It’s time to enter the virtual realm once again.
But uh-oh…
All you see is pitch-black darkness when you launch your Oculus Air Link.
And you might be wondering:
“Is this the end for my VR headset?“
Well, no.
Now, let me help you solve this problem in just minutes.
Continue reading to find out:
- The most common reasons why this problem happens.
- 7 easy ways to fix your Oculus Air Link’s black screen issue.
- 7 quick steps to change your PC’s graphics settings and stop this problem.
- And this is just the beginning…
Why is my Oculus Link stuck on a black screen?
Your Oculus Link is stuck on a black screen because your device is glitching. This problem also happens if your PC’s graphics driver is outdated. And setting your Oculus’ resolution too high also causes your screen to only appear black.
Oculus Air link black screen: 7 fixes
#1: Restart your devices
It’s not unusual for any tech device to glitch sometimes.
And this might be what’s happening to your PC or Oculus headset.
Hence, you only see a black screen when launching your gaming console or its apps.
That said, follow the steps below to…
Restart your PC and Oculus:
Step 1: Wear your Oculus headset and turn it ON.
Step 2: Locate the power button on the right side of your device.
Step 3: Press and hold this key until you see the Power window pop up.
Step 4: From the choices, select Power Off.
Step 5: Wait for 10 seconds, then remove your Oculus headset.
Step 6: Go to your laptop/PC.
Step 7: Tap the Windows icon at the bottom of your screen.
Step 8: Click the Power option.
Step 9: Select Restart.
Step 10: Wait for your computer to turn OFF and ON again.
Step 11: Try launching and using your Oculus headset once more.
And if this fix doesn’t stop the black screen problem…
#2: Update your graphics driver
This piece of software is crucial in bringing the visuals on your screen to life.
How?
By acting as the translator between your games and software so they can communicate.
See, updating the graphics driver is necessary so you can:
- Access the latest features of your apps.
- Improve the FPS (frames per second) of your gaming applications.
- Fix any visual-related issues in your games, including this black screen problem.
So, here’s how you can…
Update the graphics driver of your PC:
Step 1: Click your computer’s search bar
If you have Windows 10 or earlier…
You’ll see this at the bottom-left corner of your screen.
But for Windows 11:
First, tap the Windows icon at the center area of your taskbar.
Then, tap the search bar on the panel that appears.
Step 2: Launch the Device Manager
Type “Device Manager” on the search bar.
Then, tap Enter on your keyboard to launch it.
Step 3: Double-click Display adapters from the list
Once its section expands…
Step 4: Right-click your installed graphics
It’s the option right under the Display adapters heading.
Step 5: Select Update Driver
And once the confirmation menu appears…
Step 6: Tap Search automatically for drivers
From here, simply follow further instructions you see on your screen.
Then, restart your PC.
And when your computer turns ON again…
Reconnect your gaming system to see if the problem still occurs.
#3: Change your PC’s graphic settings
On top of updating your graphics driver…
There are also graphics settings you should optimize.
Specifically, you need to put your Oculus software in power-saving mode. Because this lets your VR headset work more efficiently.
Now, don’t worry. This is a very quick and easy process.
So, just follow these steps to…
Adjust the graphics settings of your PC:
Step 1: Head to your computer’s search bar
As stated earlier, you’ll find this on your taskbar for Windows 10 or earlier.
But for Windows 11, this is located on your PC’s Start Menu.
Step 2: Type “Graphics Settings”
Then, click Enter on your keyboard to launch it.
Step 3: Tap Browse
You’ll see this near the bottom of the window.
Step 4: Select your OVR server
- Tap This PC on the left side of the new window.
- Click the Local Disk (C:) option under the Devices and drives heading.
- Select Program Files.
- Scroll down and select Oculus.
- Click Support.
- Tap oculus-runtime.
- Highlight OVRServer_x64.
- Click the Add button on the bottom right.
Once you’re back on the Graphics settings window…
Step 5: Tap Options
You’ll see this button under the OVR Server you just added.
Now, when a new window shows up…
Step 6: Select Power saving
After doing so…
Step 7: Tap Save
And you’re done.
Now, just restart your computer once more.
This way, its system can incorporate the settings you just changed.
And when your PC turns ON again, check if you’ve finally fixed your Oculus headset.
If you want a visual guide for this whole process, watch this video:
You might also want to know: (11 Fixes) Oculus Not Working On Windows 11 [Updated]
#4: Lower your Oculus’ resolution
If your screen’s resolution is too high…
Your Oculus may also encounter graphics problems.
And that includes only seeing a black screen when using Air Link.
Luckily, it’s very easy to…
Lower the resolution of your Oculus system:
Step 1: Disconnect your VR headset from your PC.
Step 2: Head to your computer’s search bar.
Step 3: Type File Explorer.
Step 4: Tap Enter on your keyboard.
Step 5: On the left bar of File Explorer, expand the Local Disk (C:) option.
Step 6: Tap Program Files.
Step 7: Select the folder named Oculus.
Step 8: Tap Support > oculus-diagnostics.
Step 9: Double-click this file: OculusDebugTool.exe.
Step 10: Wait for the Oculus Debug Tool to appear.
Step 11: Locate the Encode Resolution Width option.
Step 12: Change the value on its right side to 2784.
After doing these steps…
Restart your PC once more. Then, check if your Oculus is still showing a black screen.
Read also: Does Oculus Work With Chromecast? 5 Things You Need To Know
#5: Conduct an SFC scan
If the previous solutions haven’t fixed this problem yet…
Your system most likely has some corrupt files. And they’re stopping your Oculus from working properly.
So, for this fix, you should perform a System File Checker or SFC scan.
This process helps you quickly find system files you need to remove from your PC.
So, just follow these steps to…
Conduct an SFC scan on your computer:
Step 1: Tap your PC’s search bar.
Step 2: Type “CMD.”
Step 3: Observe the right side of the search bar expanded window.
Step 4: Select Run as administrator.
Step 5: Wait for the command prompt window to appear.
Step 6: Type “sfc /scannow” in the CMD.
Step 7: Wait until the scan is done.
After following these steps, try using your Oculus again.
#6: Disable Public Test Channel (PTC)
This feature lets you access early versions of Oculus software that aren’t official yet.
But unfortunately…
If the Public Test Channel option is enabled…
Your device is more likely to glitch and be unstable. Because it uses the beta version of the Oculus software. Which isn’t reliable enough to be released yet.
So, to stop this problem once and for all…
Turn OFF the PTC feature of your Oculus:
- Launch the Oculus Link app on your PC.
- Select Settings on the left side of the window.
- Tap Beta from the headings.
- Locate the Public Test Channel option.
- Turn OFF the toggle on its right side.
After doing so, check if your Oculus is still experiencing the same issue.
#7: Contact Meta Platforms
If none of the fixes above could stop the black screen problem…
It’s time to reach out to professionals.
See, your device may have some hardware or software issues. And only the representatives of the brand can help you fix them.
That said, here’s how you can…
Contact the official support team of Oculus:
- Head to the brand’s official support website.
- Choose the category your device falls into on your screen.
- Click the specific Oculus model you have.
- Tap Headset from the choices.
- Select Display.
- Click “Display stuck on black screen.”
- Select the “This does not solve my issue” button if you see it.
- Choose how you’d like to contact the support team.