OBS Game Capture shows a black screen on Windows: checks before reinstalling

Check the game while it is running

These checks follow OBS's documentation and have not been reproduced on a specific game or graphics card here. Save any unsaved work before restarting an application or changing its graphics preference.

Confirm that this is a Game Capture problem

Game Capture is a Windows source for supported DirectX and OpenGL games. For an ordinary browser or desktop application, use the appropriate window or display source instead. macOS uses different capture sources and permissions.

Open the Game Capture source's properties. If you chose Capture specific window, select the actual running game, rather than assuming its launcher is the same process. If you chose fullscreen detection, check whether the game is actually running fullscreen. Keep the initial comparison to one game and one capture source so the result is clear.

Use the result to choose the next check

OBS's Game Capture Troubleshooting documents these distinctions. For a stuck source size, Transform → Reset Transform, then Fit to Screen, may restore its size; record the original crop and layout before resetting a customized source.

Match the graphics processor on a multi-GPU computer

On a laptop with integrated and discrete graphics, the game and OBS may run on different GPUs. Consult OBS's GPU Selection Guide: close OBS, open Windows graphics preferences under System → Display, and select the high-performance GPU for OBS and the game where available. Restart both applications afterward.

This guidance is for Game Capture. Do not apply a GPU change blindly to every display-capture workflow. If your machine has only one GPU, move to the next check.

Check restrictions and competing overlays

Some games restrict capture hooks. OBS specifically recommends Window Capture with a windowed or borderless presentation for games such as Destiny 2. Follow the current game-specific guidance instead of trying to bypass anti-cheat protections.

Temporarily close another recording tool or an optional FPS overlay, then repeat the same recording. OBS maintains a known conflicts list. Start with software you intentionally opened; this is not a reason to disable antivirus protection or uninstall unrelated drivers.

Some games also need OBS to run as administrator. Consider that documented step only for your trusted OBS installation and when your Windows account or workplace policy permits it.

If it still captures black

Ask through the OBS Help Portal, naming the game, its display mode, Windows and OBS versions, and both GPUs if present. Report whether the saved clip or only the preview is black. That detail is more useful than another reinstall with the same settings.