Palworld – How to Fix the Black Screen on Launch Error

This article will guide you through how to fix the black screen on launch error in Palworld. If you have faced this issue in the game, here’s what you can do!

Lovingly and sarcastically referred to as “Pokemon with guns”, Palworld is an open-world action-adventure survival game where the player is set loose in a vast landscape inhabited by Pokemon-like creatures called “Pals”. As of the time of writing, Palworld has officially overtaken Counter Strike 2 on Steam as the most-played game on the platform with a player count of more than 1 million. So, it is safe to say that Palworld has been an instant hit among gamers.

If you want to play the game yourself and want to see what the hype is all about, then you can get it on Steam or Xbox. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass where you can play for free if you have an active subscription.

As great as Palworld is, it is not a perfect game though. The title is still in Early Access, which means players can expect to see some bugs and issues in the game. Many have reported that when launching Palworld on a PC, sometimes the game freezes on a black screen and does not load. And that is what we are here to address in this article. We will guide you through how to fix the black screen on launch error in Palworld and get you back to your Pals. With that said, let’s dive in!

How to Fix the Black Screen on Launch Error

If you have faced the black screen on launch error, then we have some good news for you. The developers of the game, Pocketpair, have acknowledged this issue and have pushed out a patch to fix it. So, here’s the full breakdown of everything you need to know about how to resolve this issue:

1. Download the Latest Patch

Palworld developer Pocketpair has taken note of the black screen on launch issue and has released a hotfix for the game on January 19. According to them, this problem was occurring for some players due to having a poor network environment. Hence, they have asked players to download and apply the hotfix, and then wait for at least 10 seconds after starting the game. 

Since the developers have already updated the game with a new patch, the problem is solved, right? Well, not exactly. Some players have reported that the issue still persists even after the patch. If you unfortunately fall into that camp, here are some alternative solutions.

2. Check if the Game is Fully Updated

If you purchased the game on Steam or the Xbox app, go to the game page and see if it is fully updated. On Steam, you can just click on the game and see if the game starts downloading any updates. It should happen automatically. And on the Xbox app, you can right-click on the game, then go to Manage, then Files, and click on the Check For Updates button. Following these steps should help update your game to the latest patch if it has not already. 

3. Check the Integrity of the Game

To check the integrity of the game on Steam, here’s what you need to do:

• Launch Steam.
• Right-click on Palworld.
• Go to Properties.
• Go to Installed Filed.
• Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.

This should run a check on your game and see if there are any corrupted or missing files. If there is anything wrong or missing, then the Steam client will automatically download the necessary files. 

4. Verify and Repair the Game on the Xbox App

If you have downloaded the game on your PC using the Xbox app, here’s how you can verify and repair the game to fix the black screen error:

• Launch the Xbox app.
• Right-click on Palworld.
• Go to Manage.
• Go to Files.
• Click on Verify and Repair.

Just like Steam, the Xbox app will run a scan on your game files and download/replace any file that has been corrupted. 

5. Disable Full Screen Optimization

According to a Redditor, he was able to resolve the black screen error before the patch for the game came out. So, if you are still facing the same issue, here’s what he did:

• Launch Steam.
• Right-click on Palworld.
• Go to Properties.
• Go to Installed Filed.
• Click on Browse.
• Locate the game launcher.
• Right-click on it and go to Properties.
• Go to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the boxes that say “Disable fullscreen optimizations” and “Run this program as an administrator”.
• Start the game.

The Redditor who posted this solution seemed to have helped a lot of people who were facing the black screen issue. That’s why we believe that it is worth trying at least. 

6. Reinstall the Game

If the solutions we provided so far did not help, then you can always try uninstalling and then reinstalling the game. This should allow the game to be redownloaded with all the latest patches and fixes that may have been missing in your previous game folder. This is also a great way to fix the black screen on launch issue if you are playing on an Xbox console. 

Final Thoughts

The solutions provided in this guide should help you fix the black screen on launch issue in Palworld. Thankfully, since the devs have already released a patch for this game, it shouldn’t be much of a problem for players who are jumping into the game now. However, for those of you who have been playing Palworld for a while and still have not found a solution to this problem, please give the alternate solutions we suggested a try. Hopefully, it will resolve the issue. 

For more guides, news, and features on Palworld, keep your eye on ESTNN!