Destiny 2 Black Screen After Startup: “Destiny 2 is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie, available to play for free online. Recently, the developers introduced a new downloadable content (DLC) expansion titled ‘Destiny 2: The Witch Queen,’ which necessitates the installation of the base game.
This expansion has garnered highly positive feedback from players on Steam. However, following the latest update, numerous users have encountered black screen issues and difficulty launching the game.
Reports indicate that many players find themselves stuck on a black screen when attempting to start the game, with no accompanying audio. In these instances, players often have no choice but to exit the game using the Alt+F4 shortcut.
This persistent issue has proven to be a source of frustration for many in the gaming community. In this tutorial, we will provide step-by-step instructions to help you resolve the Destiny 2 black screen problem on your PC.”
Fix: Destiny 2 Black Screen After Startup
The occurrence of a black screen in Destiny 2 on PC is likely related to compatibility problems between your system configuration and the game’s requirements.
Additionally, several factors can contribute to this issue, including outdated graphics drivers, missing or corrupted game files, an outdated version of the game, DirectX-related problems, conflicts with overlay applications, and excessively high in-game graphics settings. Each of these elements can lead to difficulties when launching the game.
1. Disable Full-Screen Optimizations
- To begin, navigate to the folder located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Destiny 2\Binaries\Win64. If your installation of the Steam client or the game is on a different drive or location, please access that respective folder instead.
- Once you find the Destiny 2.exe file, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
- Next, switch to the Compatibility tab and locate the option labeled “Enable Fullscreen Optimizations.” Make sure to uncheck this option.
- Finally, click Apply, then hit OK to confirm and save your changes.
2. Run the game as an Administrator
To prevent issues with user account control related to permissions, it’s important to launch the game executable file with administrative privileges. Additionally, you should also run the Steam client as an administrator on your computer. Here’s how you can do this:
- 1. Locate the Destiny 2 executable shortcut on your desktop or in your files.
- 2. Right-click on the shortcut and choose ‘Properties’ from the context menu.
- 3. Navigate to the ‘Compatibility’ tab in the properties window.
- 4. Find the option labeled ‘Run this program as an administrator’ and check the box next to it.
- 5. Click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’ to confirm and save your changes.
By following these steps, you can ensure that both the game and Steam operate smoothly without any privilege-related interruptions.
3. Check Graphics Driver Update
It’s important to ensure that your graphics driver is up to date, as an outdated or corrupted driver can lead to various issues, including problems with games or applications displaying a black screen. To check for and update your graphics driver, follow these steps:
- 1. Press the Windows + X keys simultaneously to access the Quick Link Menu.
- 2. From the options presented, select Device Manager.
- 3. Locate and double-click on Display adapters to expand the list.
- 4. Right-click on your active graphics card.
- 5. Select Update driver from the context menu.
- 6. Choose the option for Windows to search automatically for updated drivers.
If an update is found, your system will download and install it without further input. After the process is complete, restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect.
4. Update Destiny 2
If you haven’t updated your Destiny 2 game in a while, it’s important to check for the latest updates and install any available patches. Here’s how you can do this:
- 1. Launch the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Find and select Destiny 2 from the list on the left side.
- 3. The client will automatically look for any available updates. If an update is found, be sure to select the Update option.
- 4. The installation process may take some time, so be patient. Once the update has finished, close the Steam client.
- 5. To ensure all changes are applied, restart your computer, and then try to launch the game again.
Following these steps will help ensure you have the most current version of Destiny 2 for the best gaming experience.
5. Check System Resources
If you’re experiencing slow loading times or prolonged startup when launching Destiny 2 on your PC, it’s a good idea to monitor your system’s resource usage. You can do this by following these steps to see if there is a spike in RAM or CPU usage:
- 1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- 2. Navigate to the Processes tab and identify the task you wish to terminate.
- 3. Select the task and click on “End Task” to close it. Repeat this for each task as needed.
- 4. After you’ve finished managing your tasks, restart your computer to apply the changes.
This process can help improve your game’s performance.
