Are you getting the Failed to initialize video error on OBS Studio? Many OBS Studio users have reported to be getting this error while opening the app. Here is the full error message that is prompted:
Failed to initialize video. Your GPU may not be supported, or your graphics drivers may need to be updated.
As the error message suggests, this error is likely to be caused when OBS Studio is not compatible with your graphics card or driver. In some scenarios, it could be a corrupted or incorrect installation of the app causing the error. But, in any case, you don’t have to worry. We bring you the working solutions that will help you get rid of this error. So, let us get straight to the fixes.
Fix OBS Studio Failed to initialize video error
If you get the “Failed to initialize video” error when trying to launch OBS Studio, here are the solutions to fix it:
- Update or reinstall your graphics driver.
- Edit DirectX Properties.
- Troubleshoot in a clean boot state.
- Reinstall OBS Studio.
Failed to initialize video, Your GPU may not be supported, or your graphics drivers may need to be updated
1] Update or reinstall your graphics driver
Such errors are often triggered due to compatibility issues with your graphics drivers. Faulty or outdated graphics drivers can cause this error. Hence, update your graphics drivers to the latest version and see if it works. If that doesn’t help, uninstall and reinstall the graphics drivers to fix the error.
To update your graphics drivers, you can open the Settings app using Win+I and move to the Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates section and check for available driver updates.
You can then tick the graphics and other device driver updates and then press the Download & install button to update your drivers. You can then open OBS Studio and see if the error is fixed.
In case updating doesn’t work, you can reinstall the graphics drivers as it might be a case of corrupted drivers. Here’s how:
- First, press Win+X and select Device Manager to open it.
- Now, expand the Display adapters category and right-click on your graphics driver.
- Next, from the context menu, choose the Uninstall device option and follow the prompted instructions to complete the process.
- Once done, reboot your PC to let Windows install the missing graphics drivers on your PC.
- Finally, launch OBS Studio and check if the “Failed to initialize video” error is resolved or not.
See: Fix OBS not capturing Game Video on Windows PC.
2] Edit DirectX Properties
You can try using DXCPL (DirectX Properties) which is a tool by Microsoft to let you run modern apps and games with outdated or incompatible graphics cards. DXCPL is a free program for Windows that acts as a DirectX emulator, allowing you to play games that would otherwise be incompatible with your hardware.
This is a workaround that seems to work for some affected users. So, you can do the same and see if it helps you.
Here’s how:
First, download the dxcpl.exe file on your computer. It is part of the legacy DirectX SDK and is available on microsoft.com.
Now, right-click on the download and choose the Run as administrator option from the context menu to launch the DirectX Properties.
In the opened window, click on the Edit List button.
Next, you need to add the main executable of OBS Studio from its installation directory. For that, click on the three-dot button to browse and select the OBS Studio application. You will likely find it at the below location by default:
C:\Program Files\obs-studio\bin\64bit\obs64.exe
If you have installed it at a customized location, change the above path accordingly.
After that, press the Add button to add the process and then hit the OK button.
Now, tick the checkbox named Force WARP from the bottom of the DirectX Properties window.
Finally, click on the Apply and then OK button to save changes.
You can now launch the OBS Studio without the Failed to initialize video error.
NOTE: DXCPL is also available on other third-party download sites, but you will have to take a call whether you want to download it from them or not.
Read: Fix Failed to authenticate with Twitch in OBS.
3] Troubleshoot in a clean boot state
A few affected users reported that the error was caused due to a software conflict. If another program on your system is currently using some OBS files, you may get this error. For instance, a Reddit user reported that the error was caused because of Malwarebytes causing conflicts with OBS Studio. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, you can reboot your Windows in a clean boot state with a minimal set of drivers and services and then open OBS Studio to check if the error is fixed. Here’s how:
Firstly, open Run using Win+R, type msconfig in the Open box, and press the Enter button to launch the System Configuration window.
After that, move to the Services tab and checkmark the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox. Now, select the checkboxes associated with all third-party services and click on the Disable all button to disable the services.
Next, navigate to the Startup tab, click on Open Task Manager, and switch off all your startup software.
Then, go back to System Configuration and click on the Apply > OK button to apply new changes.
You can now reboot your computer and open OBS Studio to see if the error is fixed. If yes, start enabling third-party services one by one and try analyzing which one is causing the issue. Once you find that out, you can disable or uninstall the program to fix the error.
Another way to find out which software is using OBS files is to download the latest version of OBS Studio and then run the installer.
Upon running the installer, you might get a warning prompt like the below one:
OBS files are being used by the following applications:
Microsoft Teams
Please close these applications to continue setup.
In that case, you can disable the mentioned application and then open OBS Studio to check if the error is fixed.
See: Fix OBS not capturing Game Video on PC.
4] Reinstall OBS Studio
If the above solutions don’t work, the last resort to fix the error is to reinstall the OBS Studio on your computer. To do that, uninstall OBS Studio using the Settings > Apps > Installed apps section. From here, locate the OBS studio app and click on the three-dot menu button present next to it. After that, press the Uninstall option and follow the instructions to remove the app.
When OBS is removed, restart your computer and download the latest version of OBS from its official website. Next, install the app on your system to check if the “Failed to initialize video” error is fixed.
Why is OBS Studio not working?
If OBS Studio is not working on your PC, the issue could be caused due to compatibility issues or a lack of administrator rights to open the app. Besides that, your graphics settings can also cause the same problem. It could also be corrupted installation files of OBS Studio preventing the app from working correctly. To fix this issue, you can run the app as an administrator or in compatibility mode, optimize your graphics settings, or reinstall it to fix the problem.
What is an unexpected error occurred when trying to connect to the server OBS?
The Failed to connect to server error on OBS Studio occurs when trying to use a streaming service. It could be caused due to a weak or unstable internet connection. Hence, make sure you are well connected to a reliable internet connection. Besides that, you can try using a different streaming server, reset the stream key, switch on Dynamic Bitrate, or reset your router.
Now read: Fix OBS Studio keeps crashing on Windows PC.
