> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.playability.gg/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Create and Customize the On-Screen Gaming Overlay

The PlayAbility overlay places interactive controls over your applications. You can use it as a complete on-screen controller or combine it with your existing face, head, voice, mouse, keyboard, gamepad, or adaptive-device mappings.

## Before you start

- Load the PlayAbility profile whose overlay you want to customize.
- Make sure **Main Output** is enabled when you are ready to send actions.
- If you use more than one monitor, decide which display will show the overlay.

Overlay layouts are saved separately for each profile. Changes are saved automatically as you edit.

## Open the overlay

1. Select **Overlay** in the PlayAbility sidebar.
2. While the overlay is closed, choose a screen under **Display Selection**. Choose **Auto (Primary)** to follow your primary display.
3. Select **Open Overlay**.
4. Confirm that the status on the Overlay page changes to **Open**.
5. Select **Edit Overlay**. The overlay darkens and displays its editing controls.

You must close the overlay before changing its display. **Edit Overlay** is unavailable while the overlay is closed.

## Add buttons and action combinations

1. In overlay edit mode, select **Add button**.
2. Open the **Gamepad**, **Keyboard**, **Mouse**, or **Settings** tab.
3. Select one or more actions.
4. Select **Add Actions** to create a separate on-screen control for every selected action.
5. To make one control send several compatible actions together, select multiple actions of the same output type and choose **Add as Combo**.
6. Drag each new control to a comfortable position.

Gamepad controls include buttons, D-pad directions, stick directions, and triggers. Mouse controls include clicks, scrolling, and drag buttons. Settings controls can perform actions such as toggling output, opening or closing the overlay, or running **Release All**.

## Add and tune a virtual joystick

1. Select **Add button** in edit mode.
2. Open the **Joystick** tab.
3. Choose **Add left stick**, **Add right stick**, or **Add D-pad**.
4. Drag the joystick to the required position.
5. Select the small gear button on the joystick.
6. Choose its **Target stick** and **Activation mode**.
7. Adjust **Size**, **Dead zone**, **Max range**, and **Sensitivity**.
8. Turn on **Extend on hold** if you want the joystick area to grow while it is pressed, making full deflection easier to reach.

In play mode, a joystick can be locked or unlocked by an overlay joystick-lock setting action. Other overlay buttons are temporarily disabled while a joystick is unlocked.

## Change an individual button

1. Select the gear button attached to a control in edit mode.
2. Choose an **Activation mode**:
   - **Use global default** follows the overlay-wide Click or Hover setting.
   - **Click** activates only when the control is clicked.
   - **Hover** activates when the pointer enters the control.
3. Turn on **Toggle mode** if a normal button should stay pressed until it is activated again.
4. Turn on **Dwell mode** if the control should wait for a stationary pointer or gaze before activating.
5. Adjust the other properties offered for that control, then close the properties panel.

For hands-free dwell or eye-gaze control, use **Hover** activation. In Click mode, a dwell-enabled control does not start until it is clicked.

## Change the complete overlay design

1. Select **Settings** in overlay edit mode.
2. Use the available tabs:
   - **Profile**: choose the overlay profile source, reset the layout, or import and export overlay profiles.
   - **Settings**: choose Click or Hover activation, cursor visibility, double-click toggling, scroll distance, and click feedback.
   - **Eye gaze**: show or hide the eye-tracker feedback circle when eye tracking is connected.
   - **Dwell**: set the default dwell action and timing for dwell-enabled buttons.
   - **Design**: change the button color, opacity, size, border, labels, and click-feedback appearance.
3. Close the Settings panel.
4. Select **Save and exit** to return the overlay to play mode.

The reset buttons replace the current layout and ask for confirmation. **Reset to blank**, **Reset to gamepad layout**, and **Reset to auto-click mouse** are useful starting points, but they remove the controls currently in that overlay layout.

## Start the overlay automatically

1. Return to the main PlayAbility **Overlay** page.
2. Turn on **Auto-start Overlay**.

The overlay will then open when a profile is loaded.

## Verify the overlay

1. Keep a safe application or controller test screen in front.
2. Make sure the overlay is in play mode and **Main Output** is enabled.
3. Activate one button and confirm that its visual state changes.
4. Confirm that the target application receives the expected gamepad, keyboard, mouse, or settings action.
5. Move each joystick through its range and verify that it returns to neutral.

## Troubleshooting and limitations

- **Edit Overlay is disabled:** Open the overlay first.
- **The overlay is on the wrong screen:** Close it, change **Display Selection**, and open it again.
- **A button highlights but the application receives nothing:** Check **Main Output**, the relevant output control such as **Gamepad Out**, and the active profile. Gamepad actions also require a working local virtual controller or an enabled external connector.
- **Hover does not activate a control:** Check the global activation mode under overlay **Settings**, and check whether that control has a per-button Click override.
- **Dwell does not begin without clicking:** Set the control, or the global default it follows, to **Hover** activation.
- **A control stays active:** Use a mapped **Release All** action. Then review Toggle mode, dwell action, and release-on-look-away settings.
- **A reset removed the layout:** Resets replace the current layout. Restore a previously exported overlay file if you have one.
- **A normal profile backup did not include the overlay:** Overlay profiles are not included in the main profile backup. Use overlay **Settings → Profile → Export all profiles** to back them up.
- **A combination is not created:** Select at least two compatible actions of the same output type before choosing **Add as Combo**.

## Related articles

- [Configure Overlay Dwell Actions](https://help.playability.gg/en/article/configure-overlay-dwell-actions-17diwa0/)
- [Use Eye Tracking with the Overlay (Beta)](https://help.playability.gg/en/article/use-eye-tracking-with-the-overlay-beta-b61o18/)
- [Accessibility and Appearance Settings](https://help.playability.gg/en/article/accessibility-and-appearance-settings-2tc706/)