OBS Webcam Source Is Black, but the Camera Works Elsewhere
Check the chosen device, source visibility, and video mode with a short controlled test.
Open the OBS Video Capture Device source and select the exact camera from its Device list. Make the source visible in the current scene, test its default video mode, and close any app currently using the camera. If another app can show it but OBS cannot, the OBS source configuration is the next place to inspect.
Check the source OBS is actually using
Select the scene where the camera should appear. In the Sources list, confirm the Video Capture Device source is visible and above any full-screen opaque image that could cover it. Open its Properties and verify the Device dropdown points to the intended webcam, not a second built-in or virtual device.
- Choose the camera by its exact device name.
- Leave resolution and frame-rate choices at their default for the first test.
- Watch the OBS preview and make a brief recording.
Separate camera access from layout
If the device preview is working in the source properties but not in the scene, look at source order, visibility, cropping, and transform. Reset Transform and Fit to Screen to locate the picture. If the properties view itself is black, test with other camera apps closed, then reopen OBS and select the device again.
Do not delete a working scene to diagnose one camera. Duplicate the scene first if you need to test a clean layout.
When a custom video mode causes the failure
OBS’s Video Capture Source documentation lists selectable device, resolution, frame rate, video format, and buffering controls. If the camera went black after a custom resolution or frame-rate change, restore defaults and retest. Reapply one custom setting at a time only when the camera works reliably at the default.
If the camera does not work in any app, move to the camera maker’s connection and driver instructions rather than changing OBS scene settings.