A black screen in No Man’s Sky can have several possible causes, including a display-mode problem, a graphics-driver issue, or damaged installation files; no single cause is confirmed for every case. Start with the least destructive checks below: verify game files, then troubleshoot graphics settings and drivers. The first four fixes are for PC; the fifth covers PlayStation display and system settings.
1. Verify the game files
An interrupted update, crash, or installation error can leave missing or damaged files. Verifying the installation checks local files and replaces files the launcher cannot validate. It does not erase your save data. The Steam and Epic paths below are reported by a troubleshooting source; Steam’s current support page is also available at Steam Support.
Steam
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click No Man’s Sky and choose Properties.
- Open Local Files.
- Select Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- Wait for the check and any replacement files to finish, then restart Steam and launch the game.
Epic Games Store
- Open the Epic Games Launcher and select Library.
- Click the three dots next to No Man’s Sky.
- Choose Verify.
If the launcher reports that files were repaired but the screen is still black, continue with the display and driver checks rather than repeatedly verifying the installation.
2. Rebuild the NVIDIA shader cache
NVIDIA says damaged shader-cache files can contribute to launch crashes, reduced performance, or visual artifacts. This procedure applies to NVIDIA graphics cards; do not delete NVIDIA folders on an AMD- or Intel-only system as a supposed No Man’s Sky fix. Follow NVIDIA’s shader-cache instructions.
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- Open NVIDIA App.
- Select Graphics in the left column.
- Open Global Settings.
- Find Shader Cache Size, set Cache Size to Off, and select Apply.
- Restart Windows.
- Press Win + R, enter %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local, and press Enter.
- Delete the contents of these folders, if they exist:
- %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\NVIDIA\DXCache
- %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\NVIDIA\GLCache
- %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\NVIDIA Corporation\NV_Cache
- Open NVIDIA App again and return to Graphics → Global Settings.
- Set Shader Cache Size back to Driver Default, select Apply, and restart Windows again.
NVIDIA lists 16GB as the Driver Default. Windows or another NVIDIA process may prevent some cache files from being deleted. If that happens, close games and GPU utilities, restart Windows, and try again; do not force-delete files that are in use.
3. Reset the game’s display mode and resolution
A resolution, refresh-rate, HDR, or fullscreen transition can leave the game displaying nothing even though it has not completely crashed. If you can reach the menus, use the game’s graphics settings to return to a known-good configuration. Hello Games’ Vulkan update identifies the settings below and says changing them no longer required a restart in that release.
- Open the game’s Graphics Settings or Display area.
- Set Window Mode to a mode your monitor supports. Borderless or windowed mode is a useful test if exclusive fullscreen produces a black screen.
- Set Resolution to your monitor’s native resolution.
- Temporarily lower demanding options such as Shadow Detail and Reflection Quality.
- Test with V-Sync changed from its current setting.
- Apply the changes and relaunch the game if the display does not recover.
The same Hello Games update says that systems with more than one GPU can select the GPU used by No Man’s Sky from Graphics Settings. On a laptop, check that the game is using the dedicated GPU rather than integrated graphics.
Do not follow old guides that tell you to switch from Vulkan back to OpenGL. Hello Games replaced OpenGL with Vulkan for the PC version in its April 2019 update, so that is not a current renderer-switching fix.
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If the screen goes black before the menus appear, the verified sources do not provide a current, exact configuration-file procedure for changing these settings. Avoid editing an unspecified configuration file based on a guide that does not identify the file path and syntax.
4. Update the GPU driver and disable overlays
Install the latest driver available for your graphics card from its manufacturer, then restart Windows. Hello Games advised keeping video-card drivers updated when it introduced the Vulkan renderer.
Also test the game without software that injects an overlay or graphics layer. User reports have associated black screens or display failures with overlays, ReShade, mods, dual-GPU selection, and HDR transitions, but these are not confirmed diagnoses from Hello Games. Treat them as troubleshooting possibilities.
- Close No Man’s Sky.
- Temporarily disable overlays such as Steam, Discord, NVIDIA, AMD, Xbox Game Bar, or other recording and monitoring overlays.
