Running into the dreaded OBS game capture black screen when you try to record or stream gameplay?

You’re not alone. This is a pretty common bug, but thankfully it doesn’t take much to fix it.

In this post, we’ll show you 10 effective ways to troubleshoot the OBS game capture not working issue.

Solution #1 – Run OBS as an administrator

Many users have reported facing the OBS black screen issue when the game is being run as administrator privileges while OBS is running with standard user privileges. To successfully troubleshoot the issue, simply run OBS as administrator.

If you’re wondering how to do that, here’s what to do:

• Right-click the OBS shortcut on the desktop and choose Run as administrator
• Click the Yes button in the User Access Control Window

Now, launch a game and start a new Game Capture source to check if the gameplay is appearing in the OBS preview window. If you’re still getting a black screen, try the next solution.

Solution #2 – Update the graphics driver

Did you know outdated or faulty graphics drivers can cause various issues, including OBS game capture black screen?

That’s why it’s important to always keep device drivers up-to-date.

You can update graphics driver manually or automatically. We prefer the second method since it doesn’t require any technical knowledge and is quick and easy. All you need is a reputable driver update tool, such as Driver Updater. Check out the last section of this blog post for more information on this amazing tool.

But if you’re someone who likes doing things themselves, follow these steps to manually update your graphics card driver.

• Click the Start icon in the taskbar, type device manager in the Search bar, and hit Enter
• Locate and expand the Display adapters node
• Right-click your graphics card and select Update driver
• Select Search automatically for drivers and wait for Windows to install the latest driver version

If you receive a message stating that the best driver version is already installed, it might be worth the while to check the manufacturer’s website for a new release.

Here’s what to do:

Step 1 – Find out the driver version you’re currently using.

• Open Device Manager, right-click your graphics card, and select Properties
• Click the Driver tab to find out the Driver Version and other driver-specific details

Step 2 – Search the manufacturer website for the latest driver

• Open a web browser and navigate to the manufacturer website
• Search for the latest driver version for your graphics card model

If a new driver version is available, download and install it.

Step 3 – Download and install the latest driver version

• Select the latest driver version and click the Download button
• Save the driver file on a suitable location (such as the desktop)
• Once the download is complete, double-click the driver file to launch installation
• If a User Access Control window pops-up, click the Yes button
• Follow on-screen prompts to complete the installation

Solution #3 – Switch GPU

Still having trouble with OBS not capturing a game? Check whether it’s using the right graphics card or not.

If a high-performance GPU is powering your game (you know, the one that makes everything look crispier and smoother) while OBS is configured to capture your system’s integrated GPU (which, obviously, is no match to a high-performance GPU), then it won’t be able to capture your gameplay.

How to fix the issue? You may ask.

The answer is simple: Change your system’s GPU setting.

• Click the Windows icon in the taskbar, type settings in the Search bar, and hit Enter
• Click Display > Advanced Graphics
• Select OBS Studio from the list of apps and then click Options
• Select High Performance and click the Save button

Solution #4 – Remove the Hook folder and then reinstall OBS

Has your OBS Game Capture stopped working suddenly (especially after an update)? If so, probably some pesky leftover files are causing trouble.

The main suspect? The obs-studio-hook folder. It may be full of outdated or conflicting data that’s messing with how OBS capture games. Here’s a quick fix: just get rid of this folder and reinstall OBS.

Here’s what to do.

• Exit OBS
• Press Windows + R keys to launch the Run dialog box
• Type %programdata% and then hit Enter
• In the right-side pane, locate the obs-studio-hook folder, right-click it, and select Delete
• Open a web browser and navigate to OBS Studio website
• Download the newest stable version for your computer
• Launch the installer and follow on-screen prompts to install OBS again
• When installation is complete, reboot Windows and check if the game capture feature is working properly

Solution #5 – Turn off conflicting software

OBS may fail to record a game video if another app is getting in its way. This typically happens when another video capture or streaming program is running in the background. No worries, though. Turning off the problematic app will fix the issue.

To figure out which app is causing trouble, open Task Manager. You can find any conflicting app there and turn it off.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Del
• Go through the list of programs that are running
• Right-click any conflicting software (look for apps that perform a streaming function or video capture like OBS) and select End task

Solution #6 – Disable game overlays

Some users have reported that game overlays like those from Discord, Steam, Xbox Game Bar, or GeForce Experience can at times come in the way of OBS, causing Game Capture to either fail or display the dreaded black screen.

To fix the issue, disable any active game overlays while OBS is running. Here’s how you can turn off common game overlays.

Disable Steam Overlay:

• Launch Steam
• Choose the tab LIBRARY
• Right-click Assassin’s Creed Shadows and choose Properties
• Click General in the left pane and untick the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game checkbox
• Apply the changes and then exit Steam

Disable Geforce Experience in-game Overlay:

• Launch GeForce and click Settings
• In the General tab, turn off the IN-Game OVERLAY toggle
• Save the changes
• Exit GeForce

Disable Ubisoft Overlay

• Launch Ubisoft Connect
• Go to Settings
• Go to General menu and in the right pane untick the Enable in-game overlay for supported games
• Click Close

Disable Discord Overlay

• Launch Discord
• Go to User Settings
• Click Game Overlay
• Toggle off the Enable in-game overlay option
• Save the changes and then exit Discord

Solution #7 – Change DirectX

Can’t record a specific game with OBS while it works fine for other games? Most likely the problem lies with DirectX. Frame issues can cause some games using DirectX 12, like Fortnite, when you record them with OBS.

What’s it to be done? You might be wondering.

The answer is simple: Check whether your game settings have a DirectX 11 option. If it does, switching to DirectX 11 may fix the issue.

Solution #8 – Disable Game Mode

Who doesn’t want their games to run smoother and look better? There are many ways to achieve the desired result, using Windows’ Game Mode being one of them.

But here’s a catch: Windows Game Mode can mess with OBS sometimes. The result? Instead of having your game video recorded, you may end up staring at the OBS game capture black screen. Talk about a bummer for content creators and streamers!

Fortunately, the issue can be fixed easily. Just follow the steps listed below:

• Go to the Start menu
• Choose Settings
• Head to Gaming and switch off Game Mode

Solution #9 – Switch to Borderless or Windowed Mode

Some games in Fullscreen Exclusive mode can be a bit tricky for OBS to capture. As a result, the game might not appear in OBS preview or you may find yourself staring at a black screen. No worries, though. There’s an easy fix: Just access the game’s graphics settings and look for something like “Screen Mode” or “Display Mode”. Switch it to “Borderless Fullscreen” or “Windowed” from “Fullscreen”.

Once you’ve saved the changes, go back to OBS and check whether the capture is working properly.

Solution # 10 – Turn off hardware acceleration in Chrome

Some users have reported facing issues with gameplay recording when hardware acceleration is enabled in Google Chrome. In order to disable hardware acceleration, first open Chrome. Next, perform these steps:

• Click the hamburger menu (three-lined icon) at the upper right corner of your Chrome window
• Select Settings
• Now, choose Advanced and then head to System
• Toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available

How to install device drivers automatically?

Use an advanced third-party tool such as Driver Updater to install outdated device drivers with a single mouse click.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download