Fix: Raft Black Screen Issue

Raft is an adventure survival multiplayer game available on Steam. It has gained a lot of popularity in a short time. The game is based on an oceanic adventure where you have to survive to win the match. You can play this game alone or with your friends. In this game, you have to build your necessary things for livings along with killing animals to feed yourself. You will also get some locations in the ocean where you will find great loots which will help you in getting to the different levels of the game. Similarly, you will find the city where you have to fight against the robots to get things that are necessary for your living.

After all, this is a very interesting game and it is developed by Redbeet Interactive and published by Axolot Games. As the game has been released newly on the game store, there are some issues that are being faced by the users. Many users have reported some bugs with this game. They are facing a black screen issue on their PC while playing or starting the game. It is annoying them very much. They are searching for ways to fix this issue. We are here with the ways through which you can easily fix this issue. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

Also Read: Fix: Raft Keep Crashing on Startup on PC

Raft

Why are You Facing This Black Screen Issue with Raft Game?

A lot of users have reported the same issue, but they are unable to figure out the reason for the cause of the issue. There might be several reasons for this. It might be the software bug that is in the game, or some files conflicting with your PC. We can’t say anything for sure. However, we are listing out some of the common reasons for the cause of the issue. Make sure to check them below.

  • There are some missing or corrupted files in the game.
  • Your antivirus or firewall blocks the game files.
  • You have not updated your Windows.
  • You are using an outdated graphics driver on your PC.
  • Your PC does not meet the system requirements.
  • Your internet connection is not working properly.

How To Fix Raft Black Screen Issue on Your PC

We are here with the troubleshooting methods which will definitely help you in fixing the black screen issue with your game. Make sure that you follow all the below-mentioned methods properly to resolve this issue.

1. Check System Requirements

Before implementing the methods which we are listing below. Make sure to check the system requirements to run the game. As it is necessary to check whether your system is capable to run the game smoothly or not. If not meets the minimum requirements then you are likely to face this kind of issue.

Minimum System Requirements

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7 or later
  • Processor: 2.6 GHz Dual Core or similar
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce GTX 500 series or similar
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 6 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: 64-bit operating system is required

Recommended System Requirements

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7 or later
  • Processor: Intel Core i5 2.6GHz or similar
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce GTX 700 series or similar
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 6 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: 64-bit operating system is required

2. Disable Full-Screen Optimizations

You can try disabling the full-screen optimization mode to try resolving this issue. For doing this, follow the steps which are given below.

  • Right-click on the Raft.exe game file.
  • Select Properties from the list of options.
  • Now, head to the Compatibility tab.
  • Click on Disable Fullscreen Optimizations.
  • Now, click on Apply button and after it on the OK button to save the changes.
  • Restart the computer and check whether the black screen issue has been resolved or not.

3. Run the game in Administrator Mode

Many users have tried running the game in Administrator mode and they were able to fix the issue by doing so. When you run any game or app with the administrator authority, then it gets full control from the system and is able to start all the files properly. We will also suggest you do this to check whether the issue gets resolved with this or not. You can do this by following the steps which are given below.

  • Right-click on the Raft.exe game file.
  • Select the “Run as Administrator” option.

Run as Administrator

  • Give permission and check whether the game starts running smoothly or not.

If the issue has been fixed by doing this, then you have to do this setting permanently for the game. You can do this easily by following the steps which are given below.

  • Again, right-click on the Raft.exe game file.
  • Select Properties from the list of options.
  • Now, head to the Compatibility tab.
  • Select “Run this program as an administrator”.
  • After it, click on Apply and OK button to save the changes.

Run as Administrator

4. Verify Integrity of Game Files

There are possibilities that the game files might be corrupted or missing while the installation of the game or after it. You can fix this easily by the Steam game store. The Steam game store comes with the feature to check and repair the game files. You can easily do this by following the steps which are given below.

  • Open Start Menu.
  • Type “Steam” in the search bar.
  • Now, open the app and go to Library.
  • Select the game and click on the three dots available there.
  • After it, select Properties.
  • Head over to the Local Files.
  • You will see the option of “Verify Integrity of Game Files”.
  • Click on it and wait for the process to get completed.
  • Now, again run the game and check whether the issue is resolved or not.

5. Update The Graphics Driver

The Raft game might not work properly and will be stuck on the black screen if your graphics driver is not updated. As the graphics are one of the most important things to running any game. We will suggest that you should manually check for the graphics update on your PC to avoid this type of game issue.

  • Open Start Menu.
  • Type “Device Manager” in the search bar.
  • Click on the Display option and double-click to expand it.
  • Now, select your Graphics Driver and right-click on it.
  • You will see the option of Update Driver, click on it.
  • After it, follow the on-screen instructions that are given to complete the update.
  • Restart your system and again try running the game.

