Steam Overlay and Non-Steam Games

This guide discusses the basics of how to set up Steam Overlay for Non-Steam games, and a few common questions. Sadly not a tech support guide.

Brief Introduction & Basic Information

Greetings, the name's Craig.

Steam Overlay's a pretty nice feature, right? What if you wanted to have it while playing other games outside of Steam? Well, I can help with the bare basics of setting it up. Or at the very least bring attention as to how to enable Steam Overlay for most non-Steam games.

Just a heads up, this isn't some fancy tech guide or anything. Nor am I really knowledgeable on what games the overlay considers "games" and will run on, so please don't comment asking for help on making certain games work. This only covers the bare basics and what you can do with the overlay in non-Steam games, nothing more.

Enabling Steam Overlay on Non-Steam Games

While Steam Overlay is not guaranteed to work for all non-Steam Games, most games should work. This should include games such as Minecraft and Overwatch (rest in peace), to throw a few popular names out there.

To use Steam Overlay in a non-Steam game, you must add that game into your Games Library and launch it there. This method is assuming you're not using "Big Picture Mode".

• Click the "Games" tab on the top-left side of your Steam Client.
  
• Then click the last option "Add a non-Steam Game to My Library"
  
• Select the games you want to add. If it's not shown on the list, click "browse" and search for it.
  
• Click "add selected programs" to add them into your Steam Game Library.

If for some reason Steam Overlay does not appear, follow these steps to check if it is enabled.

• Click the "Steam" tab on the top-left side of your Steam Client.
  
• Click the "Settings" option.
  
• When the pop-up appears, click the "In-Game" section.
  
• If the "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game" box is unmarked, check it.

Somehow if your Steam Overlay still isn't usable, restart your Steam Client and try again.

If set up correctly, pressing the keys to open Steam Overlay will bring something like this up:



The game playing in the background is Overwatch.

Common Questions & Answers

Q1: I've done the following instructions and Steam Overlay still doesn't show up. What gives?

A1: As I said at the beginning of the guide, I can't guarantee every application will work with Steam Overlay. A few games I can confirm can't, and I am 100% sure Notepad won't work with it either. In addition, it seems that patched executable files don't seem to work? This is merely based off what other people have reported.


Q2: My Steam Overlay was working a while ago and now it won't show up! What do I do?

A2: Try restarting or logging off of your Steam client as instructed above, if all else fails.


Q3: I followed the above options and it still won't work! Why?

A3: In the case that fails, then the game likely won't work with Steam Overlay at all. As I said before, not all non-Steam games to work. Not all features will work either, since it isn't obtainable on Steam. I just don't have any answers if everything I mentioned above doesn't work, as common as it is.


Q4: What can I do with Steam Overlay while playing a non-Steam game?

A4: The following features work on Steam Overlay if played on a non-Steam game:

• Chat Messaging
  
• Group Chat Messaging
  
• Friends List
  
• Music Player (including Music Library)
  
• Settings
  
• Steam Web Browser
  
• Screenshot Captures
  
• Screenshot Uploader
  
• Steam Broadcasting

Everything else not listed will not work.


Q5: The game I want to use Steam Overlay with has a launcher, and I don't know what to do!

A5: Certain games must be launched through a separate application in order to play. If set up properly this should not be a problem and you can launch the game as normal. However keeping the launcher active tends to create unusual problems, an example on my end being that screenshots are created anytime Backspace is pressed despite binding screenshots to a different key. This doesn't apply to all launchers, but Battle net is the most common one to react this way based on personal experience.


Q6: I've captured screenshots and uploaded them, but they won't show up in the friend activity. Why?

A6: While no official statement has been released regarding non-Steam screenshots that I know of, it has been confirmed at this point Valve has disabled these screenshots from showing on that page. Luckily the uploaded images will still appear in your screenshot library and can be shared through status posts, forum threads, and even other guides by copy-pasting the upload's URL.


Q7: Why is this guide marked to contain "Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Violence, and Gore"?

A7: I actually don't know, ask Valve about it. Though this might be a community thing and not specific to this guide. Or perhaps I'm misreading things like I usually do.


Q8: How do you not know what's wrong with Steam Overlay for me if you made this guide?

A8: This guide is sadly not made with the intent of troubleshooting Steam Overlay issues, but the basics of setting it up. I'm unsure how the coding for this overlay works, or how it defines what games/applications are compatible and which ones aren't. You'll just have to try experimenting and see what works and what won't.


Q9: Will you test out a game I'm having trouble with and see if it works for me?

A9: No. As stated before, I'm unsure how Steam Overlay determines what games are treated as "games" and what aren't. Even if that weren't an issue, I don't own every game out there nor do I intend on going out of my way to try or even buy said games just to test the overlay on them. Sorry!

[Tundoori]

I have the opposite problem, I want to DISABLE the Steam overlay in my non-Steam game. There doesn't seem to be a way to do that. There used to be multiple ways to do it, but Valve seemingly patched them out. Idk why.

[czubai]

Cpt. Obvious here. Make sure you RESTART YOUR PC after adding the non-Steam game. Fixed no overlay for me.

[NoChillShill]

Run steam.exe as admin when restarting. Always works.

[Drake]

I was able to have Steam Overlay on OBS but I can't anymore now. It's enabled, I restarted Steam, but it just won't appear although it did like a month ago

[Charlie59876]

how do i access the overlay settings without the overlay? i want to start remote play together for a non steam game but the only way i see how to is with the steam overlay which i can't open

[birolay]

Can't seem to enable overlay when launching retroarch via Launchbox or Playnite. Any tips y'all?

[karlooo]

sick guide bro, thanks for telling me to enable it in settings, never thought of that . dumbass

[AlvaroRdz28]

Ayo luciano my man it fixed it that way, ill suc yo dickie

[GeeTee]

Nice tip @luciano! Running Steam as admin worked for me as well :)

[REI DA PACIÊNCIA]

Running Steam as an admistrator fixed the overlay on non steam apps for me.