Nvidia has released Hotfix driver version 621.12, aimed at resolving video playback freeze issues and black screen occurrences affecting certain GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards and RTX Spark systems. The update arrived six days after the release of the Game Ready 621.01 driver, in which these issues were discovered. As indicated in the manufacturer's materials, the patch is optional and based on the latest Game Ready series drivers, though it underwent a shorter verification cycle compared to WHQL-certified versions.
Black Screens and Freezes: How the Issue Manifested
Nvidia acknowledged problems with the latest driver version on October 24, following numerous complaints, including from owners of GeForce RTX 5080 graphics cards. The driver failure could occur during video playback in Chrome, Edge, or the VLC player. In some cases, this caused connected displays to turn black for a few seconds. Subsequently, the company requested diagnostic logs from affected users to analyze the cause of the failure.
Four Fixes Included in the Hotfix Driver
The new Hotfix driver version 621.12 contains four fixes. In addition to resolving the video playback issue, Nvidia fixed crashes in the Unreal Engine 5.8 engine that occurred when selecting the «Hit Lighting» (Ray Lighting Mode) lighting mode. According to the release notes, this fix applies not only to the GeForce RTX 50 graphics card series. For RTX Spark systems, a fix is also provided to eliminate image distortions when using the StarTech Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI 2.0 adapter. The fourth fix resolves intermittent screen flickering on MSI N16 Flip laptops.
Driver Status, Availability, and Manufacturer Plans
Nvidia explained that Hotfix driver version 621.12 is based on the latest Game Ready series drivers and, like previous corrective releases, is optional. The company plans to include all fixes from the Hotfix driver in the next official Game Ready software update. The driver is available for systems running Windows 10 and Windows 11 (x64), as well as a separate package for Arm64-based RTX Spark devices running Windows 11. Users who experienced video playback issues after installing Game Ready version 621.01 can download the fix directly from the Nvidia support website.