Update Graphics Driver

6. End All Unnecessary Background Processes

There are some possibilities that the game might be not getting sufficient resources to run properly on your PC. It might occur if there are a lot of apps running in the background. Those apps that are running in the background will occupy some memory in the RAM, graphics, and other parts due to which the game will not have the proper resources to work smoothly. We will suggest that you should close all the unnecessary apps which are running in the background. Follow the steps which are given below to do so.

  • Press CTRL + ALT + DEL key.
  • Now, select Task Manager.
  • Click on More details to see the processes.
  • Now, select the app which is not necessary to run in the background.
  • Right-click on the app and select End Task.

End Task

7. Disable Overlay Applications

Many users have reported that they were facing the issue due to the overlay applications which were running in the background. The overlay applications consume too many system resources which affect the working of the game. We will suggest you disable it to try resolving the issue. You can do this by following the steps which are given below.

  • Open the Steam Game Store.
  • Now, go to Library.
  • Right-click on the Raft game.
  • Click on Properties options.
  • Head over to the General section.
  • Uncheck the Enable Steam Overlay checkbox.
  • Again, go to Library.
  • Open the Raft game to check whether the black screen issue is fixed or not.

8. Disable Antivirus Software 

The issue might also cause if your antivirus apps are causing conflicts with the file of the game. Many users have reported that they tried running the game by disabling the antivirus and they were able to resolve this issue.

In this case, the antivirus which is installed on your PC might be blocking the files of the game to maintain the security of the PC. It might happen if they suspect some malicious activity or response. Therefore, we will suggest that you should disable your antivirus and check whether the issue has been resolved or not.

9. Disable Windows Firewall

Windows Defender Firewall can also be a reason for the black screen issue of the game. The work of the Windows Firewall is to block game files if they suspect any malicious activity with them. It is done in order to protect your system from malicious threats.

This issue can occur if your Windows Firewall has suspected some different response from the server of the Raft game. However, you can easily fix this to run the game by disabling the Windows Defender Firewall on your PC. Follow the steps which are given below to disable the Windows Defender Firewall from your system.

  • Open the Start Menu.
  • Type “Windows Defender Firewall” in the search bar.
  • Select Windows Defender Firewall from the search results.
  • After it, click on the Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.
  • Select the “Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended)” option.

Turn off Firewall

  • You have to do this for both your Private and Public Networks.
  • Now, click on OK to save changes.
  • Restart the PC and check whether the game started to run properly.

10. Check For Windows Updates

Windows updates are also important to avoid this type of issue. Users had reported that this occurred when they were trying to run the game on their outdated windows. When they have updated to the latest one, the issue has been resolved. In case, if you have not updated the windows and have some pending updates on your PC, then you will likely face this issue with your game. Follow the steps given below to check for updates on your computer.

  • Press Windows + I key to open Settings on your computer.
  • Click on Windows Update on the left pane of the screen.
  • After it, click on Check For Updates.
  • If an update is available, click on the Download Now button to download the available updates on your system.
  • Wait for the process to get completed.
  • After that, restart the PC, and check whether the black screen issue has been resolved.

11. Check For Optional Updates

The optional update is another important factor to run the game properly. This update includes important drivers update for the PC through which the apps and games run smoothly on your PC. You need to follow the steps which are given below to check for optional updates on your computer.

  • Press Windows + I Key to open Settings.
  • Click on Windows Update on the left pane of the screen.
  • Select the Advanced Option.
  • Now, scroll down and look for the Optional Updates option.
  • Select it and check whether there are updates available or not. If there is an update available, then download it and wait for the process to get completed.
  • After it, restart your PC and check whether the issue is resolved.

Optional Update

12. Update The Game

If the issue is still there then we will suggest that you should check for game updates. As the issue is being faced by most of the users and devs know about it, then there are chances that they might have fixed it by pushing the latest updates. We will suggest that you should check for any available updates for the game. You can do this by following the steps which are given below.

  • Open Start Menu.
  • Type “Steam” in the search bar.
  • Now, open the app and go to Library.
  • Select the game and click on the three dots available there.
  • If there is any update available then you will see the “Update Now” button.
  • So, if you see that then click on it, and wait for the process to get completed.
  • Now, again start the game and check whether the issue has been resolved or not.

13. Reinstall The Game

If none of the methods worked and you are still facing the issue, then you might need to reinstall the game to fix this problem. It is the last method by which you can try to resolve this issue. Many users have reported that they were able to fix this issue after reinstalling the game on their PC. This is because when you uninstall the game then all the files and settings will be deleted from your PC.

After it, when you install the game again then all the files will get installed properly on your PC by which you will be able to fix the issue. So, we will suggest that you should do this if none of the above methods worked for you. After uninstalling the game, make sure to restart your laptop and delete all the game files from your PC.

Conclusion

These types of bugs are very common and annoying to users. It can happen to any computer whether it has all recommended specs. This is because there are a lot of reasons for the cause of issue which we have already mentioned in the guide. So, in this guide, we have shared the methods through which you can easily try to fix this issue. Make sure to implement them properly in order to resolve the issue. If you have any related queries, feel free to ask us in the comment section below.