Black screen in OBS: what to check when game capture does not work

The game is running and you can hear it, but the OBS preview shows a black rectangle. First check whether you selected the wrong process and whether the source is visible in the correct scene. Reinstalling the app before checking the scene often just creates more work.

Check the source and the game itself

1. Open the scene you send to your stream. The visibility icon must be enabled for the Game Capture source.
2. In its properties, choose to capture a specific window and select the running game. After restarting the game, check the selected window again.
3. Check whether another opaque layer is covering the source. To test, move the capture above the other elements.

A fullscreen game may stop rendering when you switch to OBS. Make a short recording while staying in the game, then watch the file. If the recording looks normal, a black preview after switching apps does not necessarily mean capture is broken.

Separate conflicts from incorrect sizing

Temporarily close overlays and FPS counters, then restart the game and OBS. If the picture appears, enable the apps one at a time. This identifies the specific conflict instead of disabling everything at once.

On a laptop with multiple graphics adapters, check that the game and OBS use the appropriate high-performance GPU. If the picture becomes a tiny dot, apply Transform → Reset Transform to the source, then Fit to Screen. This fixes geometry, not blocked capture.

When window capture is a better choice

Some games restrict Game Capture hooking. Try borderless windowed mode and Window Capture. Do not try to bypass the game's protection. Running OBS as administrator is worth testing for a game that needs elevated permissions, but it is not a universal fix.

Finish by testing your normal scene

Restore your camera, chat, and alerts. Record a sequence with movement, menu changes, and a return to the game. Before using Display Capture, check that your desktop contains no private conversations or personal information. That source shows more than a single game window.