Fix a black or blank OBS Game Capture source
What to do first
Troubleshoot a black or blank OBS Game Capture source by following the official decision path while preserving user data.
This is a general troubleshooting guide, not an announcement of a current outage.
Affected products and symptoms
- Product
- OBS Studio
- Versions and conditions
- OBS Studio on Windows
Symptoms
- Game audio is present but preview is black
- Game Capture cannot hook one particular game
Causes and conditions
Target selection, privilege mismatch, overlay hooks, multiple GPUs, or a game/API restriction are candidates.
Before you start
- Before changes, record and preserve OBS log, Game Capture properties, game display mode, and GPU assignment.
- Change one item at a time and record the original symptom after each stage.
Precautions
- Do not bulk-delete unrelated settings or data.
- Exclude personal data and credentials; share only the necessary parts of OBS log, Game Capture properties, game display mode, and GPU assignment.
Step-by-step instructions
Use Sources > + > Game Capture, normally one source per scene, select Capture specific window, and choose the running game executable.
Check the eye icon, source stacking order, and red transform bounds. A hooked source can be hidden below another source or off canvas.
If the game runs elevated, run OBS as administrator. Exclusive fullscreen can stop rendering during Alt+Tab, so judge with a short test recording.
Start the game before choosing Window. Launchers that change executables may need separate lobby and game scenes.
Close RivaTuner/MSI Afterburner, FPS counters, Discord overlays, and other recorders one at a time. Allow OBS through antivirus instead of leaving protection disabled.
Privilege mismatch can block hooking. Compare elevation only for games that require it and confirm the reason in logs.
In Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics, assign OBS and the game to the same high-performance GPU and restart both. For games that block hooks, use borderless mode plus Window Capture.
On multi-GPU systems set both to High performance and fully restart them; existing processes do not adopt the new assignment.
Check the result
- play a 60-second recording and confirm game video, audio, and frames, not only preview
- Check adjacent basic functions for side effects from the change.
If the problem continues
- use Help > Log Files > Upload Current Log and provide the URL to OBS support
- When continuing with a workaround, preserve original files or account data separately.
Scope of this guide
Troubleshooting guide — Troubleshoot a black or blank OBS Game Capture source by following the official decision path while preserving user data.
Frequently asked questions
Why does it turn black after Alt+Tab?
Exclusive fullscreen games can stop rendering while inactive; inspect a test recording.
Display Capture works. What does that mean?
It narrows the cause to Game Capture hooks, privilege, GPU choice, or game restrictions.
Official sources and dates
Source publication or resolution date: Not specified. Sources checked: 2026-09-05. The check date is not the date the problem first occurred. Interface labels can vary between versions and display languages.
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