The Finals – how to fix black screen error on startup with our 7 methods

The Finals – how to fix black screen error on startup with our 7 methods
Jack Webb Updated on by

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The Finals on PC has a pesky black screen error on startup. If you’ve experienced this, there are a few methods you can use to try and fix them.

Upon launching the game, some people report that it will show a black screen that will stay there indefinitely. You can quit out of the game to stop it, but this doesn’t do anything to fix it.

With the release of The Finals, make sure you read our guide covering The Finals crossplay. We’ve also got picks for the best Medium loadout. Read on to fix the black screen error on launch in The Finals.

A screenshot of a gun in a video game with the finals black screen error.
A screenshot of a gun in a video game with the finals black screen error.

How to fix The Finals black screen error in 7 steps

As it stands, the reason for the issue remains a mystery. If you are running into the problem, you should try the following things to try and fix The Finals crashing to the desktop. Here are our 7 steps to fix a black screen in The Finals:

  • Wait for the black screen to pass – Some players note that this happens only during the first instance of starting the game. Your PC might be loading all the assets and is simply taking an extremely long time to fix. Waiting or just opening the game again seems to fix the issue for a few players.
  • Minimize incompatibility by getting Windows OS updates – Check for Windows updates in the Settings app. The latest version could help minimize the occurrence of this glitch in The Finals.
  • Update your GPU drivers – You can get the latest graphics drivers and updates over at the manufacturer’s website, be it AMD, NVIDIA, or Intel. This should help combat the issue after a restart.
  • Verify the integrity of game files – Right-click The Finals on Steam. Then head to Properties and Installed Files. Here, you’ll have an option to verify integrity of game files. Doing so may trigger a download that can fix this issue if it’s a result of file integrity errors.
  • Ensure that the minimum requirements are met – Low spec machines will have a hard time running this online shooter. We’ve got the best settings in The Finals if you want to optimize your visuals via graphic settings.
  • Reinstall the game – While this might be an RPG7 approach, it can help you fix the problem of having a black screen in The Finals.
  • Downclock your CPU – This has worked for some players on other Unreal Engine 5 titles. Lowering your CPU’s core multiplier in the BIOS from x55 to x54 seems to fix it. This doesn’t cause any performance issues for gamers.

If you have the black screen problem, maybe try leaving it there for as long as you feel is enough to see if it will eventually load. Outside of the above suggestions, the only other thing you can do is wait for the latest updates and see if The Finals shares any information regarding the black screen.

Minimum and recommended specifications

If you want a refresher on the minimum and recommended specifications for The Finals, check the table below.

ITEMSMINIMUM SPECIFICATIONSRECOMMENDED SPECIFICATIONS
OSWindows 10 or later, 64-bitWindows 10 or later, 64-bit
ProcessorIntel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen R5 1600 processorIntel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor
Memory12 GB RAM16 GB RAM
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 580Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
Storage15 GB15 GB
✓

If matters don’t improve, consider contacting The Finals support

You can reach out to the support team via the main website to get more clarity on the situation. In addition, you could send performance logs over so that Embark Studios understands the problem better.

The cause of the issue is currently unknown. The developers from Embark Studios have yet to address the issue since the game launched. It could be a problem with your PC’s performance. After all, the game is fairly intense in the shaders and graphics department.

With that, you should hopefully have fixed your black screen error in The Finals. For more about The Finals, we have guides covering the best loadouts for light builds and the best loadout for heavy build characters.

The Finals black screen error FAQs

Does the black screen in The Finals fix itself?

The answer is unclear. It might be the case you just need to wait a really long time for the game to load.

How can I find out more info about the black screen error in The Finals?

Your best bet would be to look on the game’s Reddit page and follow The Finals on Twitter. There might be some more information out there as more people download and play the game.