Entertainment Gaming Consoles

Why Your Xbox Series X Is Stuck On A Black Screen And How To Fix It

Xbox Series X on a table Alex Van Aken/Shutterstock
By Shikhar Mehrotra/

Released in 2020, Xbox Series X is among the best gaming consoles in the market. With top-of-the-line specifications and plenty of features, the Xbox is popular among gaming enthusiasts. However, like every console, users have faced certain issues with it too. While some owners face problems with Wi-Fi connection on their Xbox, some have audio-related issues. In the past, SlashGear has covered those issues, why they occur, and ways to fix them. However, Xbox Series X owners have been facing another problem, called the 'Black Screen of Death' among those who dread it.

The black screen error on the Xbox Series X can occur anytime. Players have encountered the black screen error after switching on the console, returning to Home, or installing a system update. However, the Xbox Series X black screen error is not a problem. Instead, it indicates something is wrong with your console. Many reasons can cause the black screen error on an Xbox Series X: a faulty connection or power supply unit, overheating of the console, or a buggy firmware update, among others. However, there are a few ways to fix the black screen error on your Xbox Series X.

Restart your Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X on a table with arrow towards power button Shikhar/SlashGear

The Xbox Series X blank screen error could occur at any time. You can find yourself stuck on a black screen after you boot the console or while playing your favorite video game. Nevertheless, the first thing you should try in such scenarios is rebooting the console, as it removes any errors related to runtime glitches. 

  1. Hold the Xbox button on the front for about 10 seconds or until the console shuts down completely.
  2. Unplug and replug the console into the power outlet.
  3. Press the Xbox button on the console or the controller to turn it on and see if it works normally (via asurion).

There is a good chance that rebooting will fix your console. If it doesn't, there could be a connection problem.

  1. First, switch off your Xbox Series X by pressing the button on the front and ensure you have unplugged the power supply cord.
  2. Now, carefully disconnect all the cables, including the power supply, HDMI, and ethernet.
  3. Examine the wires from one end to the other and look for any physical signs of damage, especially the HDMI cable, as it connects the console to the display.
  4. If there are any physical signs of damage, it is probably the cable causing the problem. Hence, checking the cable with other consoles or replacing it should fix the issue.
  5. If all the cables are fine, wait for two to three minutes before reconnecting them and booting the console (via Xbox).

Change your Xbox's display settings

Xbox home screen on a TV Arto Tahvanainen/Shutterstock

Reconnecting the wires didn't work? Well, another way to fix the black screen error that appears right after booting the Xbox Series X is resetting the display resolution. This will force the console to low-resolution mode and boot it up, avoiding any issues that might occur due to incompatible resolution settings. 

  1. Ensure that there is no disc in the console. If there is, eject it.
  2. Press and hold the Xbox button at the front for about 10 seconds to turn off the console.
  3. Hold the power and Eject buttons together until you hear two beeps at 10 seconds. The power light will also flash before you hear the second beep.
  4. Ensure you only leave the buttons once you hear the second beep or the console starts in low-resolution mode.
  5. Your console should boot up in low-resolution mode (640x480). Doing this eliminates any errors or glitches that might occur due to differences in resolution between the console and the television/monitor (via WindowsCentral).

Since the black screen error doesn't allow you to do anything, resetting the display solution gets you past that to a point where your console starts responding. However, you would want to restore the display resolution to what it was, right?

  1. Press the controller's Xbox button to open the guide.
  2. Open the Profile & system menu.
  3. Select Settings, then select General.
  4. Finally, open the TV & display options section and set your desired resolution under Display.

Disconnect any peripherals and change video mode

Xbox Series X ports Hopix Art/Shutterstock

Per the official support page, peripherals like Storage Expansion Cards, battery charging stations, or external hard drives "can cause issues that result in a blank screen" when the console tries to update. If you use any such device, disconnect it and see if it is causing the problem (via Xbox)

If your Xbox's screen goes blank while watching a Blu-ray disc, the Allow 24Hz video mode is causing the problem. Eject the disk, reboot the Xbox and follow the steps given below.

  1. Press the controller's Xbox button to open the guide.
  2. Open the Profile & system menu and select Settings.
  3. Select General and choose TV & display options.
  4. Select Video modes and turn off Allow 24Hz.
  5. Try watching the Blu-ray disc again.

If you use an audio-video receiver or AVR, and you're stuck on the black screen, here's what you can do.

  1. Switch off all the devices and turn them on in a specific order. First, turn on your TV. Then turn on your AVR, and, finally, the console.
  2. Using the input button of the TV's remote, switch the input source of the AVR away and then back to the console. For instance, if it was HDMI1, change it to HDMI2 and then back to HDMI1.
  3. Restart the AVR.
  4. Press the controller's Xbox button and select Profile & system > Settings > General > TV & display options.
  5. Select "Video fidelity & overscan" and in the Display menu, select HDMI.

Perform an offline system update

Xbox Series X controller with TV in the background Joeri Mostmans/Shutterstock

You need a Windows desktop or laptop with a USB port and an active internet connection to update your Series S manually. Additionally, you'll require a USB flash, formatted as NTFS, with 6GB of space (via Xbox).

  1. Format the USB flash drive as NTFS.
  2. Plug in the USB flash drive.
  3. Download the Offline System Update file, named OSU1.zip, by clicking here.
  4. Unzip the file in a folder and copy "$SystemUpdate" to the flash drive.
  5. Unplug it from the PC.

You'll have to open the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter to update your console offline.

  1. Turn the console off by holding the Xbox button and unplug it from the power source for 30 seconds. Plug it back again.
  2. Press and hold the Pair button and the Eject button. Then press the Xbox button.
  3. Hold the Pair and Eject buttons for a few seconds until you hear two "power-up" tones.
  4. Release the buttons.
  5. You'll boot up in the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter.
  6. Plug the flash drive you prepared into the console to unlock the "Offline system update" option.
  7. Using the D-pad and the A-button on the Xbox controller, select "Offline system update" to initiate the process. You might need to connect the console to the internet "at least once" during the update.
  8. Once the update is complete, the console will reboot and return you to the home screen.

If the offline system update works, it's all well and good. However, it is best to take the console to an authorized service center if it doesn't.

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