Xbox One Black Screen Error: Described & Fixed

| Updated on March 26, 2024
Spotlight
  • The issue of Xbox One’s black screen is being described as the “Black Screen of Death” by some users.
  • If the problem occurs while the user is gaming, there are ways to save them from this frustrating situation, like connecting the console to a different TV or power cycling the console.

Xbox One is Microsoft’s 8th generation home video game console. Its predecessor is Xbox 360 which was a follow-up to Xbox originally. It comes with a feature of Game DVR and has approximately 50 million users of Xbox Live. Microsoft focused on the ideas that would make Xbox One popular in the gaming industry.  Since it has many users who own the console and whole setup for gaming, there are times when users have to go through some issues. And, in order to figure them out, they need some steps to follow to get solutions apart from Xbox’s official support from Microsoft. 

If you recently came across the Xbox One black screen issue, then this is the right place for you. The following article is a full-fledged guide to know how you can conquer this problem with the help of some simple steps.


Probable Reasons Behind Xbox One Black Screen

Even though Xbox One has become one of the most popular gaming consoles since its release in 2013, there are some defects that happen even in the best console that ever existed. One such is the Xbox One’s black screen issue, which is being named the “Black Screen of Death” by some users due to its recent update. There can be many more possible reasons for the issue, such as-

  • Incorrect video settings– It often happens that when the user changes the display or graphic settings for higher quality, there appear to be glitches afterward and the screen ends up being blank.
  • Broken port or HDMI cable – This is one of the most common reasons for Xbox One Console’s video and audio issues. The users should make sure to use a good HDMI cable or port at all times. It can be checked whether the cable is the reason for the issue by connecting it to another TV and seeing if it works or not. Otherwise, the user can use a different HDMI cable and plug it into the TV connected to the Xbox One console. If either of the two works, then the other device or cable is faulty and the user will get to know which one he/she should replace.
  • Wrong TV source – The user should be sure about the TV being set to the right source of input. If it is not, then the user will not get any video on TV from the Xbox One console at all. The user can confirm or check from the manual that he/she is doing things correctly in case the device is new. 
  • Console bug – When the user leaves their console running for a much longer period, a minor bug can be encountered by the Xbox One console sometimes, which can easily be resolved through a reboot.
  • Software glitches – When there is a programming error with the software or Xbox console can’t debug a bug by itself, it can result in a blank screen or malfunctioning. This also happens when there is a new game downloading.

Easy Guide to Resolve Xbox One Black Screen Issue

In case you are unfamiliar with the issue of Xbox Black Screen and wandered off in this article randomly, we might just make it useful for you to be here. The issue is known to happen when the screen plugged into Xbox One goes blank, and you can’t see a thing. This has been happening following a new update for users of the Xbox Insider Program, as many of them reported instances of their Xbox One becoming inoperable.  Here are some steps which can help the users to overcome this problem:

Power Cycle the Xbox One

Sometimes the reason behind an Xbox One not being able to present video can be a small bug. At the start of troubleshooting, the user can try to restart which might help. On the Xbox One console, the user has to press and hold the Xbox button for around 5 seconds and wait till it turns off. After that, unplug the power cord and wait for two minutes. Plug in all the cables and restart the Xbox One.

Press and hold the Xbox button until it turns off

Disable the “Allow 24Hz” Option

Solution Synopsis: Xbox button<System<Settings<Display & Sound<Video Output<Video modes

The user can start by opening the guide after pressing the Xbox button. Then go to the system and select settings. From there go to display and sound and select video output. Then select video mode and turn off the option “Allow 24Hz”.

Turn off the Allow 24Hz option in settings

Make Sure the TV Input is Correct

It should be confirmed that the TV is connected to the right input and if the user isn’t sure, he/she can check with the manual provided. They can also go through all sources using the TV remote.

Check that all sources are connected correctly

Check the Port or HDMI Cable

The audio and video signals are transmitted to the TV from the Xbox One console through HDMI. The possibility of the black screen can also be a fault in the HDMI cable. The user should make sure that the cable is clean and try switching it with a new one if it still doesn’t work.

Ensure the HDMI cable is working fine

Reset Display Settings

Solution Synopsis: Press and hold Xbox button for 10 secs<Eject Button<Bind button<System<Settings<Display and sound<Video output

If the Xbox One only shows a blank or black screen when the user is trying to do gaming or simply get the application running, resetting the display settings can help. If there is a disc inserted in the console, the user should eject it and turn off the console by pressing the button for 10 seconds. Then they have to press the eject and Xbox button altogether until a sound of beep is heard. There will be two beeps with a gap of 10 seconds. After that, the user has to press and hold the Xbox button and the bind button. The reboot will soon start and when it completes, the user will see that the settings are set at low. Then they will have to go to display settings and change it to whatever their TV supports.]

Go to 4k TV details

Fix system update error

Sometimes there is no video after updating and the console gets stuck during an update. Every system update error requires a different type of troubleshooting. Usually, the system update errors are fixed by forced reboot. In case the above-given steps for power cycling don’t work, the users can try to reach the official Xbox troubleshooting page.

Attempt a power cycle

FAQ

Can the hard drive be the cause of the black screen?

A corrupted operating system or bad hard drive can lead to a black screen due to failure in loading the operating system. It might give a boot device error as well.

Xbox is turning on, but there is no display?

The users have to make sure that the HDMI cable which they are using is connected to the right port. Plugging out the cord from Xbox may help as well.

Is the black screen a virus?

No, the black screen cannot be a virus as viruses don’t cause dark or black screens, they attempt to get into the windows instead.


Priyam Ghosh

Tech and Internet Writer


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