The overlay is a notorious conflict point. It tries to render over the game and sometimes fails miserably, leaving a black void.
This solves 60% of black screen cases.
Alex’s heart thumped. He followed each step like a bomb defusal. Disable overlay. Compatibility mode. Navigate to Documents/Need for Speed Payback/SaveGame . Delete. Launch. nfs payback black screen fix
Certain "overlay" or remote access programs can interfere with the game's rendering. Close Overlays : Disable applications like Discord Overlay Xbox Game Bar Disable Remote Software : Users have reported that having TeamViewer Review: Need for Speed Payback — Black Screen
: Use the NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition to check for and install the latest drivers. This solves 60% of black screen cases