6. Disable Overlay Applications
Some players have reported that overlay applications can operate in the background while gaming, leading to a depletion of system resources that may negatively impact gameplay performance.
To avoid potential issues, it’s advisable to disable these overlays if you aren’t utilizing any specific application for chatting, taking screenshots, or recording game sessions. Here’s how to do it:
- 1. Launch the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
- 2. Locate Destiny 2, right-click on it, and select Properties.
- 3. In the Properties window, go to the General tab and uncheck the option that says “Enable Steam Overlay.”
- 4. Return to your Library and restart Destiny 2 to see if the black screen problem persists.
7. Check Windows Updates
It’s quite possible that your Windows operating system may become outdated over time. When this happens, you might experience a drop in gameplay performance, along with potential bugs and stability problems. Therefore, it’s a good practice to regularly check for and install any available Windows updates. Here’s how you can do that:
- 1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously to access the Windows Settings menu.
- 2. Navigate to the Update & Security section and click on it. Then, look for the option labeled ‘Check for updates’ within the Windows Update category.
- 3. If an update is available, click on ‘Download and install’ to start the process.
- 4. Allow some time for the update to finish downloading and installing.
- 5. Finally, restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect immediately.
8. Lower in-game Graphics Settings
Consider adjusting the in-game graphics settings through the game menu to see if it alleviates any issues. You might want to turn off features such as V-Sync, shadow effects, and anti-aliasing. Additionally, running the game at a lower display resolution could help resolve any black screen problems you may be experiencing.
9. Update DirectX
An outdated or missing version of DirectX can lead to various problems when launching or playing games. To resolve these issues, consider updating DirectX by following these steps:
- 1. Visit the official Microsoft website to download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer to your computer.
- 2. Proceed with the manual installation or updating of DirectX.
- 3. After the installation is complete, restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect.
10. Press ALT+TAB Key Combo
Several users experiencing issues on their PCs have reported that using the ALT + TAB keyboard shortcut allows them to toggle between open applications.
To address the problem, try repeatedly pressing ALT + TAB to cycle through your programs, then return to your game to see if the issue persists.
This action switches the display from full-screen to windowed mode and back to full-screen, which may resolve the black screen problem.
11. Try Disabling Other Overlay Apps
Certain widely-used applications come equipped with overlay features that can operate in the background, potentially leading to performance degradation during gaming or even preventing games from launching altogether. To resolve these issues, it’s advisable to disable these overlays by following the instructions outlined below:
**Disabling Discord Overlay:
- 1. Open the Discord application and click the gear icon located at the bottom.
- 2. Navigate to the Overlay section under App Settings and enable the in-game overlay.
- 3. Proceed to the Games tab, select Destiny 2, and then disable the in-game overlay toggle.
- 4. Be sure to restart your computer to ensure that the changes take effect.
**Disabling Xbox Game Bar:
- 1. Press the Windows + I keys to access Windows Settings.
- 2. Click on the Gaming option, then select Game Bar, and turn off the option for recording game clips, taking screenshots, and broadcasting using the Game Bar.
- 3. If you have difficulty locating the Game Bar settings, you can search for it directly in the Windows Settings menu.
**Disabling Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:
- 1. Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience application and navigate to the Settings.
- 2. Click on the General tab and disable the In-Game Overlay feature.
- 3. Restart your PC to apply these changes and then relaunch your game.
Additionally, it is important to consider disabling other overlay applications such as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB management software, or any other third-party overlay programs that may be active in the background, as these can also interfere with your gaming performance.
12. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
To resolve various gaming issues or errors, it’s essential to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on your computer. Follow these steps to complete the process:
- 1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard to access the Start Menu.
- 2. In the search bar, type “Apps & Features” and select it from the results.
- 3. Scroll through the list to find the Microsoft Visual C++ programs.
- 4. Click on each program you find and select the Uninstall option.
- 5. Head over to the official Microsoft website to download the latest version of the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- 6. After the download is complete, proceed with the installation on your computer. Finally, restart your system to apply the changes.
This will help ensure that your gaming experience runs smoothly.
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