OBS can only capture video from one graphics card at a time. Computers that have only one GPU are not affected by the black screen issue. However, on laptops that have both “integrated and high-performance graphics cards”, you may run into an issue where OBS simply displays a black screen when you want to record your desktop. In this post, I’m going to explain two methods to fix this problem. But before you start, make sure your graphics drivers are updated to the most recent version. Scroll to the end to watch this tutorial in video form.
OBS fix #1: for windows 10 version 1909 or newer
The first fix is for computers that currently run windows 10 version 1909 or newer. If you are not sure which version of windows you have, you can find out by pressing “Windows + R”, type “winver” and click ok. So, if your computer has the newer version of windows;
OBS display capture Fix #1 Step by Step process
- Type “Graphics Settings” in the search bar and click enter.
- Make sure the “App Preference” is set to “Classic App” and click browse.
- Go to “Local Disk C” > “Program Files” > “obs-studio” > “bin” > and finally “64bit”.
- Select the OBS application in this folder by double-clicking.
- Once selected you would be presented with a “Graphics Specifications” interface.
- There are two options: “Power Saving GPU” and “High-Performance GPU”
- To make OBS capture your desktop, select the “Power Saving” option, and click “Save”.
- Finally, restart OBS and your problem should be solved.
OBS fix #2: for windows 10 versions older than 1909
If that didn’t work for you, then it’s possible that your current Windows OS is older than Version 1909. In that case here is the second method to fix it.
OBS display capture Fix #2 Step by Step process
- Right-click on your desktop and select “NVIDIA Control Panel”.
- Expand the 3D Settings menu.
- Click “Manage 3D Settings”, then “Program Settings”.
- Chose OBS studio as the program to customize.
- Next, change the preferred graphics processor to “Integrated Graphics”.
- Click “Apply” and restart OBS.
- That should fix the problem.
OBS Fix conclusion
It’s worth noting that this would enable OBS to only record using “Display Capture”. If you need to use the “Game Capture” setting in OBS, then you must switch back to the “High-Performance GPU” because video games are set to run by default on your dedicated graphics processor. In order for OBS to work properly, it must be running on the same GPU as the image you wish to capture. For more information, click here to visit OBS’s official site at the following link.
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