OBS game capture not working? Try these fixes first

OBS Studio

OBS Studio

OBS streaming and screen recording software has become extremely popular in gaming. However, even good software can still face issues. OBS game capture that is not working can disrupt streaming sessions, causing confusion and frustration. This can stop gamers from capturing video/audio in a game and make streaming difficult.

Fortunately, fixing the OBS game capture is extremely easy. Continue with our step-by-step guide to fix the Streamlabs OBS capture that is not working.

OBS Studio
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Restart OBS and the game

Let's start with the most generic fix: restart OBS and the game in which you're facing the issue. Errors like this can possibly occur due to a simple bug, and a simple restart can resolve them. Close both OBS Studio and the game, restart them, and try again to see if the error is fixed.

Run OBS with administrator privileges

Next, try running OBS Studio as an administrator and see if it helps. Several games, such as Call of Duty and Valorant, require OBS to run with administrative privileges to be properly captured.

Switch GPU

If your device is running on two GPUs, it's possible that OBS game capture will not work. Several devices come with two GPUs, including a dedicated and integrated one. If the game is using the integrated GPU, it can cause OBS game capture to record a black screen. Switch OBS's GPU to the dedicated one and see if it helps.

Issues with full-screen games

OBS game capture may face issues if a game isn't set to run in full-screen mode. When you press Alt + Tab to exit the game, it will stop rendering, meaning you won't see the game in OBS while it's minimized. Try to make a test recording or move OBS to the second monitor and check if OBS game capture starts working correctly. It's also recommended to run the game in either windowed or bordered full screen.

OBS Game Capture
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Check for conflicting software

Conflicting software could also cause the OBS game capture to malfunction. Close any unnecessary programs running in the background, especially the ones known to cause conflicts. Applications like overlays and antivirus software are allowed to interfere with OBS's functioning.

Update OBS and graphics drivers

If nothing has helped you yet, update OBS and your device's graphics drivers. Running an outdated version of OBS or graphics drivers can sometimes interfere with game capture.

If nothing helps, try reinstalling OBS Studio. Alternatively, you can also try using OBS alternatives.

If these steps help you fix the OBS game capture not working issue, we'd love to hear about it. Share your experience in the comments.