Author Topic: RetroArch works but shows a black screen  (Read 8452 times)

firewater

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RetroArch works but shows a black screen
« on: October 28, 2018, 05:04:38 PM »
I'm having a really weird issue. I'm on Windows 8, and AM seems to load up games on RetroArch just fine, except all I see is a black screen. I know the game has loaded because I can hear the sounds, and I can control it with my joystick, but the thing is completely black. The only way I can see the game is if I Alt+Tab out of RA, and into it again.

It also doesn't happen if I launch them from retroarch.exe, without AM.

I have no idea what's going on. Here's my attract.cfg, and the .cfg for one the emulators: https://pastebin.com/bVM0bLSB / https://pastebin.com/K4EEWDJu
« Last Edit: October 28, 2018, 05:06:16 PM by firewater »

progets

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Re: RetroArch works but shows a black screen
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2018, 07:41:52 PM »
Try the different AttractMode "Window Mode" options. One should fix it.

Configure-->General-->Window Mode = Full screen/Fill screen/Window/etc.

firewater

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Re: RetroArch works but shows a black screen
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2018, 08:56:01 PM »
The Window one fixes it, but it's very undesirable because it runs windowed instead of fullscreen, I see the taskbar, and so on. Any other solution?

progets

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Re: RetroArch works but shows a black screen
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2018, 10:37:05 PM »
The Window one fixes it, but it's very undesirable because it runs windowed instead of fullscreen, I see the taskbar, and so on. Any other solution?

Yes, a lot. This all depends on YOUR setup
- Try "Window (no border)" mode in AttractMode
- Set RetroArch to use the same resolution as your OS
- Set RetroArch to use "full screen" mode
- use a different video driver in RetroArch (i.e. gl, d3d9. d3d11, d3d12, sdl2)
- make sure you have the latest directX drivers installed and working properly if you're using any of the RetroArch d3d* video drivers
- make sure you have the latest video card drivers installed for the OS (and check their setting if they use an application to change them instead of the OS tools)
- make sure that AttractMode is using the same video resolution as RetroArch
- make sure that you have the correct/latest MS Visual C++ redistributable installed for RetroArch

There are many variables in play. Only you have your exact setup to test them.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2018, 10:48:40 PM by progets »

firewater

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Re: RetroArch works but shows a black screen
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2018, 05:25:57 PM »
Thanks a ton once again! it was solved by changing to d3d, which actually solved some other issues I had. I've been using open gl until now because last time RA wouldn't launch last time I tried in d3d, but it seems I installed the correct something between then and now.