Do you want to play your favorite PC games with your friends? If so, then you need to know how to open the Steam overlay.
The Steam overlay allows you to communicate with your friends while playing a game, and it also gives you access to some handy features that can make your gaming experience better.
Learn how to open the Steam overlay for all of your favorite games. We will also provide some tips on how to use it effectively.
Guide to Open the Steam Overlay
The Steam overlay is a graphical user interface that provides users with information about their game. It also allows users to chat with their friends, view game achievements, and access the Steam Store.
Follow the guide below to open the steam overlay:
Open the game and press the Shift+Tab keys on your keyboard. This will bring up the Steam overlay.
On the off chance, you are not in-game, the Steam overlay can be accessed by clicking on the “View” tab at the top of the Steam client window.
Then, click “Settings.” Under “Interface,” check the box next to “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
How to disable Steam overlay?
If you want to disable the Steam overlay for a specific game, go to the “Library” tab in the Steam client window. Right-click on the game and select “Properties.” Under the “General” tab, uncheck the box next to “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
You can also disable the Steam overlay by pressing the Shift+Tab keys on your keyboard while in-game and clicking the “Settings” button. Then, uncheck the box next to “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
Games that work with the Steam overlay
Not all games work with the Steam overlay. Games that are not compatible with the Steam overlay will have a message that says “Steam Overlay cannot be displayed” when you try to open it. Games that are not compatible with the Steam overlay include:
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Dota Underlords
- Team Fortress Classic
- Half-Life Deathmatch: Source
- Half-Life: Counter-Strike
- Half-Life: Source
- Portal
- Ricochet
- Sven Co-op.
To see if a game is compatible with the Steam overlay, enable its Steam overlay settings as provided in the guide above. If the option is not checked, the game is not compatible with the Steam overlay.
Troubleshooting tips for Steam overlay
If you’re having trouble enabling the Steam overlay for a particular game, there are a few things you can try.
First, open the Steam client and go to the “Settings” menu. Under the “General” tab, make sure the “Enable Steam Overlay while in-game” option is checked. If this doesn’t work, try restarting your computer. If the overlay still isn’t working, you may need to contact the game’s developer for further assistance.
Salient Features of Steam Overlay
Some of the features that can be accessed through Steam Overlay include the ability to chat with friends, view your achievements, and access the Steam Store.
Additionally, you can use the Steam Overlay to capture screenshots and video footage of your gameplay. To do this, simply press the “Overlay Key” while in-game and then select the “Screenshot” or “Record Video” option from the menu that appears. Once you’re done capturing your gameplay footage, you can then access it by going to the “Screenshots” or “Video” section of your Steam Library.