How to Get Rid of Black Screen in OBS Studio on Windows and Mac

OBS, also called Open Broadcaster Software, is a popular open-source project. It attracts a lot of gamers, vloggers, teachers, and more around the world; however, fixing the black screen in OBS Studio can be a challenge. This tutorial will show you multiple ways to fix it and let you capture your screen seamlessly. We will provide multiple tutorials on how to fix OBS black screen while recording, when it fails to capture the display, and other general troubleshooting guides with step-by-step solutions. The tutorials we will provide are all selected based on the most common issues found on community forums.

Part 1: Quick Fixes: The Permissions and Source Reset (Start Here)

Run OBS Studio as Administrator (The Universal Fix)

This solution will give OBS full access and control of your entire screen.

1. When the OBS black screen happens, quit it as well as the game or application you intend to record.

2. Click and expand the Start menu on the bottom right corner and search for OBS.

3. Right-click on the OBS program and choose Run as administrator.

Now, you can try OBS again.

Delete and Re-Add the Capture Source

When you face a black screen while OBS Studio is already open, the easiest way to fix it is to delete and re-add the Display Capture you had as a source. This essentially resets the OBS display to reprocess the source, which may resolve the black screen issue.

Mac/macOS Security & Privacy Check

Since macOS has more robust security features compared to Windows computers, you may check your operating system’s app permission settings to check whether OBS was provided with the right permissions. Make sure to permit the program to capture screen recordings.

Part 2: Advanced Conflicts and Compatibility

Close or Disable Conflicting Overlays (Steam, MSI Afterburner, Discord, etc.)

If you are running other software that actively adds an overlay on your display, this may cause conflict with OBS recording, which may trigger black screens. As such, is it a smart move to disable the overlay on your computer before running a screen recording on OBS?

Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers (The Driver Reset)

Since black screens may also be caused by graphic driver issues, you may try to update or reinstall the graphic drivers on your device to potentially solve the black screen issue. Aside from being a potential solution, this may improve the overall graphics performance of your desktop.

1. Search for Device Manager on your computer’s taskbar.

2. In the Device Manager window, search for Display Adapters and then double-click on it.

3. Once the Display Adapters menu is opened, right-click the driver for your computer’s GPU. Then, select Update Drivers.

Try running OBS again, or test the driver performance by opening a graphically demanding program.

Part 3: Fix GPU and Dual-Graphics Conflicts (The Most Common Cause)

Windows Graphics Settings Fix (High-Performance)

Another option to fix the OBS black screen issue is to set the graphics settings of OBS to high performance. This is accessible in Windows graphics settings and can be activated by following our guide below:

1. Open Settings on your Windows computer by searching for it in the search bar.

2. In the Settings menu, select System.

3. Go to Display, scroll down, and then select Graphics Settings.

4. In the Graphics Settings tab, set the app preference to Desktop app, and click Browse. Navigate your file manager to find OBS and then add it.

5. With OBS not added, click on Options and then set the Graphics preference to High performance. Click Save to confirm.

NVIDIA Control Panel Configuration (Legacy Fix)

Switching GPUs for OBS is an efficient solution to fix the black screen issue in OBS Studio.

1. Close OBS, right-click the OBS icon, and choose NVIDIA Control Panel.

2. Click the Manage 3D Settings entity on the left side, and head to the Program Settings tab. Click the Add button, find the OBS executable file, and add it.

Tip: The path is C:\Program Files (x86)\obs-studio\bin\32bit\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\obs-studio\bin\64bit\.

3. Then choose a High-performance NVIDIA processor from the dropdown menu.

4. Quit the control panel and check if the OBS black screen is repaired.

Change OBS Capture Method (Windows 10 1903 and Up)

Another fix to consider when the OBS black screen happens is changing some specific settings. You can open the Settings dialog by hitting the Settings button at right side. Then you can find the custom options related to Stream, Output, Audio, Video, and more. Adjust the options based on your situation and keep other options by default.

Part 4: The Reliable Alternative and Post-Production Fix

If you have tried the fixes for the OBS black screen but the issue persists, you'd better look for an alternative, such as AnyMP4 Screen Recorder. It is able to preset according to your hardware and software automatically. So, the experience is more stable.

How to Capture Screen without OBS

1. Install Screen Recorder

Download and install the easiest screen recorder when the OBS screen keeps going black.

Launch it, choose Screen Recorder, and enable Display and System Sound while disabling Webcam and Microphone.

2. Start screen capture

Open the application or game you want to record and set the recording area according to your needs. Then click the Settings icon and adjust the Output and other options. Once you click the REC button, the screen recording will start.

3. Preview and save the recording

When it is done, click the Stop button to open the Preview window. Here you can trim the video or adjust the volume. If you are satisfied with it, click the Save button to export the recording based on your settings.

Conclusion

Can you imagine that the OBS screen suddenly turns black when you capture gameplay or a tutorial video? Though OBS makes it simple to make screen recordings, you'd better master the solutions to fix the black screen issue we shared in the article above.