Steam Overlay Archives

AppWizard

September 17, 2025

Escape from Tarkov owners will have to buy it again if they want to play through Steam, and the Steam version will require a Battlestate account anyway

Escape from Tarkov will officially release its 1.0 version on November 15 after eight years in early access. The game will launch with its own Steam page, featuring achievements, the Steam overlay, and friends list integration. Existing players must purchase the game again and link their Steam account to their current Tarkov profile. The Steam version is currently labeled as "coming soon."

AppWizard

August 18, 2025

Steam’s new Performance Overlay is more accurate than Task Manager, says Valve — GPU utilization monitoring comes directly to Steam in latest client beta

Valve's latest Steam Client Beta enhances GPU monitoring capabilities, providing more accurate utilization readings compared to the Windows Task Manager, which often under-reports GPU usage. The updated in-game overlay captures all related processes, reducing sampling errors and aligning statistics with third-party tools like MSI Afterburner. It aggregates GPU usage across multiple processes, offering a comprehensive view of a game's GPU demands. The overlay also distinguishes between native frames and those generated by technologies like DLSS and FSR, and provides real-time readings of CPU load, RAM usage, clock speeds, and frame timing graphs. Additionally, it includes a CPU temperature display on both Windows and Linux, enabled by a trusted CPUID-derived kernel driver. Users are cautioned about the stability of the updated GPU metrics, as this feature is currently in beta and may not be suitable for general use.

AppWizard

June 27, 2025

How many players can join Peak?

Peak is a climbing adventure game that allows players to team up for a lighthearted experience. The game accommodates multiple players, but as the number of participants increases, players must share resources, which does not scale with the group size. This requires strategic planning to ensure everyone is prepared for the challenges ahead. Players can invite friends by using an "invite kiosk" at the airport at the game's start, which brings up their Steam friends list. If friends are already in the game, players can join their session using the Steam overlay, but only while they are still at the airport. If friends leave without them, they must wait for the friends to fail their expedition before they can join for the next climb.

AppWizard

June 19, 2025

Steam’s new in-game overlay offers some useful upgrades – and I’m particularly happy about one that exposes a controversial AI trick

Valve is enhancing Steam's in-game frame rate counter by transforming it into a comprehensive overlay that displays frames per second (FPS) and provides insights into CPU and GPU status, including utilization levels, clock speeds, and temperatures. The new beta version of the Steam app introduces this performance monitor, currently available only to beta testers on Windows PCs, with plans to extend similar capabilities to other platforms like SteamOS in the future. The overlay can be customized to show only the FPS counter and allows users to adjust its transparency and positioning on the screen. It will help players identify if frame generation technologies, such as Nvidia's DLSS, AMD's FSR, and Intel's XeSS, are active and highlight instances of micro-stutter. This update aims to simplify the process of understanding game performance metrics for gamers, reducing reliance on third-party tools.

AppWizard

May 10, 2025

What to do if Steam games won’t launch

Steam, the most popular gaming platform on PC, sometimes experiences issues where games do not launch. To address this, users should check that their PC meets the game's minimum requirements, ensure the operating system and graphics drivers are updated, verify the integrity of game files through Steam, relocate games to the primary drive if necessary, and manage background applications that may cause conflicts. Additionally, installing specific Visual C++ redistributables from the game’s folder can resolve startup crashes. If problems persist, uninstalling and reinstalling Steam after cleaning the Windows registry may be necessary.

BetaBeacon

April 27, 2025

What is Steam: The popular gaming platform explained

Steam is a platform and app for distributing video games online that also has social media features and community message boards.

AppWizard

April 8, 2025

I tried gaming on Linux — and it’s better (and worse) than you think

The gaming experience on Linux, particularly with Ubuntu, has been positive, with many single-player and co-op games performing well due to compatibility tools like Wine and Steam's Proton. While most Windows games can be played on Linux, limitations exist, particularly for MMORPGs and competitive multiplayer games that rely on kernel-level anti-cheat systems, rendering titles like Fortnite and Valorant unplayable. Some competitive games do offer Linux support, but this is not guaranteed. Additionally, accessory applications for gaming peripherals often lack support on Linux, although open-source alternatives exist. As of 2025, while Linux gaming has improved, significant gaps remain, particularly in compatibility with anti-cheat systems, making it less appealing than Windows for many gamers.

Winsage

March 28, 2025

Microsoft might finally get me to use Xbox Game Bar with its latest update

The Xbox Game Bar has been updated with an improved design for easier controller navigation, featuring a new Compact Mode optimized for controllers. This mode offers a user-friendly interface that allows for seamless cycling through widgets and settings. Additionally, a new widget store enables users to browse and install widgets directly using their controllers, which is particularly beneficial for portable Windows devices. The update enhances the overall gaming experience, especially for handheld gaming devices.

AppWizard

November 6, 2024

Steam’s new recording features allow deep integration with games

Steam has rolled out its game recording capabilities for PC and Steam Deck users, moving from beta to full availability. The features include automatic recording, manual clipping with customizable keyboard hotkeys, and easy access to replays through the Steam overlay. Users can export clips using QR codes for sharing. The recording functions are designed to minimize game performance impact by using the GPU for encoding. Steam allows per-game customization of auto-recording durations and capture quality, and provides an SDK and API for developers to trigger recordings based on in-game events. The recording features work with any game, including non-Steam titles added to the Steam library.

AppWizard

November 6, 2024

Steam Game Recording Is Now Live For All PC And Steam Deck Users

Valve has introduced Steam Game Recording for PC and Steam Deck players, allowing users to capture gameplay highlights, record extended sessions, and share achievements through the Steam overlay. The feature includes a customizable background-recording mode, a quick-replay function, and the ability to save recorded gameplay in MPEG-4 format. Users can drop markers during gameplay, and developers can create "timeline-enhanced" games that notify the Steam platform of significant events. The recording process is designed to minimize resource impact by utilizing Nvidia or AMD graphics cards. To enable Steam Game Recording, users must update Steam, access settings, and adjust preferences. The feature is compatible with any game that supports the Steam Overlay, though some older titles may not be supported.