Some gamers experience a black screen in the Sims 4 video game. When they launch the game, Sims 4 displays a black screen, and nothing happens. Some users reported the flickering black screen issue while playing the Sims 4 game. This issue makes the game impossible to play. In this article, we will talk about the ways to fix the black screen in Sims 4 on Windows 11/10.
How to fix the black screen in Sims 4 on Windows 11/10
Some users reported that they were able to play the game by spamming the Shift + Tab keys. You can also try this but this is not a permanent solution. Hence, if you want to fix the black screen in Sims 4 on Windows 11/10, use the solutions provided below.
- Clear Origin or EA app cache
- Turn off In-game Overlay
- Check your graphics card
- Update or reinstall your graphics card driver
- Play Sims 4 in windowed mode
- Test your RAM
- Install EA app
- Contact EA support
Let’s talk about these solutions in detail.
1] Clear Origin or EA app cache
Corrupted cache files create different issues in an app. The problem might be occurring due to the corrupted Origin cache. The problems occurring due to the corrupted cache files can be fixed easily by deleting the cache files. We suggest you clear the Origin cache and see if it helps. To do so, you have to delete all the Origin folders located inside the ProgramData directory on your C drive.
If you have installed the EA app, you have to clear the EA app cache to fix the issue. The steps to do that are as follows:
- Open EA app.
- Click on the three horizontal lines on the top left side and go to “Help > App Recovery.”
- A new window will pop up. Click Clear cache.
2] Turn off In-game Overlay
If after clearing the Origin cache, the issue persists, the next step is to turn off In-game Overlay. By using the In-game Overlay dashboard, you can chat with your friends available in your chat list, browse the web, and get online help without leaving the game. Sometimes, this feature creates problems. Turn off In-game Overlay and see if it helps. The following instructions will guide you on how to disable In-game Overlay:
If you are using the Origin app, follow the steps below to turn off In-game Overlay:
- Open Origin Client.
- Go to “Origin > Application Settings.”
- Select the ORIGIN IN GAME tab and turn off the Enable Origin In Game button.
EA app users can turn off In-game Overlay by following the instructions written below:
- Launch the EA app.
- Click on the burger menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the top left side and select Settings.
- On the Settings page, select the Application tab.
- Scroll down and turn off the In-game Overlay switch.
3] Check your graphics card
Because the issue is related to your screen, it is possible that your graphics card or any component of your graphics card is not working properly. If a graphics card is dying, it shows you the following signs:
- Frequent crashes or blue screen errors on a system.
- Strange fan noise
- Graphical glitches on the screen
- Significant frame rate drops
If you notice any of the above symptoms, the problem may be associated with your graphics card. Another cause is the dirty graphics card. Electronic circuits and components should be cleaned regularly. Accumulation of dust blocks the pathways that release excessive heat due to which users experience heating issues on their devices. It is also suggested to check if your graphics card is dirty or not. If you find your GPU dirty, clean it.
Problems also occur due to high temperatures. If excessive heat is generated in your graphics card, you will experience several issues while playing video games. You can use free software to monitor the temperature of your graphics card. If excessive heat is generated in your graphics card, your next step is to check if the fans are working or not. Some users have reported that the problem was occurring because the fans of their graphics card were not working. Check if this is the case with you or not.
4] Update or reinstall your graphics card driver
If your graphics card is working fine but you see a black screen in the Sims 4 video game, the problem may be associated with the graphics card driver. You should update or reinstall your graphics card driver. First, close the Sims 4 game and then open the Optional Updates page in your Windows 11/10 Settings. If an update is released by your graphics card manufacturer, it will be shown on the Optional Updates page. Install the GPU driver updates (if available).
If an update for the GPU driver is not available, uninstalling and reinstalling it can help. The steps to do so are written below:
- Download the latest version of your graphics card driver from the manufacturer’s website.
- Open the Device Manager and uninstall your graphics card driver.
- After uninstalling your graphics card driver, Windows will use the default driver.
- Run the installer file to reinstall your graphics card driver. If the installer file is in .INF format, you have to install it using the Device Manager.
5] Play Sims 4 in windowed mode
Sims 4 can also be played in windowed mode. The windowed mode in video games can prevent crashing and performance issues. To do so, open your game properties and type the following command line argument, and click Apply.
-w
After applying the above change to Sims 4, it will launch in windowed mode. If you want to play back in full-screen mode, delete the command line argument in your game properties and click Apply.
6] Test your RAM
Such types of issues can also occur due to faulty RAM. There are some signs that tell that the RAM has malfunctioned. These are:
- Decreasing the system’s performance,
- Random system restarts,
- Frequent BSOD errors,
- Video Card fails to load, etc.
Windows 11/10 has a built-in Memory Diagnostic Tool that helps users check for memory problems. You can also use free RAM testing third-party software like Memtest86+.
7] Install the EA app
The Origin app is developed by Electronic Arts. The company has replaced the Origin app with the EA app. If you try to download the Origin app from the internet and click on the official link, you will be redirected to the EA app to download it and install it. Because the company has replaced the Origin app with the EA app, it is possible that users will experience several issues with Origin. If you have not installed the EA app, it is suggested to download and install the official EA app. Run the Sims 4 game from the EA app and see if it shows a black screen or not.
8] Contact EA support
If despite trying the above fixes, the issue is not resolved, contact EA support. They will assist you in a better way and resolve your problem.
Read: The Sims 4 not responding or working on Windows PC.
Is The Sims 4 compatible with Windows 11?
Yes, Sims 4 is fully compatible with Windows 11. If you have been using Windows 10, and recently installed Windows 11, you can undoubtedly play Sims 4 on your Windows 11 computer without any error. However, if it shows a black screen error, you can follow the aforementioned guides to get rid of this problem.
Why are my Sims completely black?
If Sims is showing you a black screen, the problem may be with your display adapters. In this case, updating or reinstalling the graphics card driver will help. Sometimes, corrupted cache files also create problems. Clear Origin and EA app cache and see if it helps. We have explained some solutions in this article to fix the lack of screen issue on SIMS 4.
Read next: Fix The Sims 4 Lagging on Windows PC.
