Steam's ever-expanding library and the presence of some of the biggest game developers, such as Rockstar Games and Bethesda Game Studios, have helped it become one of the leading digital game distribution services currently available on Windows and macOS. The diverse range and plethora of gamer-friendly features built into the Steam app are also to be credited for its success. One such feature is the in-game Steam Overlay. In this article, we'll discuss what Steam Overlay is and how to disable or enable Steam Overlay on Windows 10, whether for a single game or for all games.
How to Disable Steam Overlay in Windows 10
Steam It is a cloud-based game library where you can purchase games online digitally.
- Because it Cloud-based A large collection of games are stored in the cloud instead of your computer's memory.
- Your purchase of games is also safe because: Uses modern HTTPS encryption To save your credentials such as your purchases, credit card information, etc.
- On Steam, you can play games in both modes. Online and offline Offline mode is useful if your computer is not connected to the Internet.
However, playing games with Steam on your computer may affect speed and performance as it takes up approximately 400MB of RAM space.
What is Steam Overlay?
As the name suggests, Steam overlay is In-game interface It can be accessed during a game session by pressing Shift + Tab keys , provided that the overlay is supported. Enable overlay by defaultThe in-game overlay includes: Also on web browser for searches which can be useful during puzzle quests. Along with community features, it is necessary Use the overlay to purchase in-game items. Such as skins, weapons, add-ons, etc. They give users quick access to their community features such as:
- Take gameplay screenshots using the F12 key,
- Access your Steam friends list,
- Chat with other friends online,
- View and send game invitations,
- Read game guides and community hub announcements,
- Notify users of any new achievements unlocked, etc.
Why is Steam Overlay disabled?
The Steam Overlay in-game feature is a great feature, although accessing the overlay can sometimes negatively impact your computer's performance. This is especially true for systems with mid-range hardware components that barely meet the minimum requirements for gaming.
- If you access the Steam Overlay, you may computer lags Yours and causes the game to crash.
- When playing games, it will be Reduce your frame rate.
- Your computer may sometimes trigger an overlay that causes Screen freezes and hangs.
- It will be distracted If your Steam friends keep messaging you.
Fortunately, Steam allows users to manually enable or disable the in-game overlay, as needed. You can choose to disable the overlay for all games at once or just for a specific game.
Option 1: Disable Steam Overlay for all games
If you rarely find yourself pressing my keys Shift + Tab To access the in-game overlay, consider disabling them all together using the global Steam Overlay setting. Follow the steps below to disable it:
1. Press the keys Windows + Q At the same time to open the menu Windows Search.
2. Write Steam And click open , as shown.
3. Then, click on Steam In the upper left corner and select Settings from the dropdown menu.
Note: If you are using Steam on MacOS , click on Preferences Instead of that.
4. Here, go to the tab In-game On the right side
5. In the right pane, uncheck the box next to Enable Steam Overlay During the gameplay shown below.
6. Now, click on "OK" To save changes and exit Steam.
Option 2: Disable a specific game
Users often look to disable Steam Overlay for a particular game and the process of doing so is as easy as the previous one.
1. Turn on Steam As shown in the first method.
2. Here, hover your mouse over the tab. LIBRARY: and click HOME From the list that unfolds.
3. You'll find a list of all your games on the left. Right-click on the one whose in-game overlay you want to disable and select the option. Properties ...as shown.
4. To disable Steam Overlay, uncheck the box titled Enable Steam Overlay While playing in the GENERAL tab , as shown.
The overlay feature will be disabled for the selected game only.
Pro Tip: Steam Overlay Enable Process
In the future, if you want to use Steam Overlay while playing again, simply select the unchecked boxes that say Enable Steam Overlay while playing a specific game or all games at once.
Additionally, to resolve overlay issues, try restarting your computer and the Steam application, and restart the process. GameOverlayUI.exe of Task Manager Or run GameOverlayUI.exe of C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam) as an administrator. See our guide on How to Fix Steam Keeps Crashing For more troubleshooting tips related to Steam.
We hope you were able to solve your query on how to disable or enable Steam Overlay on Windows 10 computers. Keep visiting our page for more great tips and tricks and leave your comments below.
