Fix OBS Game capture black screen on Windows 11/10

In this post, we’ll talk about different solutions you can try if the OBS Game captures a black screen on your Windows 11/10 PC. OBS Studio is a popular video streaming and recording application. It is used to record games and stream them online on different platforms like YouTube. But being best in the category doesn’t mean that the product is free from problems. OBS Studio has a long list of issues, and game capturing black screen is among many cases. Many users have reported that they only see a black screen upon previewing the recorded game. Worry not if you are also facing the problem; we got you covered. Try the solutions mentioned in this post to solve the problem.

Why does OBS Game capture black screen on Windows?

There can be multiple reasons why you are seeing a black screen while previewing a recorded game. But among all, below are the most common reasons triggering the problem.

1. The problem in question is mainly experienced by users who have a dedicated graphics card installed on their system.
2. If you haven’t provided the administrative rights to the Studio, you will face the mentioned problem.
3. The problem will occur if you have downloaded the incorrect version of OBs Studio.
4. If the OBS Studio is not compatible with the installed Windows version, you will see a black screen upon previewing the recorded game.
5. If your system features any other game-capturing application, it can interfere with the functioning of OBS Studio and cause the problem.

Now that you know what causes the problem let’s check out how you can resolve them.

Fix OBS Game capture black screen on Windows 11/10

Below is a list of all the effective solutions you can try to fix the OBS Game captures a black screen on your Windows 11/10 computer:

1. Choose the correct version of OBS Studio
2. Change OBS Studio compatibility
3. Disable other OBS Studio-like application
4. Run OBS Studio as administrator
5. Switch OBS Studio GPU
6. Reinstall OBS Studio

Now, let’s take a look at all the solutions in detail.

1] Choose the correct version of OBS Studio

If you have downloaded the incorrect version of the application on your system, you will face the issue. As it turns out, OBS Studio has two versions 32 bit and 64 bit. You will have to download the same version as your Windows version. For instance, if you have a 64-bit operating system, you will have to download 64-bit OBS Studio. You can check your Windows version by following the below steps.

1. Right-click on the This PC icon and choose the Properties option.
2. Under Device specification, you will see the installed Windows version on your system next to System type.

Download that version of OBS Studio on your system.

2] Change OBS Studio compatibility

As per users, the latest Windows version is not compatible with the OBS Studio. Users have to change the compatibility to Windows 7 to run the application without any problem. You can do the same and check if it solves the problem. Here’s how it’s done.

1. To begin with, open the Start Menu and type OBS Studio.
2. Right-click on OBS Studio and choose Open file location from the result.
3. Now, right-click on the OBS Studio exe file and select the Properties option.
4. Click on the Compatibility tab.
5. Click on the drop-down present under Compatibility mode.
6. Choose Windows 7 from the list.
7. Click on Apply > OK.

Now, check if the problem is fixed or not.

See: OBS Studio is the best video recording and live streaming software

3] Disable other OBS Studio-like application

As mentioned, if you have any other game capturing or streaming application installed on your system running in the background, you are most likely to face the problem. To solve the issue, you will have to disable all such applications. You can do so by following the below steps.

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc hotkeys to open the Task Manager.
2. Right-click on all the similar applications running in the background.
3. Choose End Task.

Once you have closed all the applications, launch OBS Studio, and record any game. Check if you’re still facing the black screen problem upon previewing. If yes, try the next solution.

See: Fix OBS Display Capture not working properly

4] Run OBS Studio as administrator

Not having administrative privileges can be another significant reason behind the problem in question. As it turns out, OBS Studio needs a long list of permission to run without any issue. You can try running the application in administrator mode and check if it solves the problem. If yes, always run OBS Studio in administrator mode. Here’s how it’s done.

1. Right-click on the OBS Studio icon, and choose the Properties option.
2. Switch to the Compatibility tab.
3. Here, checkmark the Run this program as an administrator option.
4. Click on Apply > OK.

That’s it. Check if the problem is fixed or not.

5] Switch OBS Studio GPU

The next thing you can try is to switch the OBS Studio GPU. It provides more flexibility and runs the application which superior graphics. Here’s how it’s done.

1. Launch the NVIDIA Control Panel on your system.
2. Click on View and then Add the “Run with graphics processor” option to the context menu.
3. Right-click on the OBS Studio and select the Run with graphics processor option.
4. Select the High-performance NVIDIA processor.

That’s it. Restart your system, and launch OBS Studio. Do the needful, and check if it solves the problem.

Read: Fix OBS Studio keeps crashing on Windows PC

6] Reinstall OBS Studio

If none of the steps were helpful, the last thing you can try is to reinstall the OBS Studio. There can be some issues in the application files which can be causing the problem. If this is the case, the best thing you can do is reinstall the application.

Why is game Capture not working OBS?

If the OBS Studio is not capturing the game, you can try all these solutions: download the latest graphics driver update, run OBS Studio in administrator mode, change the compatibility mode, perform Clean Boot, and run the SFC scan. If nothing helps, you can reinstall the Studio to solve the problem.

Is display capture better than Game capture?

As evident by the name itself, Game capture only captures the game. For instance, if you are running the game in Windowed mode, Game capture will only capture the game window; it doesn’t matter how many other Windows are open in the background. On the other hand, Display capture will capture everything displayed on the monitor. So, when it comes to which is better between Display capture and Game capture, it all comes down to what satisfies your needs the most.

Read Next: Fix OBS not capturing Game Video on Windows PC.