Palworld is one of the most exciting survival-based RPGs of 2024. However, many players have reported a Palworld black screen issue that occurs when they launch that game. One player’s Steam post described that issue as follows, “When I launch the game, I get the first load which lasts 5 seconds and then nothing, black screen, I have more than enough config to run it.” Players can’t play Palworld when it starts with a black screen. This is how you can fix the Palworld black screen issue on Windows 11/10 PCs.
Wait at Least 10 Minutes
The Pocket Pair community manager has acknowledged the Palworld black screen bug. He recommends players wait 10 minutes for the black screen to clear after starting Palworld. So, try waiting 10 minutes after starting Palworld to see if the black screen disperses.
Set Palworld to Run as an Administrator
Some players confirm setting the game to run as an administrator has fixed the Palworld black screen bug. Doing this will extend Palworld’s PC system access. This is how you can set Palworld to run with elevated privileges.
- Start Steam and select Library to view your games.
- Right-click Palworld to select its Manage and Browse location files option.
- Next, right-click the Palword EXE (application) file to select Properties > Compatibility.
- Click Run this program as an administrator to add a checkmark to that setting.
Run this program as an administrator option
- Select Apply to save your selected administrator option.
- Click OK to exit the Palworld Properties window.
To apply the same resolution for Palworld installed via the Xbox app, create a new game desktop shortcut. You can do that by right-clicking Palword in the Xbox app and selecting Manage > Create Desktop Shortcut. Then right-click the Palworld desktop shortcut to set admin rights for it as outlined in the instructions above.
Disable Fullscreen Optimization
Disabling fullscreen optimization is another way some players have resolved the Palworld black screen issue. To do this, open the Compatibility tab for the game as instructed for steps one to three in the previous resolution. Select the Disable fullscreen optimization checkbox and click Apply > OK.
The Disable fullscreen optimization checkbox
Set a -ngxdisableota Launch Command
If your PC has an NVIDIA graphics card, try setting a -ngxdisableota Steam launch option for Palworld. Applying this launch option is confirmed to fix the Palworld black screen issue for pre-RTX NVIDIA graphics that lack DLSS support. These are the steps for setting a -ngxdisableota launch command.
- Bring up the Steam window and click Library in its tab bar.
- Right-click the Palworld game to select Properties.
- Input -ngxdisableota in the Launch Options box.
Update or Repair Visual C++ Packages
Missing or corrupted Visual C++ files can feasibly cause the Palworld black screen issue. You can address this possible cause by updating or repairing Visual C++ Redistributable packages on your PC as follows.
- Open the Visual C++ Redistributable download page.
- Click the X64 and X86 download links for Visual Studio 2015-2022.
The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable download page
- Next, open whatever folder contains the downloaded Visual C++ packages in File Explorer.
- Double-click the VC_redist.x64 file to open its window.
- Click Repair or Install.
The Install button for Microsoft Visual C++
- Double-click the VC_redist.x86 file to select Repair/Install.
- Restart Windows after updating or repairing Visual C++ packages.
Verify Palworld’s Files
If you’re a Steam user, try verifying the game files for Palworld. This could repair corrupted game files causing the Palworld black screen issue. To apply this possible solution, go through the steps for verifying game files on this Steam help page.
The Verify integrity of game files option
Other Possible Ways to Fix the Palworld Black Screen Bug
The above troubleshooting methods are more widely confirmed ways to fix the Palworld black screen issue. However, try applying these extra possible fixes if you need more potential resolutions:
- Cleanly install a new graphics card driver for your PC. To do this for NVIDIA drivers, select the Perform a clean installation checkbox in the NVIDIA Installer window.
- Clear Palword’s cache by deleting the Pal folder in the AppData > Local directory.
- Add the Palworld game to antivirus exclusion lists.
- Set Palworld to run in compatibility mode with Windows 8 selected.
The potential solutions in this guide often fix the Palworld black screen issue. That doesn’t mean they’ll always work, but there’s a pretty good chance those resolutions will resolve that gaming issue on your Windows PC. If not, you can contact the game’s help service about the issue from this Palworld page.