- Remove or disable ReShade and graphics mods for the test.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- On the Processes tab, close unnecessary game launchers, tuning tools, recording tools, and other background programs by right-clicking them and choosing End Task. Do not end unfamiliar Windows processes just because they are listed.
- Restart Windows and test No Man’s Sky before re-enabling programs one at a time.
If the problem began immediately after a driver update, the driver itself may be involved. Check the GPU manufacturer’s current support options for a clean installation or an earlier stable driver rather than installing a random package from a third-party site.
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5. Reset PlayStation display settings without deleting game data
On PS4 or PS5, first update the console software and use Sony’s non-destructive default-settings option. This can reset visual or audio settings without performing a full console initialization. See Sony’s PS5 system-software update instructions and Restore Default Settings instructions.
PS5
Update the system through Settings → System → System Software → System Software Update and Settings → Update System Software.
To restore display-related defaults, go to Settings → System → System Software → Reset Options → Restore Default Settings → Restore. Sony states that this restores visual and audio settings without deleting user or game data.
PS4
Go to Settings → Initialization → Restore Default Settings → Restore. Sony states that this option does not erase user or game data.
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Do not confuse this with Initialize PS4 or Reset PS5. A full reset or initialization deletes user and game data. Use “Restore Default Settings” only when you want to reset settings without wiping the console.
After restoring the defaults, turn the console and display off completely, reconnect the HDMI cable, select the correct television input, and launch the game again. A current official Safe Mode cache-clearing path was not verified here, so avoid relying on guides that present an exact “Clear System Cache” menu as if it were confirmed for every current PlayStation software version.
Which fix should you try first?
| What you see | Start with |
|---|---|
| The black screen began after an update or crash | Verify the Steam or Epic installation. |
| The game launches after a driver update but shows artifacts or a black display | Update or troubleshoot the GPU driver, then rebuild the NVIDIA cache if applicable. |
| You hear game audio but see no picture | Reset Window Mode and Resolution; test borderless or windowed mode. |
| You use ReShade, mods, recording software, or overlays | Disable them and test a clean launch. |
| The problem is on PS4 or PS5 | Update system software and use Restore Default Settings, not a full initialization. |
If none of these changes helps, note when the screen turns black: before the logos, at the main menu, during a save load, or when entering fullscreen. That timing, along with your GPU or console model, monitor resolution, HDR setting, and whether audio continues, will make a support request more useful.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
Will verifying No Man’s Sky files delete my save?
No. File verification checks and replaces installation files; it is not a save reset. Do not delete the game’s save folders unless you have a separate backup and specifically intend to remove or restore saves.
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Should I delete a No Man’s Sky shader-cache folder?
The verified NVIDIA procedure does not identify a No Man’s Sky-specific cache folder. For NVIDIA GPUs, it documents clearing the contents of DXCache, GLCache, and NV_Cache after temporarily turning Shader Cache Size off in NVIDIA App. The procedure does not apply to AMD or Intel GPUs.
Can I switch No Man’s Sky from Vulkan to OpenGL?
Not as a current PC troubleshooting step. Hello Games replaced OpenGL with Vulkan in its April 2019 update, so guides recommending an OpenGL fallback are outdated.
Will Restore Default Settings on PS5 erase my games?
Sony says PS5’s Restore Default Settings restores visual and audio settings without deleting user or game data. Do not choose a full reset or initialization, which is a different and destructive operation.
What if the screen is black before No Man’s Sky reaches its menus?
Verify the files, update or troubleshoot the graphics driver, disable overlays and mods, and test the console or monitor’s display connection. The verified material does not provide a current exact configuration-file edit for changing No Man’s Sky‘s display mode before the menus load.
The Bottom Line
Use the launcher’s file verification first, then address the graphics path: rebuild the NVIDIA cache when applicable, reset Window Mode and Resolution, update the GPU driver, and test without overlays or mods. On PlayStation, update the console and choose Restore Default Settings rather than initialization. These steps target installation, rendering, and display-state problems while avoiding unnecessary save or game-data deletion.
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