MacBook Pro (2021 Intel) — Screen Flickering and Blackout During Video

Hey everyone, I’ve got a persistent issue with my MacBook Pro (2021, Intel-based) and wanted to see if anyone else has run into this.

Whenever I’m watching video content doesn’t matter if it’s YouTube, Netflix, or VLC after 30 to 50 minutes, the screen starts to flicker. It escalates from light flickering to rapid up and down screen flashes. Eventually, the entire screen blacks out completely. Important note: the audio keeps playing fine, and the system doesn’t crash. Just the display becomes totally unresponsive, and I have to force shut down and restart.

Another thing I noticed: if I try to skip forward/backward during playback (even just 5–10 seconds), especially once flickering has started, the blackout happens instantly.

No external monitors or peripherals. macOS is up to date. Happens both on battery and when plugged in.

Could this be a GPU issue, thermal problem, or something else entirely? Any ideas or similar experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance🥹