Fix Black Screen / No Video in Chiaki-ng
A black screen in chiaki-ng — audio playing but no picture, or nothing rendering at all — is almost always a renderer or GPU driver issue. Since v1.10.0 added an OpenGL backend alongside Vulkan, the fastest fix is usually a 30-second renderer switch in Settings → Video → Render. If that doesn’t work, the checklist below covers drivers, Vulkan support, and HDR edge cases.
Fix 1: Switch the Renderer (Works Most of the Time)
- Open Settings → Video → Render in chiaki-ng.
- Switch to the other backend — if you are on Vulkan, try OpenGL, and vice versa. The OpenGL renderer was added in v1.10.0 specifically to resolve rendering failures on configurations where Vulkan misbehaves.
- Restart chiaki-ng and reconnect. Renderer changes sometimes need a fresh session to take full effect.
Fix 2: Update GPU Drivers & Verify Vulkan 1.2+
Chiaki-ng requires a GPU with Vulkan 1.2 or higher driver support. Black screens on older or misconfigured systems usually mean the driver can’t initialize the video pipeline:
- Windows: update drivers from NVIDIA / AMD / Intel directly — not just Windows Update, which often lags months behind.
- Linux: install your distro’s Vulkan packages (e.g.
libvulkan1plus the Mesa or proprietary driver Vulkan component) andlibvafor the AppImage build. - macOS: keep macOS updated; Apple ships the graphics stack with the OS.
Fix 3: HDR-Related Black Screens
- If the black screen only happens with HDR enabled, try disabling HDR in chiaki-ng’s video settings first to isolate it.
- On Windows with AMD graphics, v1.9.9+ enabled zero-copy HDR decoding via the Vulkan path — if HDR broke after an update, try the OpenGL renderer as a workaround and check for newer GPU drivers.
- Mismatched display HDR settings (Windows HD Color on, but the game outputting SDR, or vice versa) can also produce a black frame — align them.
Fix 4: Resolution / Bitrate Combination
An extremely high resolution + bitrate on a weak GPU can fail to initialize the decoder, presenting as a black screen. Drop to 720p / 8 Mbps as a test — if video appears, raise settings back up gradually to find your GPU’s stable ceiling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my chiaki-ng screen black but I can hear the game?
The video renderer failed while the audio path works fine. Switch renderers in Settings → Video → Render (Vulkan ↔ OpenGL, added in v1.10.0) — this resolves the large majority of black-screen cases.
Does chiaki-ng need a dedicated GPU?
No, but your GPU or integrated graphics must support Vulkan 1.2 or higher with current drivers. Very old integrated graphics that lack Vulkan support cannot initialize chiaki-ng’s video pipeline at all.
Black screen only when HDR is on — how do I fix it?
Disable HDR in chiaki-ng’s video settings to confirm HDR is the trigger. Then update your GPU drivers (AMD zero-copy HDR decoding changed in recent builds) and align Windows/macOS display HDR settings with the game output.
Chiaki-ng shows a black screen on Linux but works on Windows. Why?
Almost certainly a missing Vulkan driver component or libva on the Linux side. Install your distro’s Vulkan packages and libva (required for the AppImage), and make sure PipeWire is running.
Chiaki-ng.com is an independent, unofficial resource site. Chiaki-ng is free and open-source software (GNU AGPLv3) built by its community contributors. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Sony Interactive Entertainment.