the error persists.

A corrupted OBS Studio app can generate the black screen issue. To overcome the problem, you must uninstall the app and reinstall its latest version. 

Still, experiencing issues when sharing the screen online? Open OBS Studio and change its GPU configuration to fix the issue. 

Wilson
Wilson

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Undefined constant "REQUEST_URI" in /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/mu-plugins/index.php:4 Stack trace: #0 [internal function]: callback() #1 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/mu-plugins/index.php(29): ob_end_flush() #2 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): buffer_end() #3 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(348): WP_Hook->apply_filters() #4 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/plugin.php(517): WP_Hook->do_action() #5 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/general-template.php(3068): do_action() #6 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/blocksy/footer.php(28): wp_footer() #7 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/template.php(790): require_once('...') #8 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/template.php(725): load_template() #9 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/general-template.php(92): locate_template() #10 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/blocksy/single.php(20): get_footer() #11 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/template-loader.php(106): include('...') #12 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-blog-header.php(19): require_once('...') #13 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/index.php(17): require('...') #14 {main} thrown in /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/mu-plugins/index.php on line 4